For many, the holiday season is a time of celebration — Christmas lights, family gatherings, festive parties, and hopeful new beginnings as the year turns. But beneath the joy and sparkle, there is a reality we cannot ignore.
Human trafficking does not pause for the holidays. In fact, survivors have shared with us that sex trafficking often increases during Christmas and New Year’s Eve — thriving quietly in spaces meant for celebration.
Why the Holidays Increase Vulnerability
Survivors have helped us understand why these seasons can be especially dangerous:
- Holiday and New Year’s Eve parties, where exploitation can be hidden in plain sight
- Loneliness and isolation, especially for those grieving, disconnected, or struggling during the season
- Increased time online, as work slows down or schedules change
The result is heartbreaking. Women, men, girls, and boys are bought and sold to satisfy demand — their exploitation often masked behind forced smiles, fancy clothes, and festive settings.
While many are celebrating with loved ones, others are suffering silently — paraded as “eye candy,” their trauma overlooked or ignored, their pain concealed beneath the glow of holiday lights or fireworks at midnight.
Remembering Survivors During the Season
The holidays can also be incredibly difficult for survivors who have exited “the life.” Christmas and New Year’s may bring back painful memories, intensify grief, or stir trauma connected to seasons when exploitation once occurred.
As a community committed to restoring dignity and offering hope, we must remember both those still trapped and those walking the road of healing.
How You Can Pray and Take Action
During this Christmas season and as the New Year begins, we invite you to join us in prayer:
- 🙏 Pray for those currently being exploited, that they would be seen, protected, and set free
- 🙏 Pray for the demand to stop, that hearts would be convicted and changed
- 🙏 Pray for traffickers to be exposed and brought to justice
- 🙏 Pray for survivors, especially those carrying heavy memories during the holidays
Light shines brightest in darkness — and awareness is one way we shine that light.
A Call to Be Vigilant and Compassionate
As we celebrate the birth of Christ and step into a new year, may we choose to stay alert, prayerful, and compassionate. May we look beyond appearances, ask hard questions, and refuse to turn away from uncomfortable truths.
Together, we can help ensure that hope, safety, and freedom are not seasonal — but constant.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5