Blue Christmas (holiday)

[3][4] These include parishes of Catholicism,[5] Anglicanism,[6] Lutheranism,[7] Methodism,[8] Moravianism,[9] and Reformed Christianity.

[11] This worship service is traditionally held on or around the longest night of the year, which falls on or about December 21, the Winter Solstice.

This linkage invites making some connections between Saint Thomas's struggle to believe in Jesus' resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with darkness and grief faced by those living with loss.

Candles, arranged as an Advent wreath, may be lit during the service, and empty chairs may be reserved as a way of commemorating those lost during the previous year.

[12] The images of the winter solstice, including the beginning of increasingly longer days, are a significant part of the imagery used in this worship event.