MEDIA RELEASE__The holidays are not a time of cheer and merriment for all. Men and women experience an uptick in negative feelings until the end of the year, in direct opposition to the culture telling people they should be happy. Some reflect upon a child caught in addiction, a loved one who passed away over the holidays, a lost job or simply a sense of being overwhelmed by the bad news of the world.

“We live in a culture that tells people they should be happy at Christmas,” Rev. Jeanne Gay, Transitional Pastor of Bluffton Presbyterian Church (BPC) said, “or that families should all love each other with no conflicts, and we should not have sorrow in our lives. But the reality for many people is that the Christmas season is difficult. They’d like to be rejoicing, but their personal sorrows or ‘general blahs’ get in the way.”

To acknowledge and address grief, sadness and sorrow around the holidays, BPC is hosting a “Service of the Longest Night” on Sunday, December 21 at 7:00  p.m. . The winter solstice, December 21, is the longest night every year. Acknowledging the darkness that many feel rather than just ignoring it, the church asserts, also points to the light. 

The service will be held at Bluffton Presbyterian Church, 112 N. Main St., with prayers, songs, scripture and candle lighting. The service is open to all who wish to attend, regardless of any religious affiliation. Rev. Jeremy Mann, local UCC pastor, will also participate.