Hope and joy through the darkness
Christmas falls early this year for the people of Ukraine. In a symbolic break from Moscow, they have decided to celebrate the birth of the world’s saviour at the same time as Western Europe, on 25 December, and not on 7 January when Christmas is celebrated in the Julian calendar used by Russia.
The Ukrainians do so as a nation at war, in great peril and hardship. It is a point of pride for Britain that we have offered support and solidarity for the Ukrainian people throughout this terrible conflict. In an interview with this newspaper, the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has not only reiterated that our support remains unwavering, but announced that it is still possible for us to do even more to strengthen our commitment as the war continues.
As Lord Cameron also makes clear, we find ourselves facing a dangerous world on many fronts. In the months ahead, we must continue to confront not only Putin’s aggression in Europe, but also both the malign influence of Iran and a Chinese regime which has decisively turned away from the path of openness and liberalisation.
In the Middle East, Hamas’s brutal butchery on October 7 has necessitated war. As rocket fire from the terror group continues to menace Israel, the Jewish state is fighting to return its hostages and restore its security. The toll of the conflict is agonising. We must hope that Israel’s forces succeed in defeating the terrorists and that humanitarian aid continues to reach civilians.
On the home front, this has been a difficult year for many. Political division has created a mood of anxiety and widespread frustration, made worse by the cost of living crisis. While inflation has now fallen significantly, taxes remain painfully high. The lingering fallout from Covid’s lockdowns continues to blight the lives of many, including some of the most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, further rounds of public sector strikes and long NHS waiting lists all contribute to a sense of national malaise. Britain’s will to build appears broken, held captive by a mindset of over-regulation and technocratic control. With an election year ahead, 2024 promises more fraught debates, together with all the potential change and uncertainty that a new Labour government would bring.
Amid it all, however, Christmas arrives with its familiar comforts. Once again, we come together in traditions that unite us to our families and as a country. Tomorrow afternoon, the choristers of King’s College Chapel in Cambridge will sing the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as they have since 1918. This year’s service will include Sir James MacMillan’s magnificent motet O Radiant Dawn, which declares in the words of the Prophet Isaiah “upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone”.
The Royal Family, at Sandringham, will follow their tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve. While most of us will wait another day, across the entire country that royal heritage continues to enliven public and private spaces everywhere with the sparkle of Christmas trees, a tradition popularised in these islands by Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert in the 1840s.
In the West Country, a more ancient tradition, the burning of the “ashen faggot” on Christmas Eve is still celebrated by some, although sticklers may wait for Old Christmas Eve, on 6 January. Many more will indulge in the traditional accompaniment to this fiery ritual: several refreshing draughts of cider, fortified with a dash of brandy.
New times bring new traditions and some families will be streaming a classic Christmas film tonight, or using the wonders of technology to share a video call with loved ones far away. Others will draw the curtains and enjoy the convivial, old-fashioned shudder of a Christmas ghost story, whether tonight’s new BBC adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249, or a classic from M.R. James, or even Charles Dickens’ masterpiece A Christmas Carol.
However we celebrate, Christmas is itself a great, mid-winter gift, uniting our troubled present with centuries of feasting and merrymaking. As we enjoy the latest supermarket dainties with family and friends, our feasts connect us with a grand tradition which stretches back to the groaning Yuletide tables at the court of King Arthur described with such relish in the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
In our feasting, we remember too those in the Armed Forces, who serve to keep us safe, and pray for their safe return. And in this great and ancient festival, we are joined in our gladness and hope by the absent multitude of all those who have gone before, who now rejoice “upon another shore and in a greater light”.
Despite the darkness, and the cold months still to come, here at last is a moment to step away from the daily treadmill and beyond the cares of our time. On Christmas Eve, all waiting is fulfilled. After two thousand years, the world once again holds its breath for the helpless child who brings hope to a broken world. For a brief season, before the work of the world resumes, we can turn to one another in joy and gratitude for all that we share.
Happy Christmas.
