Let There Be Light: Christmas Lights Lift Spirits in Dark Days of Winter

Let There Be Light: Christmas Lights Lift Spirits in Dark Days of Winter
Christmas lights in London. Jamie Davies/Unsplash
Anita L. Sherman
Updated:

When I was growing up in the ‘50s and ’60s, the passage from Thanksgiving leftovers to packages under the tree started with my mother.

On the first Sunday of Advent, she would assemble an evergreen wreath with four candles—three purple and one pink. Some years, she would attach satin ribbon bows to the base of the candles. Each week leading to Christmas, she would light one candle. On Christmas Eve, a white candle would be placed in the center of the wreath. I loved the ritual and the spiritual preparation.

Anita L. Sherman
Anita L. Sherman
Author
Anita L. Sherman is an award-winning journalist who has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor for local papers and regional publications in Virginia. She now works as a freelance writer and is working on her first novel. She is the mother of three grown children and grandmother to four, and she resides in Warrenton, Va. She can be reached at [email protected]
Related Topics