Merry and Bright
Last Christmas Eve I read an opinion column in the Washington Post by David Von Drehle entitled “May All Your Solstices be Bright.” In it, he discussed many of the ancient festivals of the winter solstice and distant forebears’ harrowing experience of watching the sun drain away in autumn and the relief of light’s return as spring approached. Ah, the joy of Christmas lights for those of us who celebrate the season with decorations and multicolored lights.
During the weekend before Thanksgiving, we took advantage of clear, mild weather to put up outdoor lights. In the southwest, we display luminarias, or festival lights. The New Mexican tradition began when the Spanish villages along the Rio Grande displayed the Christmas lanterns to welcome the Christ child into the world. In addition, chile shaped lights adorn our front door.
This year I added several strands of multicolored lights along the cinder-block wall that separates our property from our neighbors. I wanted to look out the window on dark winter nights and see something light up the landscape. My next-door neighbor was ecstatic over my “Christmas Lights.” I told her to think of them more as lights for the winter solstice—to brighten up the very dark days. And if ever we needed brightening up, it’s this year where a cloud has hung over the earth no matter the weather outside, no matter the time of day or the time of year. As Von Drehle said in his column, this primal holiday (winter solstice) recurs “across time, space and cultures because it speaks to the most basic human fears and hopes.” Sound familiar this year?
With the news of vaccines being approved and distributed, a dim light shines at the end of what is still a long tunnel. We are hopeful that we can soon move to the other side of this pandemic. In the meantime, the winter sky of 2020 has offered one bright spot. On December 21, the winter solstice, the longest night of year in the northern hemisphere, hence the darkest day, Jupiter and Saturn came closer together in the night sky than they have been in centuries. The double planet view is also known by some astronomers as the “Christmas Star” because of a belief that the biblical tale of the Star of Bethlehem could have been a similar planetary conjunction. The last time such a close paring was observable to the naked eye was in 1226.
Bring some brightness into these dark times. Mask up, wash your hands, be mindful of social distancing, and express gratitude to the people who have continued to be out there—front-line workers, healthcare professionals, and teachers come to mind. In the meantime, to quote Van Drehle, “The season belongs to every human. And so to all of you sharing another trip around the sun, I wish you light and hope for the year ahead.”
Cornelia Gamlem