How can anyone be blue at Christmas? The sights and sounds are filled with happiness and cheer. But the Christmas blues are a sad reality for many. “I’m away from my family. I have a son and daughter-in-law, but the rest of my family is gone,” says Joan Pittman. “December is always hard for me and the same thing in January after the decorations come down.” Joan is just one many who suffer from the Christmas blues. But at the First United Church a “Blue Christmas” service will be held for those like Joan.
“It’s an outreach for those who can’t find the merry in the season. Something is happening in their lives that is making it difficult. Maybe it’s their first Christmas without a loved one, maybe you just got your pink slip and have been laid off, maybe a relationship isn’t what it was to be or maybe it’s the year your family can’t come home for Christmas,” says the Brenda Kersell, Minister at the First United Church in Lethbridge.
The Canadian Mental Health Association says during Christmas people are surrounded by friends and family and by the sounds of Christmas music. Everything seems joyful. It’s after Christmas where they see it’s numbers increase dramatically. Suicides go up 40 percent after New Year’s Eve.
“What we see is the uptake of calls after Christmas. So a lot of people have more support at Christmas. It’s afterwards that they feel alone and the stress of spending . It usually peaks right after New Year’s,” says Deborah Chenery, Executive Director with Canadian Mental Health Services.
Mental health experts say don’t wait until after Christmas to get help and avoid being alone stressing it’s ok to shed tears and be vulnerable
“Kleenex boxes will be going into the pews. Out in public we have a hard time letting the tears trickle down our cheeks, but when you are in a smaller group you feel safer and you might let one or two trickle down your face,” said Kersell
The Blue Christmas service will be held at the First United Church located on 13th street north at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening.
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