Thought for the Week: Seasons greetings?

John Lampen reflects on the season

by John Lampen 19th December 2014

I believe that most Quakers look forward to Christmas. Once the beautiful leaves have fallen, the end of autumn can be a depressing time. In northern lands, as the cold increases, there is a deep human need to gather round the fire and celebrate our family bonds, our closeness and dependence on one another. It isn’t surprising that so many cultures have special midwinter festivals with lavish food and drink. People need this reassurance. Our traditional practices of bringing foliage into our homes and lighting candles are a distant echo of magical practices that hoped to persuade the sun to come back overhead and the dormant plants to grow again.