I'm looking at the twinkling lights on my Christmas tree; lights like stars in the dark room. I think lights are essential on a Christmas tree. We can decorate the tree as much as we like, but without the twinkling lights it’s just not the same. These days, we use electric lights on our tree, but in Victorian times, they used candles.

We all know the importance of light. Four days ago, it was the shortest day for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. And the longest night. It is not a co-incidence that the feast of Christmas falls three days after the planet starts tipping towards the sun again. And our sun is a star, of course.

Even before the early Christians adopted this date for their own, it was already an important pagan festival marking the rebirth of the sun after the darkest part of the year. All mankind recognises how essential is light, and with light, warmth. I think we who live with depression understand this more profoundly than most.

Our church recently held a “Blue Christmas” service; a time of quiet contemplation for those who find Christmas hard. The priest lit a candle and led a meditation. The candle flickered and created a warm pool of light in the darkened church, and we all received our own candle which we lit at the end of the service to take our own small light back out into our lives.

Just one candle can make all the difference between darkness and light. As the old Chinese proverb says, it’s better to light one candle than to sit and curse the darkness.

I have sometimes described my own periods of depression as being like sitting in a cold dark cell in a dungeon. I remember well the person who said, “I can’t help, but I’ll come and sit beside you in the dungeon and hold a candle for you.” By saying that, she helped more than she knew.

And candles give warmth, too. I like to burn scented candles. As the flame warms the wax, it melts and releases the fragrance. The flickering light and the perfume gives me comfort when I’m down.

On clear nights without a moon, just the stars give light. The stars twinkle, like candle flames far away.

And with stars, I think of the star on my Christmas tree and the star over the stable at Bethlehem.

I wish you joy, peace and light at Christmas.

Mary

A Moodscope member