light Your Way Home For The Holidays
The Story of Light: A Winter Journey into Myths, Symbols, and Season
As the days get shorter and the darkness creeps in earlier, we bid farewell to the longer dog days of summer. For many of us, the change in the season represents more than just a change in the weather. With the storms and the rain, activities shift from outdoors to indoors. Our foods transform from the brightness of the summer season, to the richness of the fall.
In the North of Norway, we call the dark season Mørketid or the “Changes in the Nature.” This winter phenomenon happens only north of the Northern Polar Circle and south of the Southern Polar Circle. In this period of time, the sun is under the horizon—even at its highest. The closer you are to the poles, the longer the period becomes.
For us at Kvarøy, the Northern Polar Circle runs through our island, which means that the Polar Nights last from November to early January. As we rise in the morning hours, there is darkness. When we get up in the morning, there will only be a few hours of light before it is dark again by mid-afternoon.
Although this season brings incredible darkness, it also gifts us with the Northern lights, a breathtaking sight where the sky bursts with orange and cerise colors from sundown until the horizon appears. And because we have no light pollution, we can see all of the stars in the night sky.
This time of year brings us to reflect upon the symbolism of light and darkness, especially as we approach the holidays. Folklore in all parts of the world share a common thread—myths and lore are rich with symbolism of fire and light. Creation stories often include fire and flame as generative and destructive forces, with darkness representing sadness or much worse. Aither, Greek God of light, fills the sky with a mist of light until evening when his mother Nyx draws darkness over the evening sky. Allah illuminates the world with effulgent light. Buddha appears as a flame when he first reveals himself on Mount Sumeru, and Christ is the Light of the World; “the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1, 17).
As this season stretches towards the end of the year and into a celebration of the holidays, light takes on an even richer meaning. Throughout the coming months, you will see us pay homage to this LIGHT as we explore how to “Light the Way Home for the Holidays.”
You’ll hear stories of those who commemorate the season through lights that hold powerful meaning. You’ll learn the meaning of candles associated with celebrations such as Kwanzaa or Hanukkah and how lanterns represent illumination and guidance, bringing light to darkness. Each recipe, each action, and each story is a symbol of the rekindling and renewal of the sun during the winter solstice. We hope that you will follow along and join us as we illuminate these darker months!
