Tonight is the first night of Chanukkah, the eight-day festival of lights. Over the course of the coming eight days, we will also celebrate the Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), Christmas, and the start of Kwanza.
It’s the season of light.
More accurately, it’s the season of emerging light.
It may not feel like it. We are still in the darkest days of the year.
The Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day. It’s a turning point; after the solstice, the days will gradually become longer.
This will happen so slowly that it will be imperceptible until suddenly we notice a lot more light.
Chanukkah works the same way. Over the course of eight nights, we light the candles progressively: one the first night, two the second night, and so on. On the first night, the lone candle barely gives off any light. By the eight night, the candles create a stunning spectacle.
The light of the candles can be a symbol of the actual light in nature, or a metaphor for progress or results.
We don’t go from darkness to bright lights overnight. We get there bit by bit, one candle at a time.
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