Embrace the Neighborhood Cultural cross-pollination expands understanding and cooperation for all. Invite neighbors over for a potluck of their favorite holiday food and to share stories of their heritage and present lives.


Benefit: Children will learn about differ- ent cultures and life histories, and enjoy and better appreciate the diverse tapes- try of life in their own neighborhood.


Children in Charge Engage children in creating ceremonial foods and decorations for any holiday in any season. Teach your children to prepare the special ceremonial foods in the traditional way, so they feel the excitement of making it happen themselves. They will feel the con- nection with past and present when they hand-grind the wheat, bake the bread, and then smile with pride when everyone says how great it tastes. When they hand-roll candles, they’ll discover details about the art of candle making and come to value the intricate process of creation. Also, facilitate children’s natural


urge to perform plays by suggesting that they might tell about and drama- tize the origins and meaning of the holiday. Have them take charge of making the sets, costumes and props, choosing roles, memorizing lines, shaking rattles or playing bongos for background sounds… and getting the adults involved.


Benefits: Assigning children to be center stage in ceremonies builds their confidence and makes them feel more an integral part of the family and community.


Highlight the Seasons Ever hear of Michaelmas? It falls on September 29, and celebrates the fall equinox each year. Its title is derived from the archangel and warrior Mi- chael, who is said to protect us from the dark as light diminishes and winter nights become longer. For this glim- mering festival, children get to parade around, wearing golden capes and crowns with tiny electric candles on top that light up. In this pageant for their


Ceremonies and homegrown rituals can mark relationships, weddings, adoptions, coming-of-age milestones, homecomings, achieve- ments and other life


transitions, as well as a group’s heritage, language and traditions.


family and community, children may sing songs, dance and otherwise show their gratitude to Mother Earth as they honor this natural phase of the seasons.


Benefit: Sometimes the dark is some- thing children are afraid of, so in celebrating light and hope, this festival helps dispel their fears, makes them feel stronger and enables them to better understand and celebrate the coming of each season in turn.


Customize an Altar Table Children will feel good expressing themselves any time of the year by creating a sacred space in their home. Elements, for example, may include colored candles, figurines, rocks, dried fruit, flowers, leaves and beads to create a nature table or shrine. Go for adventure walks outdoors, ar- range neighborhood scavenger hunts or investigate the basement or attic to locate neat things.


Benefit: Children look forward to and anticipate changing their space with the changing rhythms of the year.


Eldest Daughter Pancakes Research the family’s cultural heritage and shine light on a festive tradition


that focuses on the children. For in- stance, the Swedish festival of St. Lucia, on December 13, customarily includes an important role for the eldest daugh- ter. Early in the morning on this day, she lights special candles and travels from room to room, waking up her family. Then she serves everyone Swedish pan- cakes and cornbread for breakfast, with a little help from Mom.


Benefit: Children come to know more about their heritage and how to prepare traditional and ceremonial foods. This type of coming-of-age ceremony honors the individual child and makes her feel important.


Charity Begins at Home A Jewish harvest festival called Sukkot crosses cultures to teach all kids the key virtue of charity. During the fall harvest, Waldorf School kids travel to a nearby farm to select or harvest fruits and vegetables to carry to a local homeless shelter. They also build a three-sided shelter structure with no roof, called a Sukkah, to symbolize the story of an arduous journey of an ancient people who had no food or shelter, while celebrating their spirit and strength to survive. This festival eloquently involves children and teaches them their respon- sibility for taking care of everyone in the community.


Benefit: Children feel a part of the world and responsible for nurturing and caring for it, as they realize the impor- tance of shelter and food to sustaining everyone through the generations.


Passing the torch of tradition on to our children, in whatever forms it takes, imbues every occasion with special meaning. Why not begin a new tradi- tion today?


Charlotte Eulette is the international director of the nonprofit Celebrant Foundation & Institute, of Montclair, NJ. The institute educates individuals in the art of facilitating meaningful ceremonies to mark the milestones in people’s lives in ways that reflect and symbolize their values. Reach her at CharlotteEulette@ CelebrantInstitute.org.


natural awakenings December 2010 49


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