The post-Christmas winter blues?

Last updated on: January 12, 2017 at 10:25 am by Dan Peterson

The post-Christmas winter blues? 2017-01-12T10:25:42-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jacob van Ruisdael (d. 1682), “Winter Landscape with a Watermill”
(Wikimedia Commons public domain)

When I was very young, the days immediately after Christmas — heck, the hours after Christmas morning! — were sad and depressing to me. From roughly Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve I was so excited about, and so focused on, the coming of Christmas that it was a real let-down once the anticipation was over. I didn’t even like to listen to Christmas music any more.

And now, having moved from southern California to Utah, I have to face the rest of winter. It reminds me almost of C. S. Lewis’s description of Narnia under the dominion of the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: It was always winter, he writes, but never Christmas. Although, to me as a child, winter and Christmas involved blue skies and palm trees, just as in the original New Testament story, I’ve been acculturated to the Currier & Ives vision of Christmas as possibly involving lots of fresh snow dotted by the occasional sleigh and a rural New England church or two. But after Christmas? I don’t much mind the cold, but I really dislike gray skies, old and dirty snow, and dead trees.

In maturity, though, my attitude has changed considerably from what it once was. Christmas Day itself, alas, isn’t quite so magical as it was when I was a (greedy) child. But my appreciation of what Christmas actually stands for is many times deeper. And, to the extent that I permit it to do so, that meaning informs my life throughout the year.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell captured this sentiment beautifully:

The larger Christmas story is clearly not over. It is not solely about some other time, some other place, and some other people. It is still unfolding, and we are in it!” (The Christmas Scene, page 11)

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 11, 2017

"The Milky Way's Most Distant Stars May Be Stolen Goods"

Next Post

January 12, 2017 "What's Missing in the Teaching of Islam"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jesus An angel A voice from heaven (or the multitude) John