The darkest days of the year are upon us. Though the setting sun lingers a few minutes longer than it did a week ago, so does sunrise, as the winter solstice passes.
And yet Harvard’s trees on the Common, the brightly lit homes of our neighborhoods, and the decorated pines and spruces within are not the only source of seasonal light. The town is aglow with the spirit of giving.
How wonderfully human that we’ve made the year’s nadir a season of light and a time of hope, as we anticipate the new year and its promise—though perhaps illusory—of a fresh start.
As you celebrate the holidays in whatever ways you can with friends and families, we wish you all the joys of the season and the gifts of good health and happiness in the new year. And we wish—and hope—for our troubled country and planet, wherever you live, whatever your faith, the blessings of Peace on Earth.
Editors note: A version of this editorial appeared in the December 22, 2023, edition of the Press.