When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight. – Matthew 2:10
Since as far back as I remember, my experience of Christmas has always been a “White Christmas” – happy, joyful, jovial, new clothes, new shoes, gifts, presents, money, food, feasts, glittering decorations, festive songs, and even in the church, the religious festivities abound – carols, Masses, fellowship, gift-giving, merry making. This was paused only when my mom died in 2012, and our Christmas was quite subdued, but as she passed away in July, we had a few months to recover.
With the recent loss of our dad (20 November this year, his funeral on 2 December), it seems the heavy cloud looms around. I cannot even find the energy to put up a Christmas tree.
If there is a “White Christmas,” what about the song that talks about the “Blue Christmas,” I wondered.
I went to research what it means exactly and who celebrates “Blue Christmases.”
I was surprised by what I discovered. Wikipedia shares “that Blue Christmas (also called the Longest Night) in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year dating back to the 1990s.
“On this day, some churches in Western Christian denominations hold a church service that honours people who have lost loved ones and are experiencing grief.
“Catholicism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravianism, and Reformed Christianity are included in this observance. The Holy Eucharist is traditionally a part of the service of worship on this day.
“This worship service is traditionally held on or around the longest night of the year, which falls on or about 21 December, the Winter Solstice. There is an interesting convergence for this day as it is also the traditional feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle.
“This linkage invites making some connections between Saint Thomas’s struggle to believe in Jesus’s resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with darkness and grief faced by those living with loss.
“The worship often includes opportunities for expression of grief, pain, and heartbreak as well as an opportunity to focus on the promise of hope found in Christ.
“Candles, arranged as an Advent wreath, may be lit during the service, and empty chairs may be reserved as a way of commemorating those lost during the previous year. The images of the winter solstice, including the beginning of increasingly longer days, are a significant part of the imagery used in this worship event.”
In May 2016, Kevin Dunn, a resident of Simpsonville SC, started a movement to pay tribute to the sacrifices of law enforcement officers who die/died and have given up their lives in the line of duty. Instead of the traditional holiday lights, he decorated his tree with blue bulbs and blue candles.
A blue Christmas is important, as the National Today website states, “because we want to show we care for those who recently lost a loved one. It helps assuage the pain of grief, relieving the pains that people feel during the festive period. It honors humanity as it urges us to be there for those who feel sadness for the loss of loved ones.”
We, who are grieved, do not want to rob the happy of their joy and delight during Christmas. However, we are encouraged to be sensitive to people around as they might be having a blue Christmas instead of a white one.
What are some ways to help? For those who know of someone who works in law enforcement, or even now, this may be extended to front liners on duty during the December holidays, we can show empathy and appreciation by maybe inviting them to Christmas dinner or putting up some blue Christmas lights to show solidarity. We can visit the bereaved and help cheer them up by spending time with them. We can share encouraging words on social media or call them, or wrap up a thoughtful present to alleviate that lonely and sorrowful heart.
“Blue Christmas” is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley; it was first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holiday, but its blue, lamenting theme is still appropriate for anyone experiencing loss during the Christmas season, which is in contrast to the happy holiday mood of the period.
What colour then will I use to celebrate Christmas in 2022? At the time of writing, I really do not know. But I will still try my very best to celebrate with the whole world the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
The year was fraught with all sorts of challenges – personal and widespread. However, I know that even if the circumstances of my life change, the message of Christmas is timeless. The message that God loves us, that He gave His only begotten Son, and that He came to give us joy, hope, and peace does not change from year to year. It is one of the eternal mysteries we can hold on to.
Despite my grief, I can be consoled by this eternal truth and still join in the JOY of its celebration – able to wear the colours of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This Christmas, I am hoping to see a STAR instead of a rainbow, a star that will fill me once again with great joy!
A very blessed Christmas to one and all!
