pkeith@altoonamirror.com
Christmas, like all the other holidays since March, will be celebrated differently, so if there’s less mirth in your ho-ho-ho it’s OK you’re not alone, local mental health, grief and religious officials said.
In some Christian faith traditions a “blue Christmas service” is a more low-key and subdued service designed to comfort those who grieve, said Sarah Rosser-Olivieri, director of Youth Ministry at Hollidaysburg First United Methodist Church.
“It’s a service we have separate from the Christmas Eve or cantata services. It’s focused around individuals with depression, anxiety or those who have lost a loved one no matter how recent or long ago. It’s for anyone who struggles around the holidays. The purpose of the service is to offer hope.”