It’s a time of peace, joy and laughter; a description of Christmas, which for many people simply doesn’t ring true.

For many who have experienced grief, loss and hard times the Christmas season can be difficult to handle; the memories they struggle with, combined with the constant exhortations to be cheerful, may make the holiday season a sorrowful one for them.

Celebrate Church in Knoxville is offering an alternative; Blue Christmas is a service and assistance event designed to give people spiritual relief and professional help as they cope with the problems the holiday season brings on them.

Michelle Kellar from Celebrate Church tells KNIA/KRLS News people of all ages may find Christmas only dredges up painful memories; and their aim is to give them a place to go to find those who understand and want to help.

“Just to provide a space for people to feel loved, and to be able to express whatever it is they want to express instead of feeling that pressure — that Christmas, the holidays, has to be this Normal Rockwell painting,” Kellar says. “The most wonderful time of the year and the magic of Christmas and all of this…where a lot of people really don’t feel that way.”

Blue Christmas will run all day long on Wednesday, December 19th; the doors at Celebrate Church will open at 7:00 a.m. and volunteers will be on hand until a special evening service at 7:00 p.m.

For those seeking spiritual guidance, prayer teams will be on hand to pray with anyone asking them to do so, and to listen to their troubles. And for those in need of more intensive assistance, professional counselors will be located in several rooms throughout the building ready to meet in private with any attendees in need of their help.