Night arrives early this time of year. Near the winter solstice, dusk creeps into the afternoon and claims it. The sun has been absent for much of December and its’ rare appearances have been brief. Recent days have been drab and dark, the skies filled with gray clouds. The stark bare branches of trees increase the gloomy appearance. With the holidays looming, our hands are busy and our hearts which should be full are often occupied with things other than merriment. We’re haunted by tragic events reported by the news but despite it all, we strive to keep our old customs and to honor our traditions. We want to laugh and sing, to savor someone else’s smile, and be merry even on the longest night of the year, just past.
At this darkest time of the year, our bright, colorful Christmas lights cut into the gloom and lift our spirits. Whether it’s the twinkling lights of our own tree or the brilliant displays down the street, we’re cheered by the lights. A candle in the light or flickering on the table, a fire burning bright in the fireplace, or the familiar sounds of carols on the stereo give us light and hope. We allow the light to banish the shadows, to make them recede as we celebrate the greatest Light of all, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Scholars agree Christ wasn’t born in December but most likely in the spring and setting the date to celebrate his birth on December 25th wasn’t an arbitrary decision. Long before the world received His light, they celebrated hope during the same season. The ancient Nordic tradition of the Yule log (Yule meaning the winter solstice) dates to pagan times but was adapted to mark the holiest season of all. The winter solstice, Yule, the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and other ancient feasts all were celebrated at the darkest part of the year with hope for the return of the sun and warmer seasons. The celebration of Christmas (Christ’s Mass) in December evolved from many of these pagan traditions and elements of them were incorporated into the observance. It wasn’t the only holiday that the early Church used as a focal point to make the transition into Christianity easier by not taking away long-standing customs but giving them new meaning.
The evergreen we associate with Christmas stands for eternal life. Mistletoe and holly had their place in early observances as well. Santa Claus, while based on an actual saint, St. Nicholas, evolved over the centuries into a kind, benevolent soul who brings gifts. He wasn’t alone in history. Other personalities, some female like Italy’s La Befana and others, dark like Krampus, also exist but have been overridden in our culture by Santa.
Although the season is now celebrated with incredible commercialism and perhaps more than a little touch of the wild abandon of Saturnalia for some, in our hearts, for most, we keep Christmas for its’ true meaning. We celebrate the Light of the world by letting light banish darkness as we open our hearts and homes to others. We give, whether it’s to things like our local Food Basket Brigade or to one another. We sit by quiet candlelight and remember the reason for the season. We fill church pews and let bright poinsettias give more color to our everyday houses of worship. We sing the carols we’ve known since childhood with happiness and reverence. And somewhere between the cookies we bake, the gifts we wrap, the colorful lights and bright trees, our hearts soar with the joy of the season, with the wonder and eternal gift of Christ’s birth in a humble stable long ago. Merry Christmas!
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