We can all agree that 2020 has been a year of unexpected events. A year ago around this time, some of us were at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert. Up in the north, the Rockettes were leaping and visitors to the big city were skating around Rockefeller center. At the end of it all, when New Years was approaching and this season was coming to an end, we paused and thought until next year, but it is safe to say that no one thought next year would look like this. 

With a deadly pandemic that has taken more than one million lives worldwide, it is difficult to proclaim joy to the world and do a complete 360 from sadness to happiness just for the holidays. 

For many people, a time that is filled with attending festivities and being with family is no longer the norm . Those holiday activities have been cancelled and for many families, some members have left this earth. So, you may be asking, why should I be in a cheerful mood when there is nothing around me that evokes happiness? 

The holidays are always a hard time for many people. While some get to reside in the feeling of receiving gifts and being with loved ones, this is not the case for all. For those of us who are lucky enough to even have the opportunity to celebrate, it is more important now than ever that we raise our spirits . The holidays are a time where we can collectively come together, whether this be in spirit or physically, and celebrate both religious and cultural epiphanies, and consider all that we have to be thankful for. The holidays are not necessarily a time to find happiness, but a time to find joy. Because while happiness may flee, joy is everlasting. With atrocities occurring both in our nation and around the globe, we need to find this inner joy, as it gives us purpose to go on and make a change; it gives us reason to begin movements that are more necessary now than ever and fight for what we believe in , knowing that our actions can make a difference. 

We cope by knowing that light exists in the world. We continue in the hopes that a way will be made, the darkness will flee, and that night will turn to day. The holidays remind us of this light, and that even when it’s hard to spot in the gloom, it will meet us once again. 

With all this being said, put the star on top of that Christmas tree. Light the menorah and the kinara. Sing Auld Lang Syne and the Chanukah Song. Even if you cannot attend in person, join online religious services and have Zoom calls or Facetime with family. Most importantly, in the midst of the hurting and the darkness, remember that light can shine in the most unexpected places.