Why My Christmas Tree Is Still Up

These short days and long nights of winter get to me more each year. To make matters worse, this particular winter in the Mid-Atlantic States we’ve had more cloudy days than sunny ones. I feel like I’m living in Seattle or Portland. With all these gray and rainy days, there has been even less sunlight than usual.  I’m making an effort to get out and take a long walk no matter what the weather, and when the sun is out, I just stop, close my eyes, and turn my face toward it. I even get excited when the moon is visible.  Anything to see some light.

Maybe it’s Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine some people experience a serious mood change during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. “This condition is called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a type of depression. It usually lifts during spring and summer.”

Well, whatever it is, all I know is I NEED LIGHT! And the bright glow of my beautiful Christmas tree makes me feel better.  It’s no longer affiliated with the Christmas holidays but is now a part of the winter festival of lights!  Heaven knows Christmas is over but winter certainly isn’t.

And my outdoor lights?  I turn them into Valentine’s Day decorations by taking down the Christmas greens and putting hearts in the windows and on the door.  I justify this because my lights are all white.  However, no matter what color your outdoor lights, the longer you leave them up, the happier people like me will be.  They can stay lit until the Spring Equinox in March for all I care.  I appreciate the extra light.

At our previous house, I once had a neighbor tell me in late January it was time to take the Christmas lights down from my Alberta spruce out front. After I explained that the lights cheered me up during the dark winter, she never complained again.  I wish she had been willing to leave her lights up, too, but I guess that was too much to expect.

So while I (and others like me) wait for spring and the longer days of sunlight to return, I say thank you to anyone willing to keep their outside Christmas lights aglow.  Catching a glimpse of your Christmas tree lights at your front window is an extra bonus. People may think you are procrastinating, but honestly, you are making a positive difference.    Please, let your lights shine!