As the last moments of 2024 approach, it would be fitting to reflect upon one factor, present in our day-to-day lives, which passes so much into our blind side: light. Much more than just making things visible, light touches our mood, our memories, and our relations with others in ways so deep. Its warmth and brilliance mold our happiness and chiefly drowns out those personal important ceremonies and celebrations. Light lies at the very heart of our gatherings since time immemorial. From the soft flickers of a birthday candle to the overwhelming fireworks at the dawn of New Year’s night, light transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. At weddings, soft lanterns and fairy light gives an ambient feeling of love and hope. During festivals such as Diwali in India, Hanukkah in Jewish communities, or Christmas across the world, light epitomizes victory and renewal: the good against evil. These rituals remind us of the strategic and emotive use of light as a unifying force. Irrespective of culture or tradition, the use of light unites people, fostering revelry and bonding.
Light scientifically has a great effect on our mood. Natural light raises levels of serotonin, which lift our mood. As days get shorter and darker, the condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder can result, showing how very influential this one aspect of light is on our psyche. And even artificial lighting: warmly toned lighting encourages intimacy and gives dinner parties an appeal, while dynamic colored lighting at concerts provokes excitement. Brightness, hue, and intensity toy with our feelings, which makes lighting design not just an art but also one of those scientific disciplines of well-being.
I remember this one ceremony from childhood, Nowruz, the Persian New Year. My mother would set up candles around the Haft-Seen table, reflecting the soft glow of their light in our eager eyes. Those moments were not really about festivals; they spoke of warmth, love, and a sense of belonging. Sometimes, even now, looking at a flickering candle revives those nights colored with hope and delight. As a designer and light enthusiast, eventually, I understood that those emotional links were actually not coincidental. Lighting was not really about function; it was deeply personal. From choosing to light a cozy living room to a grand event, each choice we make can shape our experiences and memories.
Light is aesthetics and function, yet it touches our very emotions, tells stories of belonging, and much more. Every design, every creation of light, every positioning of light has the potential to brighten up not just spaces but spirits too. Light speaks volumes for hope, while darkness does for disappointment. Every celebration in which light becomes the center silently recognises this age-old fight. Even in the bleakest of times, it might be light which shall show us the way, heal and unite us.
Let us welcome the end of this year in a celebration of light in our lives and its dogged ability to bring happiness, to connect people, and instill hope amongst us. Let us march into 2025 with a new resolve to spread light where it is most needed, be that literally or metaphorically. Happy New Year!

Photo Credits:
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