Winter solstice is the darkest day of the year in the northern hemisphere — but it’s bright with the promise of light to come.

With each passing day in the weeks ahead, the light lasts a little bit longer. In the deep of winter, during this holiday holy week, the promise of steadily increasing light brings cheer.

Winter solstice greetings from the north

Here in Anchorage, it’s dark and cold, and daylight hours are short: five hours, 27 minutes and 45 seconds, to be exact. But we’re nearly 2,000 miles below the North Pole. And that got me wondering.

Just how much daylight does the North Pole have this time of year? I looked it up and I’m glad I don’t live that far north.

Santa and the elves are working in the dark for half of the year! Up there at the tip top of our world, the North Pole has seen “no sunlight or even twilight since early October.” And “the darkness lasts until the beginning of dawn in early March,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

No wonder St. Nicholas heads south for Christmas. Perhaps he’s searching for light.

When darkness overwhelms …

For some, dawn may not arrive fresh each day but may set for a season as it does at the North Pole. The nights and the days may be long and dark. But there’s hope for the light, still.

Remember, the darkness always lasts only until dawn. Winter solstice brings greetings and hope for light. And, though almost imperceptibly at first, the sunlight stays a little longer each day.

Remember to look for the light

Light, both physical and spiritual, grounds us. When light seems scarce, it’s good to remember solstice is the darkest day. We’ve moved far from the sun — but we’re turning back. And if we look closely, the light is there, like a tiny beacon at the end of a dark tunnel.

Just like that, God reminds me that this season is about turning back to him. Soon we celebrate the Light of the World, the birth of a Holy child. We pause to remember what sometimes we forget, that he’s the source of our spiritual light.

In this season, we look for the light. And, with solstice, we begin to step back into the light.

Solstice brings its greeting of new light

The darkness reminds us of the importance of light. Solstice can be a season that grounds us. And, we can seek out light in these darker seasons.

Here are a few ways to bring light into your life and home:

• Visit holiday lights displays. Tonight, we are going to see the Holiday Lights at the Alaska Botanical Garden, an annual tradition. It’s good to step into the gardens amongst colorful displays. The plants all covered in snow remind me of children nestled snug in their beds, waiting for St. Nicholas. And, visiting the garden in winter helps me remember that this can be a season of deep rest.
• Drive around town to homes decorated with lights. Tomorrow evening, I’m accompanying a friend with Alzheimers disease as her husband takes her out to see a particularly well-decorated home with a connection to music on the radio. Not only will I see the lights, but I’m helping to brighten the night for another.
• Decorate a tree. The Christmas tree in my living room upstairs can be dressed in white lights or colored lights, flickering or steady. Technology brings me the gift of pushing a button to adjust the lights.
• Light a candle. A small white candle burns in my writing studio, steady and sure, reminding me of its steady source of fuel.
• Drop your suggestion in the comments below! I’d love to hear how you find light in this season of dark.

Greetings to you on this, the darkest day of winter! May you seek light, find light, be the light in the days ahead.

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