Winter Lights
Governor Scott's recent call for Vermonters to “Light the Way” has inspired us to launch Winter Lights, a series of short audio conversations with Vermonters from a variety of backgrounds that explore what it means to share light with others during the darkest days of the year
A component our Listening in Place initiative, you can find our Winter Lights segments on Instagram, Facebook and our website.
December 21 marks the winter solstice—the point at which the annual process of shortening days and lengthening nights reaches its peak, bringing us the shortest day (or longest night, if you prefer) of the year. The solstice is a turning point; in the days, weeks and months that follow, the light returns—dependably—as it always has.
As we slog through the lingering darkness and await the return of the light, it is no surprise that cultures across the world back to the late Neolithic Age have filled this period with festivals, feasting, dance, song and bonfires that emphasize, above almost anything else, the persistence of light.
Listening in Place: Winter Lights explores the significance of sharing light during this darkest time of the year—a period that brings us, among other things, Hanukkah menorahs on kitchen tables, Kwanzaa candles of black, red and green, colored lights on trees and buildings, illuminated nativity scenes and giant, glowing inflatable Santas in front yards, and bonfires that echo the European Pagan past and celebrate the Neo-Pagan present. Religious, secular or somewhere in between, lights are burning brightly in the darkness, filling us with hope, joy and anticipation for Spring’s return.
We also invite you to record your own conversations and reflections about sharing light this time of year and submit them to the Listening in Place Sound Archive.