Embracing Light During Dark Times: Festivals and Traditions

From Diwali to Yule celebrations and festivals that bring in the light

Hello and thanks for being here. If you’re new here I’m Laura, a counsellor, nature therapist, somatic therapist, meditation teacher and space holder. My work is centered around gently guiding people back into relationship with themselves, with their bodies, and with the wider natural world. My offerings weave together counselling psychology, embodiment, nature connection and ritual to support deeper alignment with our inner and outer cycles.

As we move more firmly into the darker half of the year, I find myself reflecting on how instinctively we seek out light in times of darkness. This might be the literal darkness of the long nights and shortening days, or the metaphorical darkness and the shadow places within ourselves, or the collective darkness we sense in the wider world, especially during times of uncertainty, grief or upheaval. There’s something about the turning inward that this season brings that makes space for deeper contemplation. How do we find light in the dark? And even more than that, how can we become a light in our own darkness before we try to be a light for others?

I believe that this search for light isn’t just poetic, it’s biological and ancestral. It’s hardwired into us. If we look to our ancient ancestors, the dark months of winter were not symbolic, but a very real challenge. A time when survival depended on the success of the harvest and the strength of the community. The ability to endure the cold and scarcity of winter often came down to preparation, mutual support and trust in the returning light. I talk more about this in my post about yule and the winter solstice, but it’s worth reiterating: before electricity and supermarkets and central heating, winter was a test of endurance. The returning of the sun wasn’t just a comforting metaphor, it was life-giving. It was everything.

It makes perfect sense that so many cultures across the world have, for thousands of years, held festivals of light during the darkest times of the year. These traditions are beautiful in their diversity and yet deeply unified in spirit; a shared human impulse to celebrate hope, resilience and the promise of return.

From the vibrant colours and fireworks of Diwali, the Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, to the warm glow of the Hanukkah menorah, where each candle is a symbol of perseverance and faith. From the delicate floating lanterns of Loy Krathong in Thailand, released onto rivers as acts of letting go and inviting renewal, to the twinkling festive lights of Eid, illuminating streets and homes with joy and gratitude, each of these festivals speaks to the same essential truth: In the darkness, we create light.

We do it with candles, with stories, with song. We do it by gathering together, by remembering what matters, and by nourishing the flame of hope, even if it's small. Especially when it’s small. This season, I’m sitting with the idea that we must learn to tend the light within us first. Not in a self-centred way, but in a rooted, sustainable way. If we don’t know how to light a candle for ourselves when we’re lost, tired, or afraid, how can we hold that light for others?

The symbolism of light: all we're going to do for eternity is sit around the fire

In cultures around the world light symbolises love, knowledge and intellectual thought. Light opposes darkness, which is symbolic of hate, fear and ignorance. Because of this, it’s no surprise that we have a desire to connect with light, especially in darker times. I shared the lyrics below, from a beautiful Jon Hopkins and Ram Das song at a recent event. I think it perfectly illustrates the idea that we can try to find an ember of light, love or hope even in the darkest of times.

I think an important part of finding that ember is not denying darkness. In many psychological theories there is the idea that our self has distinct parts or configurations. When we turn away from or deny parts of ourselves this can lead to internal conflict, with the abandoned parts of self, the parts that are in our shadow or darkness, spilling out at times. In therapy and counselling we often look to connect with our various parts in order to integrate or reconcile them.

This is necessary, I believe, for all aspects of experience. From our feelings, to challenging past experiences if we bypass, avoid or deny we don’t process our experience and this leads to struggle and distress. This is even true of our experience around the seasons. If we can lean into the darkness of winter, knowing that the wheel of the year always turns and that Spring will return, we can be more accepting of where and who we are, and what we need as we navigate the darkness.

Sit around the fire - Jon Hopkins and Ram Das

Beyond all polarities, I am
Let the judgments and opinions of the mind
Be judgments and opinions of the mind
And you exist behind that

Ah so, ah so
It's really time for you to see through
The absurdity of your own predicament
You aren't who you thought you were
You just aren't that person

And in this very lifetime
You can know it
Right now
The real work you have to do
Is in the privacy of your own heart

All of the external forms are lovely
But the real work
Is your inner connection

If you're quiet when you meditate
If you truly open your heart
Just quiet your mind
Open your heart
Quite the mind, open the heart

How do you quiet the mind? You meditate
How do you open the heart?
You start to love that which you can love
And just keep expanding it

