2024 Virtual Seasons of Light Day 1
Seasons of Light is an annual December tradition at Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center that celebrates and highlights the diversity of our community and our world by focusing on holidays around the globe. During Seasons of Light, the PCMDC explores Advent, Diwali, Fiesta de la Griteria, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, Yule, and Japanese New Year.
This year’s celebration is different due to Hurricane Helene in late September. PCMDC immediately pivoted to a community outreach and relief center, preventing us from the countless hours of decorating that go into our annual Seasons of Light celebration.
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 2: Diwali
Diwali (pronounced duh vaa lee)-also called Deepavali or Deepawali, is the five-day Hindu “Festival of lights”, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolizes the spiritual victory of Dharma over Adharma, light over darkness, good over evil, hope over despair, and knowledge over ignorance.
The festival is celebrated over five days with the peak of Diwali being celebrated Thursday, October 31 through Friday, November 1, 2024. It will be celebrated October 19-October 23 in 2025. Dates vary year to year based on the timing of the darkest new moon in the Hindu month of Kartik (usually October or November in the Gregorian Calendar).
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 3: Diwali
On the first day of Diwali, Hindus clean their homes and offices and shop; on the second day, they decorate their homes with diyas (clay lamps) and create rangoli design patterns made with colored powders or sand on their floors.
The PCMDC’s Diwali room annually features a beautiful rangoli created by Tausha Forney!
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 4: Diwali
The main day of the Diwali festival is marked by family gatherings for Lakshmi puja (prayers to the Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of prosperity), fireworks displays, feasting and exchanging of gifts.
The fourth day of the festival is dedicated to the wife-husband relationship, while the final day celebrates the bond between sisters and brothers.
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 5: Advent
Advent 2024 takes place from Sunday, December 1 through Tuesday, December 24, 2024. Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for the arrival (“advent”) of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King, celebrated on Christmas, December 25.
Advent is a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth and join in the anticipation of when He will come again to reunite Heaven and Earth once and for all. People reflect on the concepts of hope, peace, love, and joy-one for each week leading up to Christmas. People may light Advent candles on special wreaths, hold special church services, and read specific Scriptures daily, among many other ways to celebrate Advent.
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 6: Advent
Many Advent celebrations use a Chrismon tree. The word “Chrismon” draws from the words “Christ” and “monogram,” translating to “symbols of Christ.” Historically, there have been times when Christians were not free to worship in public, or even acknowledge their faith. These symbols were a way for the followers of Christ to recognize their faith in a more covert way. For example, a symbol like a fish might be used in an underground passageway to point toward a place of worship so visitors would know where to go or simply mark that they were among friends.
In 1957, Mrs. Harry W. Spencer of the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Danville, Virginia, was inspired to use these Christian symbols, or Chrismons, in lieu of colorful balls and non-religious décor on her church’s Christmas tree. Today you’ll find Chrismon trees used in the nave of many churches throughout the country and even the world during the Advent and Christmas seasons.
The PCMDC uses a Chrismon tree in its Advent room to continue this tradition.
Popular Chrismon Tree Symbols
· Star: There are a variety of star Chrismons, each with its own meaning. They range from the five-pointed star to the 8-pointed Natal Star Cross, with the former representing the five wounds of Jesus and the latter representing the Bethlehem star and the four New Testament gospels.
· Triangle: A triangle represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
· Cross: There’s a wide range of crosses used on Chrismon trees. Like the various stars, each cross delivers its own special meaning from the anchor cross, the Fleur-de-Lis cross, the Celtic cross, the Jerusalem Cross, and the Latin Cross—to name a few.
· Dove: The dove is traditionally used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Virtual Seasons of Light Day 7: Advent
Advent Celebrations often include Advent wreaths such as the well-loved one at the PCMDC shown here. Each week of Advent, Christians light a different candle representing some aspect of the celebration.
Week one is a purple candle of hope called the Prophet’s Candle. This candle reminds us of Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ.
Week two is a purple candle of faith or love called the Bethlehem candle. This candle reminds us of the journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
Week three is a pink candle of joy called the Shepherd’s candle. This candle reminds us of the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem.
Week four is a purple candle of peace called the Angel’s candle. It reminds us that the angels announced that Jeus would bring peace. He would bring people close to God and to each other again.
An optional fifth white candle is called the Christ candle and is typically lit on Christmas eve or Christmas day. It represents Christ’s purity and victory.