Now that I’m back in a part of the world where the seasons make sense, I have no problem grasping that the winter solstice is only days away. It’s getting colder, and the days are definitely getting shorter (in sub-tropical Los Angeles the shorter days seemed an artificial contraction created by the movie studios…). As darkness descends over the house in the late afternoon, it’s easy to feel gloomy, though. Something in my DNA wants to retreat into a deep cave and stay by a warm fire until spring. But I remind myself that this is the darkest it will get, and at the solstice on December 21, the days will begin to lengthen once again. In the meantime, I only have to put on my coat and go for an evening stroll. The Christmas lights in my neighborhood—a modern continuation of ancient human traditions to combat the darkness—are extravagant this year. Entire trees are closely covered with twinkling lights in colors that stray from the conventional red, green, and white to icicle blue and bright violet. Front lawns are strewn with wildlife made of lights, including flamingos, crocodiles, and my favorite, a giraffe. Giant round bulbs that seem to contain swirling, glowing snow dangle from branches, and several houses have devices to project falling snowflakes onto their siding. As I wander from one surprising display to the next, I am grateful to my neighbors for creating such light-filled delight!