Even the darkest night will end
and the sun will rise.
– Victor Hugo

We all know those people who start decorating for Christmas and listening to Christmas music before the ghosts and goblins of Halloween are put away. It’s me, I’m those people! Or, I should say, I’m somewhat those people.

Now, before you get up in arms about my actions, allow me to say that I mean no disrespect to Thanksgiving. I still decorate for Thanksgiving and properly observe the holiday. I wait until December before any major Christmas decorating happens, except for the outside Christmas lights – taking advantage of a random warm spell is more enjoyable than hanging multiple strings of lights in cold, blustery weather (if you know, you know). And I really do try to keep those lights off until after Thanksgiving, but the nights get dark so early and those lights just seem to make it all a bit easier to make it through another long, winter’s day.

I know I’m not alone in this as I’ve seen the evidence all over town well before Thanksgiving. Every night I drive home from the library it appears as if another house has turned on their lights. There actually might be more to the practice of putting up lights early than making me (and the rest of us early light putter-uppers) happy. We could be following in the footsteps of our ancestors as there is a long tradition of lighting the dark nights this time of year.

Allow me to take you on a little trip back to 11th century Scandinavia. Due to the northern location the nights were extra-long and cold, sometimes receiving only four to five hours of daylight each day. On the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, the Scandinavians would have a winter festival in celebration of the long nights ending and the light returning. They would share stories, eat, and revel in their time with friends and family. This took place centered around the fire of a carefully selected, giant log, which was the yule log. The celebration would carry on for 12 days into the New Year (remember this for next week).

Other cultures and religions have been practicing similar traditions throughout the years. There are too many to write about in this blog, but many of these traditions have themes of light and hope. In colonial times, placing a lighted candle in the window could be a symbol for those traveling that a room was available, or that it was a safe place to stop. Another tradition has the lighted candle in the window as a beacon for loved ones to always find their way home, or as a way to honor those who are absent and show how much they are missed. Like the yule log, the candle in the window can be a sign of hope that the darkness of the night, of the winter, of the world will end and light will be arriving.

 

While adorning your home with Christmas lights may not be as quaint and symbolic as a yule log or a candle in the window, the concept is the same. It’s not as noticeable in town with every other house decorated, especially those who are competing with Clark Griswold. These lights are still enjoyable but I challenge you to take a drive on a country road where there could be miles between neighbors and seeing those lights brings a welcome respite to the dark.

As Christmas comes to an end, one by one those lights are turned off and I find myself waiting, being one of the last ones in the neighborhood to turn them off because I know that January is going to be long and dark and cold and any extra light goes a long way.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. May your New Year be filled with love and light.

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