Celebrating Light In a Dark Year

Stories of light and Hope.

This time of year celebrates light in many traditions. Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas. New Year’s Fireworks.

It has been a particularly dark year. Toasting the triumph of light over darkness and hope over despair feels deeply poignant in 2020. A public health crisis has taken an incomprehensible number of lives, changed our world beyond recognition. Hurt so so many.

The weight of marking holidays in these tumultuous times feels heavy indeed. I keep thinking of this advice from one of Luke’s favorite books as the year draws to a close:

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

—Albus Dumbledore

And so—whether you are lighting candles on a menorah, or a diya on a mantle, or stringing lights on a tree—we wish you happiness.

We wish you light. We wish you joy. Though gatherings are smaller or virtual, and times and uncertain and hard, it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Let’s celebrate our shared humanity, the importance of kindness, the gladness of connection, the delight of little daily seemingly unimportant things. We invite you to join us at our 2020 Luke’s Lights celebration, via Zoom this year. If you can’t make it, that’s OK.

To quote F. Scott Fitzgerald: “We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it."

Can’t wait to give you all the hugs,

Gisela and the VK-5