Blue Christmas (holiday)

Blue Christmas is observed during the end of Advent, before Christmas Day

Blue Christmas, also called the Longest Night in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year.[1] On this day, some churches hold a church service that honors people who have lost loved ones in that year.[2] The Holy Eucharist is traditionally a part of the service of worship on this day.[3] Some churches hold a service of worship on the longest night of the year, which falls on or about December 21st, the Winter Solstice. There is an interesting convergence for this day as it is also the traditional feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle. This linkage invites making some connections between Thomas's struggle to believe the tale of Jesus' resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with darkness and grief faced by those living with loss.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Milton, Ralph (2000). This United Church of Ours. Wood Lake Publishing Inc. p. 87. ISBN 9781551453897. Retrieved 9 April 2014. Many congregations have a special week or so before Christmas. Some call it "Blue Christmas," while others call it, "The Longest Night," and some simply call it a "Service of Remembering."
  2. ↑ McCoy, Robb McCoy; Taylor Burton-Edwards. "A Service of Word and Table for Longest Night/Blue Christmas". General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) of The United Methodist Church. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Quivik, Melinda A. (2005). A Christian Funeral: Witness to the Resurrection. Augsburg Books. p. 90. ISBN 9780806651484. Retrieved 9 April 2014. an Advent evening eucharist (called Longest Night or Blue Christmas) that recognizes how hard the coming of Christmas can be for those who have buried a loved one during the past year.
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