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 candles and decorated pines and spruces within are not the only source of seasonal light. The town seems aglow with the spirit of giving and a desire for connection as we gather with friends and colleagues to mark the year’s end.
How wonderfully human that we’ve made the year’s nadir a time 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.