INSIDE THE BOX
New Year Resolutions
As the holidays end and the new year begins, many of us—more than a third of all Americans—will consider resolving to change our lives in one way or another during 2024. . . .
Winter Solstice
For many living in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is a season of cold, dark days. And the darkest of all—the winter solstice—comes soon. . . .
When Giving Is All We Have
‘Tis the season of giving. Of making lists, scouring stores, waiting in long lines, and hauling home bags weighed down with fashionable clothes and trendy gadgets. The frenzied consumerism that has come to characterize the winter holidays in the United States leaves some feeling cynical about the season. . . .
Winter-Time
December is a month made for children. It’s hot cocoa and marshmallows; sleigh rides and snow angels; candle lighting; carol singing; dreidel spinning; and stockings brimming over with treats.
Miles to Go
Just when we thought we might be coming out of the woods, here we are at the end of another year, still mired in a crisis of viral spread and rising hospitalizations. How long will this go on?
The Shortest Day
December 21st marks the Winter Solstice—the point at which the path of the sun is farthest south. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this solstice brings us our shortest day and our longest night.
Before the ice is in the pools
For people all around the world, December is a time of preparation, anticipation, and wonder. Whether we’re celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice, Omisoka, or no holiday at all, December nudges us to reflect on what has been, look forward to what lies ahead, and open ourselves up again to the possibilities of magic and miracle.