Keep the Lights On

Earlier this week, as I sat on the couch in the early morning light, gazing at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, I thought about the post-holiday return to normal and new routines. I’ve enjoyed a [very busy] week off and still have several days left, albeit with a few freelance commitments to fulfill. I’ve allowed my brain to rest and not think too much about work or anything stressful.

My first thought? When should I pack up and put away Christmas? I could do it this Sunday, before Epiphany but after our last holiday party on Saturday night, or I could wait until the following weekend, which is already peppered with activities. I decided I could sacrifice the last three of the Twelve Days of Christmas in order to reset my home before the return to “normal” life. I know I’ll feel more ready for the re-entry if I reset my environment. At the same time, I’ll miss the festive colors and lights of Christmas. The lights and colors of Christmas help make the transition to winter in the Midwest easier.

Later that morning, I opened my copy of Evergreen by Lydia Millen to polish off the section on winter. In the final chapter, “December,” Millen discusses the post-holiday letdown that can happen when we un-decorate, when people take down the lights on their homes, returning the streets to darkness during the long night hours. Millen argues that we don’t have to let ourselves be plunged into darkness, though. We can, instead, decorate our homes for winter, including elements of sparkle and light, to keep the cozy feeling in place and help keep our spirits lifted.

Mentally, I made a list of items not to pack up this year: the twinkle lights on the mantel, a few bottle brush trees that are more winter than Christmas, some candles and linens. I also decided to leave my book tree—a pencil tree strung with white lights and hung with tiny copies of literary classics—up for the season.

Decorating for the seasons isn’t new, but Millen’s thoughts about keeping the lights on has helped me to ponder what, exactly, makes me happiest at Christmas, and lights are definitely a key player, whether softly glowing lamps, flickering candles, or strings of fairy lights. It may be cold and bleak outside, but my home can be cozy and sparkling with light, helping me to settle into the season rather than wishing it would end sooner.

Personally, I love January. I love the slower pace, the calm after the busy, the dark and quiet mornings, the snowy landscape. Colder days bring more time for snuggling on the couch with a book and crafting by the fire. But at some point in February, the winter blues usually come for me, too. I’m tired of the lack of warmth, of driving on messy roads, of dry skin and cold feet. At that point, it helps me to bundle up and get outside whenever the weather permits, breathing the fresh air and foraging for bits of nature to bring indoors.

Bringing the beauty of nature into our homes can help us stem the tide of the winter blues and embrace where we are with a greater sense of abundance. We can dress windowsills and mantels with greenery and pinecones. We can pick up a potted amaryllis or narcissus and watch it bloom on the kitchen table. We can force branches to bud and then burst into bloom.

And we can continue to keep the lights on until spring.