02/23/2026
It’s in the depths of winter, after the shiny holidays have gone, that we seem to especially settle into the season. The lead-up to the new year is a mad dash, of trying to fit every tradition and taste of nostalgia we can into such a brief time. This past Christmas season, we tried to do one thing every few days that made us feel connected to our Christmases of times’ past. And after the big day, we fell into a state of rest, wandering from room to room, puttering about, doing whatever we felt like.
Organizing the library that was overflowing with old books acquired from , , and estate sales. Eating endless cookies and chocolates, playing old records, and spending as much time as possible drinking tea in front of the tree.
And when we think back on these days — a grand whirlwind of celebration, of rest, then of celebration again at the New Year — we think of the sparkle that comes from the different lights of the season: the candles of the advent wreath; Christmas lights in the living room; the lighting of candles on the tree; the shiny tins and ribbons and ornaments scattered about the house; and the glittery streamers and confetti that signify New Year’s Eve.
During these later winter months, it’s the delicate lamplight that helps make that celebratory sparkle persist. We find that one more lamp or candle, lighting one more corner, is always that reminder of the darkness of winter — and the light that can always be felt.
