These short days and long nights of winter get to me more each year. To make matters worse, this particular winter in the Mid-Atlantic States we’ve had more cloudy days than sunny ones. I feel like I’m living in Seattle or Portland. With all these gray and rainy days, there has been even less sunlight than usual. I’m making an effort to get out and take a long walk no matter what the weather, and when the sun is out, I just stop, close my eyes, and turn my face toward it. I even get excited when the moon is visible. Anything to see some light.
Maybe it’s Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine some people experience a serious mood change during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. “This condition is called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a type of depression. It usually lifts during spring and summer.”
Well, whatever it is, all I know is I NEED LIGHT! And the bright glow of my beautiful Christmas tree makes me feel better. It’s no longer affiliated with the Christmas holidays but is now a part of the winter festival of lights! Heaven knows Christmas is over but winter certainly isn’t.
And my outdoor lights? I turn them into Valentine’s Day decorations by taking down the Christmas greens and putting hearts in the windows and on the door. I justify this because my lights are all white. However, no matter what color your outdoor lights, the longer you leave them up, the happier people like me will be. They can stay lit until the Spring Equinox in March for all I care. I appreciate the extra light.
At our previous house, I once had a neighbor tell me in late January it was time to take the Christmas lights down from my Alberta spruce out front. After I explained that the lights cheered me up during the dark winter, she never complained again. I wish she had been willing to leave her lights up, too, but I guess that was too much to expect.
So while I (and others like me) wait for spring and the longer days of sunlight to return, I say thank you to anyone willing to keep their outside Christmas lights aglow. Catching a glimpse of your Christmas tree lights at your front window is an extra bonus. People may think you are procrastinating, but honestly, you are making a positive difference. Please, let your lights shine!
Anyone who comments on this blog by midnight on Jan. 24 will be entered to win an ebook from the Annie Crow Knoll series!
I’m with you! Sadly, we didn’t put up a tree this year because the stress of first-semester grad school had me too fatigued to do it, but I’ve enjoyed seeing the few lights still up around our neighborhood.
Hi, Donna! Best wishes with grad school. I remember those days. It’s a very demanding time. Thanks for sharing.
Donna, you are the winner of the Annie Crow Knoll e-book! I’ll email you about the details. Congratulations and thanks for commenting on my blog!
Great post! I so agree with you about the need for light in the depths of Winter. I don’t mind the cold so much as long as the sun is shining and it’s a blue-sky day. My Christmas tree has been down for a couple of weeks but our outdoor lights are still up and on. We may be the only ones on the block but you’ve encouraged me to keep them up a little longer…thanks!
Thanks for leaving your lights up and on, Patt! I’m adding valentines to my windows, so they will now be Valentine’s Day lights!
I only wish i lived next door to enjoy your tree and lights daily – I do not suffer from SAD – in fact I love fall and winter – but I am a lover of lights and candles glowing all night long – it makes me feel warm and cozy and hug-able and secure – and those are important for me – and Christmas trees bring back those memories of my childhood – add snow to the picture and I AM THERE – that’s when I really feel my Mom’s presence.
Interesting that you mentioned your mom today, Ruth. I remember how classy and spunky she was. Today would be my mom’s birthday. Two very cool ladies, our mothers. <3
I have seen your amazing tree up close and personal. I would hope that you NEVER take it down – it’s so beautifully decorated by you with the eye of an artist and the precision of an engineer. Unfortunately, we have to take ours down because it’s a cut tree. But now I can watch it in its second life as a bird habitat in our backyard. And even though our lights are down, I’ll look for “light” in nature, laughter, and love.
Claire, Thanks for your compliments on my tree decorations! Before we discovered my allergies to cut trees, we also used to take the cut tree out back for the birds to enjoy for the rest of the winter. I miss doing that. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful reason to leave your lights up! I had never given much thought to why people kept turning their outdoor lights on through the whole winter, but now I will look at them as little glimmers of hope in the winter gloom. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Claire, I love your description of the lights as little glimmers of hope in the winter gloom. You must be a writer. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!