The return of Donald Trump to the White House in January was the dispiriting start of an often miserable year.Alex Brandon/The Associated Press

In all too many ways, 2025 was the darkest year of a dark decade. The return of Donald Trump, and the disintegration of the post-war world. Wars that stretched on for far too long. And a resurgence in antisemitism that culminated in a murderous attack in Australia last month at the start of Hanukkah.

It might seem trite, then, to think about causes for optimism in the year just past. We would argue the opposite: it is during the darkest times that the existence of good things, of joy, needs to be cherished most. With that in mind, here are some of the things we think worth taking solace in.

The red wave of patriotism: Mr. Trump’s campaign of economic coercion and decidedly unsubtle threats to Canada’s existence had one decidedly positive, and somewhat unexpected, effect: a resurgence in patriotic pride.

The........

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