Are You Lonely This Christmas?

December 16, 2025

A compilation

Over the years, Christmas has taken on different meanings for me. When I was a young child, it meant a special family holiday, reading the Christmas story at Sunday school, walking home in the snow, and a new book to read.

After receiving Jesus as my Savior, Christmas took on the meaning of sharing the message of His birth and “good will to men” with others.

Still later, after I got married and had children, it meant making new family traditions, which included decorating, giving gifts, and preparing Christmas dinners together in a bustling and cozy home atmosphere.

All of these past Christmases evoke warm memories, and as Norman Vincent Peale so aptly said, thinking about them waves a magic wand over my world and makes everything seem softer and more beautiful.

However, when my family dynamic changed with divorce and children leaving home, I came to experience what it means to be an empty nester—and alone at Christmas. It wasn’t an easy adjustment.

That first Christmas morning alone in a small apartment, I woke to a decorated but silent home. I was heading to see my son and his family later that day, and got up to prepare a side dish for the dinner they were hosting. The presents under my tree would also be taken to their home for distribution. It was the first time for me to not host an event at Christmas and to not be surrounded by kids and grandkids, and I had to fight against the forlorn and lonely feelings that started to overwhelm me.

The time spent together later that day was lovely, and I enjoyed the time I had with my son, grandson, and his wife’s family very much—until it was time to go back to my empty flat. Driving home alone was miserable, and once back home, I shed some lonely tears.

Sitting in my silent living room, I picked up a Christmas-themed gift book on my coffee table, and leafing through the pages, I reflected on how Jesus left His home in heaven to bring love and hope to the world. I realized that I undoubtedly wasn’t the only lonely person that Christmas, and after drying my tears, I picked up the phone and dialed the number of an elderly woman I had befriended some time ago. Talking with her, I learned that she also had been home alone, and she was so grateful for our chat. I also called my children whom I hadn’t spoken with yet that day, and some relatives abroad, and found that some of them hadn’t had the “perfect” Christmas either. I felt better after reaching out to others, and I determined to remember this for next Christmas, and all the ones after that.

Each of my Christmases since then has been different. One Christmas I volunteered and spent time helping a few elderly people decorate their trees or homes, as it can be hard for them to do it on their own. I’ve also baked cookies with my grandchildren and taken them around to neighbors who don’t get many visitors. And a phone or FaceTime call never failed to make a difference and bring smiles to my face and the faces of those who lived too far away to go see.

Life happens, and you, too, may find yourself alone at Christmas because of children moving out, divorce, or bereavement. It’s not an easy adjustment to make, and lonely tears may flow at times. Still, although circumstances may be different, being alone at Christmas doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Even when we’re alone, we’re never completely alone, because Jesus is always with us, and when we reach out and give of ourselves to others, fulfillment and joy come back to us.—Lilia Potters

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My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?—Bob Hope

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Being alone and being lonely are two different things. One can be alone without being lonely, and one can be lonely in a crowded room. Loneliness is, therefore, a state of mind, an emotion brought on by feelings of separation from other human beings. …

No one felt loneliness more keenly than David… His own son had risen up against him, the men of Israel went after him, and he was forced to flee from the city and leave his house and family. Lonely and afflicted (Psalm 25:16), his only recourse was to turn to God and plead for mercy and God’s intervention (Psalm 25:21) because his only hope was in God…

Whatever the cause of loneliness, for the Christian the cure is always the same—the comforting fellowship of Christ. That loving relationship with our Master has reassured and encouraged countless thousands who languished in prisons and even went to their deaths for His sake. He is the friend who “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24), who lays down His life for His friends (John 15:13–15), and who has promised never to leave us or forsake us but to be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).—GotQuestions.org¹

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I’d been trying not to think about Christmas, dreading the day, hoping against hope that some angel would come into my life and make everything okay. I even tried pretending that it was just a normal day, nothing special, in hopes that would make the loneliness go away.

But I couldn’t avoid it: Christmas was all around me, and I was alone. No one to talk to, no one to laugh with, and no one to wish me a happy Christmas. With each minute that passed I was getting more depressed, and that’s what I dreaded the most!

To cheer myself up, I searched for happy memories to occupy my mind. One that popped up was about my Sunday school teacher. He was an easygoing, friendly man who spent a lot of time with us kids and had a knack for making things fun. He had said that Jesus was the joy of his life. His words ran through my mind as I thought back to those childhood days when he said, “Just take Jesus with you.”

Would that work? I thought about it. I was alone—no one would know the difference. So, I decided then and there to make Jesus my friend for the day.

We did everything together: drank hot chocolate by the fire, walked the streets together, talked about how pretty the world was, laughed, and waved at passersby. I could almost feel His arm around me everywhere I went and hear His voice talking to me. In whispers beyond the realm of audible sound, He told me He loved me—yes, me—and that He would always be my friend. Somehow I knew I would never be alone again.

As I lay down to sleep that Christmas night, I felt so happy, so peaceful, so content. It seemed odd, but then again it didn’t. I’d spent the day with Jesus, and I just hoped that others had had as happy a Christmas Day as me.—Vivian Peterson

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“And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”—Jesus, Matthew 28:20

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How do we fight so hard to create fun holiday memories, only to feel like failures? ... It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. So how do we evict the Grinch-like grumpiness and Charlie Brown sadness to recapture the joy of Christmas?

I’m encouraged by the story of the wise men preserved for us in Scripture. As they followed a shining star for hundreds of miles, looking for Jesus, they stopped by King Herod’s Jerusalem palace.

But King Herod had to tell them Jesus wasn’t there—He was in Bethlehem.

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:9–10).

Overjoyed.

That word gives me pause. When the wise men saw the star, the ESV Bible says “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10).

That is what I want for us this Christmas season: to recalibrate our holiday disorientation and set our sights on the shining Light of the world. Then we’ll rejoice with jubilation and celebration—as the Magi did so long ago.

I offer this prayer for Christmas joy as a simple path to turn our attention back to King Jesus. May you find its words guiding you into His presence again and again:

Lord, how creative You are to use even the stars above to guide people into Your presence! Draw us close to You this Christmas season. Turn our disappointments into prompts for prayer and our festive celebrations into channels of adoration.

You alone bring true joy to the world, so help us slow down, quiet our hearts, and fix our eyes on You, Jesus—the Light that shines brighter than any star. As the wise men were filled with great joy, fill us up to overflow with the wonder of Your birth, Jesus.

Restore the sparkle to our eyes and the joy of salvation to our hearts as we seek You, today and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.—Asheritah Ciuciu²

Published on Anchor December 2025. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music from the Christmas Moments album, used by permission.

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