Light in the Darkness

FROM WHERE I SIT    Light in the Darkness  Dec. 17, 2012    Pat Spilseth

’Tis the season of darkness.  Gray skies, often filled with snowy clouds, dominate December days.  Nights are long, cold, chilling the body and soul. 

Dark clouds haunt my mind.  The tragedy of school children and staff needlessly slaughtered in New Town, CN, dominate the news.  Murderous deaths in Cold Spring and Little Falls, MN, fill the newspapers.  Slick roads, car accidents, deaths, head colds, and the flu are prevalent.  Winter seems to be filled with chilling darkness.

It’s December...only a few days before Christmas.  Early morning silence greets me as I awaken too early today, at 4AM.  The winter sky is still dark with no stars shining or moon glow to light my way down the stairs.    Donning my warm bathrobe and furry slippers, I slip down the steps quietly to turn on the Christmas tree lights and open the curtains.  Across Carmen’s Bay, I see Christmas lights from a house whose inhabitants I do not know, but each winter morning I look out my windows to see their holiday lights.  They brighten my spirits.  As I make my first cup of strong coffee, I decide to take advantage of this quiet time to sit in my red leather chair, look out at the frozen lake, and meditate for a short while on my life’s blessings.

It’s too early for Buddy, my Beagle pal who sleeps later these days.  He’s almost nine; that’s about 63 in human years.  He likes to sleep until seven.  Dave rises a bit later.  I relish the silence of this early morning with only the tree lights shining in the darkness.

There’s something about light at Christmastime—strings of Christmas lights, firelight, candlelight, starlight.  I read that long ago in northern Europe, people burned Yule logs for warmth during this season of darkness.  Yuletide means “the turning of the sun”.  The Yule log was actually an entire tree, which, hopefully, would last the entire Yule season.  People would place one end of the tree in the fire to slowly burn, leaving the rest jutting into the room.  Just like the wood fires I enjoy burning in my fireplace, people of old enjoyed the light and warmth of burning their Yule log to lighten the dark season.

Candles are popular to light at Christmastime.  Scented or not, they engulf the room with wonderful smells and a gentle light.  Candles represent the star guiding the wise men to Bethlehem.  In Scandinavia and Germany, people set out candles on Christmas Eve to light the way for Kriskind, or Christ child.  In France, Belgium, and Holland, processions of children follow illuminated stars through the village streets.  Candles shining in the window welcome visitors to homes in Ireland on the holy night. 

Through the dark skies emerges a soft pink light...early morning dawn.  The five-pointed star atop my tree represents the Bible story where a star appeared over Bethlehem.  It served as a light to guide the wise men from the East to the Christ child, the bright morning star. 

A story from Germany tells us that the theologian Marin Luther cut and decorated the first Christmas tree for his children back in 1535.  Legend says that Luther was walking home through the woods one Christmas Eve under the bright starry sky, thinking about the wonder and beauty of the evening, wishing he could capture that moment to share with his children.  An image of a tall evergreen tree sparkling with candlelight came into his mind.  On his way home he found the perfect tree, cut it down, carried it home, and decorated it.  His children were thrilled. 

Evergreens are a yuletide symbol shared by many cultures.  Green branches represent the promises of spring and new life.  Candles or lights on the tree reflect the hope and peace of the season.  The Christmas tree is now a tradition that can brighten even the bleakest days of wintertime. 

Christmas is a season of giving.  The Victorian rule of thumb for filling a Christmas stocking was “something to eat, something to read, something to play with, and something they need”.  Do you remember years past when you or your children peeked into your stocking to find an orange, a book, maybe a ball, chalk, or set of jacks, and fresh underwear?

Christmas is not meant to be a season of stressful shopping, cleaning, and entertaining.  Christmas is a season of light meant for family gatherings and the Christ child.  As you light the Christmas tree this evening, think of each shining light on the tree as one of your many blessings.   ’Tis the season of light when one focuses on the true meaning of the Christmas season.  788 words