Festival of Lights

Snazzy Moms presents : menora © – geriluz

Last night I was at a really nice Hanukah party and heard some really nice thoughts on the holiday season that I would like to shear with you.

Whether you are Jewish or Christian, this is the season of lights. The Jewish people light the menorah for 8 days of lights and the Christians light up the streets and their homes with beautiful, colorful Christmas lights. There are also many other nations that light candles or lanterns as a sign of celebrating various holidays and festivals throughout the year. For example, the Hidus have Diwali, a festival of lights (where they celebrate the homecoming of Lord Ram of Ayodhya, after a 14-year exile).

What do all these light symbol? Why are candles, lights and lanterns used to symbolize celebration or holiday? The winter months, especially during the month of December, are the shortest days of the year, making them the darkest and coldest days of the year as well. This is the time of the year where people tend to stay home, go to sleep early and often get the winter blues. This is true of today and it is true of 1,000 years ago when people still lived in clay huts.

The holiday lights come to symbolize the inner light and strength that a person needs to find to get him through these short, dark and cold days. The actual lighting (or switching on) of these lights symbolizes the ability a person has in finding his inner light and strength that will help him through the winter. The lights are a symbol of the personal happiness that needs to come from within each person especially during this time of the year.

Happy Holiday!!

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