You love a tree
You love a river
You love a leaf
You love a flower
You love a cat
You love a human

But go deeper and deeper into that love
'Til you love that
Which is the source of the light behind all of it
Behind all of it
You don't worship the gate
You go into the inner temple

Everything in you that you don't need
You can let go of
You don't need loneliness
For you couldn't possibly be alone
You don't need greed
Because you already have it all
You don't need doubt
Because you already know

The confusion is saying
"I don't know"
But the minute you are quiet
You find out that in truth you do know
For in you, you know
Plane after plane will open to you
I want to know who I really am

As if in each of us
There once was a fire
And for some of us
There seem as if there are only ashes now
But when we dig in the ashes
We find one ember

And very gently we fan that ember
Blow on it, it gets brighter
And from that ember we rebuild the fire
Only thing that's important is that ember

That's what you and I are here to celebrate
That though we've lived our life totally involved in the world
We know
We know that we're of the spirit

The ember gets stronger
Flame starts to flicker a bit
And pretty soon you realize that all we're going to do for eternity
Is sit around the fire

Samhain, Yule and Winter Solstice

From a Celtic pagan perspective, we start to lean into the darkness at Samhain. This is a time to celebrate the final harvest, expressing gratitude for the resources that will sustain and support us through the winter. After Samhain comes Yule and the winter solstice, where we meet the peak of the darkness at the longest night of the year. We honour this by decorating our homes with twinkling lights and evergreen foliage to remind us of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Lighting candles, exchanging gifts, and feasting with loved ones are integral parts of Yule (and Christmas!) celebrations, creating a cosy and warm atmosphere during the longest night of the year. Thre is also the tradition of the Yule log, where a large log is symbolically burned in your home’s hearth. Burning the log symbolise the shifting of darkness to light. The longest night of the year is here and each new day brings more light and warmth back.

I really love the period from Samhain to Yule and the winter solstice. I struggle more with the darkness that comes afterwards. Even though the days begin to get longer, the period between the end of the calendar year and Imbolc - the first of the Spring festivals - feels like a bit of a trudge to me, so I’m always grateful for the light that ‘s brought in at Yule as it re-energises me for January and February.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of light

I asked my friend Varun to share some reflections about Diwali:

Diwali also known as Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year.

Diwali is a festival of light, where families come together and exchange of love, warmth, gifts and joy. Diwali symbolizes the victory of good (Knowledge) over darkness (Ignorance - Avidya). Lighting of oil lamps or candles is one way that we bring this symbolism into our homes or temples.

On this auspicious day, it is said that if someone needs money, Goddess Laxmi will come. If someone needs good health Goddess shakti will come and if someone wants education Goddess Saraswati will come. There is Puja (act of worship)  to connect with different deities, with Mantras and offerings

We make sure to keep our homes clean to invoke creative and positive reinforcing energies. We also decorate them and exchange sweets to represent leaving behind the bitterness of the past.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Diwali.

Creating our own rituals around light

When you’re not part of a spiritual or religious framework, finding ways to create meaning in a ritualistic way can feel unfamiliar or even a bit strange. It’s only been in the last 10 years or so that I’ve regularly had any kind of ritualistic or ceremonial practice. I gather with other people regularly, usually around a full moon or one of the Celtic Pagan celebration days. I also have my own regular rituals that I practice and I find them a grounding and comforting anchor, particularly when I’m struggling.

If you’re reading this there’s a good chance that you’re either culturally celebrating or aware of Christmas so you already have a frame of reference for celebrating light in the darkness of winter. What other ways could you explore your connection with the dark? This could be something as simple as lighting a candle each evening for five minutes, to connect with the light. Or standing in the sun each morning to connect with the winter light all through the colder months. You’ll also find a winter solstice and yule playlist and journal prompts here, which could also be a basis for your explorations or reflections.

I’s also like to invite you to consider:

• What does your inner light look like right now?

• Where in your life feels dark, and what kind of light might it need?

• What small rituals, practices, or intentions help you reconnect to your own source of warmth?

We don’t have to chase the light. We can become it slowly, gently and in our own time.

And as you explore these ideas, know that you are not the only human seeking light in the dark. From the vibrant Diwali celebrations to the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, the luminous Loy Krathong lanterns in Thailand, and the bright festive lights of Eid, there is a common thread where we, as humans, seek to bring light into our lives to help us to navigate through the darkness.

If you’d like to explore other resources to help you to connect with ritual, check out my post Simple Rituals for Grounding and Growth in Daily Life