Celebrations
of Light
“Celebrate
the best in people. Find the light that shines not on us, but within us, when
we trust enough to let it out.” Dewitt Jones
Good Hanukkah
to you. I hope your juices are perking up, your spirit on the rise. This week
will bring the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in terms of
daylight, but the good news is, we then begin to add light to each day
beginning Dec.22nd. These dark, cold days of winter will gradually lift. Light
is good for human beings—which is what Hanukkah, and several other holidays celebrate this time of year. They are thought of as Festivals of Light. During Hanukkah,
for instance, a candle will be lit for each day, and prayers said, special
foods served, gifts exchanged. It celebrates the rededication of the Temple in
Jerusalem in 165 BCE after the Maccabees defeated the Syrians.
We have
celebrated holidays of light—Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, Diwali, Chinese
New Year, St. Lucia’s Day, and others—for thousands of years. In the dead of
winter, in the darkest days, people delight in having a reason for lighting the
candles, celebrating in dance and merry-making, beating drums, and singing joyful songs. Because we know that the Winter Solstice marks the day the earth begins
turning, tilting back toward the north and in due course, Spring will come again. The
hours of sunlight will increase, and the sap will rise in all creatures of planet
earth.
One
thing humanity manages to do, even in times of war and pandemic, is to celebrate
light. And today, we lean like flowers toward the sun and give thanks for the
warmth. We celebrate the light without, and the light within that leads us to
one another and to the Source of our being. Today—hold out your hands and
receive the light that has shown since the beginning of time. Celebrate. Share.
Rejoice.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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