Love and Light
December 2022
Perhaps nothing evokes holiday nostalgia more than the sound of young voices singing traditional tunes and carols. At the Salem Historic Courthouse on Sunday evening, December 4, a multi-generational crowd stood among a small forest of bedecked fraser firs and chimed in with those voices at the 2022 Love and Light Memorial Tree lighting ceremony. Leading up to the evening, members of the community were given the opportunity to “buy” one of the twenty trees to decorate in memory of a loved one. The trees featured photos, drawings and special ornaments, but the common theme was cherished memories. The trees were purchased locally from the Nygard farm of Shushan and affixed into the green at the courthouse, in preparation for their trimming, by a small group of volunteers. In addition to the trees decorated in memory of specific loved ones, everyone was invited to add an ornament to the “community” tree located near the entrance of The Courthouse.
The evening began at 4pm with a message of peace by Reverend Debbie Bessie, followed by songs led by Stephanie Russell and her daughters, Emily and Hannah. At 5pm the switch was thrown and the trees’ lights went on in glowing unison. The delighted group took time to appreciate the memories suggested by the carefully chosen decorations before heading inside The Courthouse for a buffet of homemade and hand-decorated cookies, snacks and hot chocolate. The Courthouse Great Hall rang with holiday music and was fully draped in greenery adorned with festive and whimsical decorations (a remarkable lifetime collection donated by Jim Garland and Bob (?)).
The absence of missed loved ones impacts everyone during the holiday season. The Love and Light Ceremony at The Historic Salem Courthouse provides a festive and joyful way to celebrate those we have lost, while finding comfort in the community of others and in the beauty of the season.
