Holiday blues: More dreary than cheery

Photo by Thomas Bjorkan

There's a great big elephant at most holiday gatherings, and it's more blue than pink.  Most people would rather pretend that it doesn't exist than tend to its needs.

Karl Jung wasn't most people.

He talked about the shadow personality, and said that everybody has one.  The shadow includes feelings such as anger, sadness and fear.  Not exactly a recipe for happy, merry and jolly.

Ignoring this blue bunch of feelings won't make them go away.  They will fester all the more if they're not, at the very least, acknowledged.

That is why many churches have started to hold Blue Christmas services.  Some are held on the winter solstice (when what seems like the longest night of the year literally is).  Some are equated with Saint Thomas' feast day (which coincides with the winter solstice) in order to help process those Doubting Thomas feelings that we all sometimes experience.

In contrast to the hullabaloo that is normally experienced at holiday time, these services range from mellow to melancholy.  They often include muted colors, hushed music, and a meditative atmosphere.  Sacred space is intentionally created for grieving, comforting, and trusting that the truth shall set us free.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Christmas_(holiday)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)