Our minister of music pushed for it because of knowing a lot if people with mental health issues. But really addresses that the holiday season is tough for many people.

Not sure if my family will attend this year. Father in law does just before Thanksgiving after a tough battle with cancer.

A "Blue Christmas" service (also called a "Longest Night" service) is a quiet, meditative Christian worship service held during Advent, often around December 21st (Winter Solstice), to offer comfort, hope, and a space for those experiencing grief, loneliness, loss, or holiday stress, acknowledging pain alongside the traditional Christmas joy. These services feature prayers, scripture, quiet music, and candle lighting, providing a reflective alternative to overly cheerful holiday events for those who are hurting, far from home, or struggling with illness, financial hardship, or world events, reminding them they are not alone and God is with them in their darkness.

shoved down your throat and you're feeling sad b/c of past memories, present troubles, and worries.

It's dark except for flickering candles. A hint of incense. Silence save for soft organ music. You sit with other people without an exchange.

You can cry. You can go up to the altar and get a hug from the presiding minister. You can pray. You can meditate. You can breathe. You can collect yourself.

Christmas is not festive and celebratory for everyone. This service addresses your need to seek solitude and hope on your own terms.

I've been to two services. And I'm an atheist.

I highly recommend it.

but it also sounds a whole lot like my Solstice rituals. While we don't have a huge indoor space in which to worship, and often it's too bitter cold to be outdoors, I've taken to bringing in a single large stone, which is set in a circle of white and black candles. You meditate on the black candles (pain, troubles, etc), and slowly make your way around to the white candles, meditating on hopes, dreams, and love for all. Before ending your meditation, you touch the large stone, mentally and emotionally depositing all your pain and sorrow into the stone. At the end of the service, we take the stone across the street, and place it in a small stream of running water.

Usually, our rituals are joyous and loud. This is one of the two that are very quiet in my house. This Yule ritual, in particular, is one where instead of each of us adding to and taking energy from each other, we stay focused within ourselves for rebuilding.

While I've never heard of a Blue Christmas service, from the way everyone is talking, I think I'd very much like to attend one... Christmases are hard around here...

the police.