Today, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice, having the shortest daylight hours of the year. The Winter Solstice is a turning point; from today forward, the hours of daylight will increase.
In ancient times, the Winter Solstice was a time of celebration. During this time, which they called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, "the Romans celebrated their midwinter holiday, Saturnalia, which involved decorating the halls of houses with boughs of lauren and evergreen trees. Lamps were kept burning to ward off the spirits of darkness. Temples were decorated with evergreens symbolizing life's continuity, and processions of people with masked or blackened faces and colorful hats danced through the streets." (http://www.shambhala.org/arts/fest/unconquered.html)
Around 350 C.E., December 25th was adopted as the feast of Christmas. This allowed Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ at the same time as the celebrations of Saturnalia and Yule, so that they would "fit in" secular society better.
On this day of less daylight, lights some candles in your home to remember that Christ, the Light of the World, dispels the darkness of winter and sometimes difficult lives.
