DAILY WONDER
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • The Creators
      • Waldorf Connection
  • ABOUT
    • FAQ
    • Gallery
    • Testimonials
    • Press
    • Newsletters
  • PARENTS
    • Purchase Lesson Plans
    • Supplementary Courses >
      • Purchase Ukulele Course
      • Purchase Pentatonic Flute Course
    • Learning Pod Support
    • Homeschool Coaching
    • Homeschool Planning
    • Samples
    • Supplies
  • TEACHERS
    • Purchase Lesson Plans
    • Purchase Ukulele Course
    • Purchase Pentatonic Flute Course
  • CONTACT
  • Blog

Tips & tools to support your homeschooling program.

Celebrating Advent at Home

11/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Seasonal festivals serve to connect humanity with the rhythms of nature. For children, these festivals mark the seasons with joy and anticipation for preparing for these celebrations.
 
No matter what your faith, this is a guide to celebrating Advent.
 
Advent takes place on the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas. Many people celebrate Advent and do not celebrate Christmas at all. The two need not be linked. 

What is Advent?

Advent is about the spirit of peace, warmth, light, and gentle preparation. Although associated with Christianity, Advent was celebrated initially by Pagan communities to honour the weeks leading up to the Winter Solstice. The winter holiday season, in most of the major religions, shares the theme of bringing light and warmth into the dark, and this is expressed by physically lighting up the darkness with candles and holiday lights, as well as by sharing the light of company, family, food, and traditions of giving. In what can often be a stressful time of year for families, Advent offers a slower, kinder rhythm and an inwardly richer view.​
 
​In your family, you can use the traditions of Advent, whether its meaning is bringing light and warmth or also in anticipation of Christmas
Picture

How can you celebrate Advent at home?

In Waldorf education, each week of Advent is assigned a "theme" and is a time for reflection and gratitude for the four natural kingdoms on Earth. 
Week 1: stones & minerals
Week 2: plants
Week 3: animal kingdom
Week 4: humankind
 
A simple first step to bringing Advent to your family could be to light a candle each night (or once a week on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas), say the verse lines for that week and read stories that focus on that week's theme. You could also bring rocks to place around your candle in the first week, followed by something to represent the rest of the themes during those weeks.
 
Waldorf/Steiner Verse for Advent: (Beginning the first week, you speak the first two lines, then the second week, you build upon the first by saying the first two lines and adding the next two, etc. By the fourth week, you are saying all eight lines of the verse).
 
The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
 
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
 
The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
The light of hope that we see, in the greatest and the least.
 
The fourth light of Advent is the human light.
The light of hope and of thought, to know and do what's right.​

St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas Day is December 6th, after the first week of Advent. St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, encourages generosity, kindness and the idea that it is better to give than receive. Please read more about it HERE if you wish to bring this part of Advent to your family.

Santa Lucia

After the second week of Advent, the Celebration of Santa Lucia, also known as the festival of lights, happens. Traditionally, a young woman would represent Santa Lucia, and on the morning of December 13th, wearing a white dress with a red sash and a wreath on her head with seven candles upon it, she would go from house to house bringing baked goods. The candles of her headpiece brought a welcoming light to the darkest time of year. You can read more about it HERE

Advent Spiral

The gift of the light
We shall thankfully take
But it shall not be alone for our sake.
The more we give light,
The one to the other,
It grows and gives light,
And shines even farther.
Until every heart,
By love set aflame
In every place
Great joy shall proclaim.
Not long shall continue the darkness of year.
The light draws near.
The Advent Spiral happens on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. Cedar boughs (a symbol of life everlasting) are placed in a spiral forming a path in a darkened room. In the centre of the spiral, there is a large lit candle. With an unlit candle in hand, children and parents take turns walking the path in silence to the centre, where they light their candle and then place it with care along the path as they slowly exit the spiral. As more and more candles are lit, their gentle light begins to glow with the warmth of your family. The reverence of children and parents makes this traditional event one of inspiration and harmony. We are nearing the end of our journey through the darkness, internally and externally, and the light will soon return. This light will bring the promise of a new year that we will approach with a renewed sense of self and emerge from the darkness transformed.
Picture
There are so many ways to celebrate Advent and count down to Christmas. Here are a few we found, but you could easily do some more research and find something that would work for your family.
  • Here is a beautiful idea for a handmade felted spiral.
  • You could order an Advent Calendar from Art Makes Sense. 
  • You could read The Parenting Passageway for lots of great ideas and a more in-depth history of Advent.
  • You could read this blog post from the Online Waldorf Library.
  • Or this post from The Magic Onions.
  • And of course, Pinterest is always an excellent resource for, well, everything!
  • You could make this simple advent calendar:
"I carry a light within me
A brightly burning flame.
Though dark may try to win me
It ever shines the same.
It guides me through uncertainty
It warms the wintry weather.
And brings to every burden
The lightness of a feather.
"
0 Comments

Festivals of Light

11/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Since Autumn began, there has been a steady diminishing of the sunlight in our lives. This yearly transition has been calling us to kindle the light within ourselves. We have talked about the Festival of Courage in September as a way to ignite a flame that brings courage into the coming darkness. We then discussed celebrating the Festival of Compassion or the Lantern Festival in November as a way to honour the light we have been carrying within us and how that expands and burns brighter in our communities.

​Many religions around the world acknowledge this season as the time for the Festival of Light. Each day since Fall began has been a step closer to the darkest day of the year. The beautiful thing about the Winter Solstice is that the darkest night also marks the beginning of the light's slow return. In ancient days, darkness would have brought fear and uncertainty, so marking this time with firelight brought hope and warmth to all. In our modern time, although we have knowledge and certainty that the light will return, it can still be challenging psychologically to manage this darkness with patience. Festival and ritual are a way of marking these important moments in the darkness and creating stepping stones that we can follow back to the light. 

Daily Wonder encourages families to explore and learn about the variety of Festivals of Lights around the world. The best way to learn about a new festival is to connect with friends, neighbours and community members who celebrate a different holiday than yourself. If that's not an option for you, check out these links below to learn how to experience various festivals. Connecting with food, music, and ritual is the best way to do this. 

Here are a few Festivals of Light that happen around this time of year.

Diwali - India

Follows the Lunar Calendar and is celebrated at the end of October / early November​
Diwali is India’s most important festival of the year—a time to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and the eradication of dark shadows, negativity, and doubts from our lives. It is a celebration of prosperity in which people give gifts to their loved ones. The festival also sends the message of illuminating our inner selves with clarity and positivity.  During this festival, people clean their homes, decorate every corner with lights, lamps, flowers, and candles.  You can learn more about this festival and ways to celebrate here.
Picture

Hanukkah

Follows the Lunar Calendar and is celebrated in November / December​
A festival celebrated by Jews worldwide, it is observed for a period of eight nights and days anywhere between the end of November and December. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication. This holiday celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean revolt against the Syrian-Greek army. Each night, a candle is lit on the Menorah, which has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others. Other traditions include playing Dreidel, eating fried latkes, giving gifts and playing/singing Hanukkah music.  
You can learn more about this festival and ways to celebrate here.

Kwanzaa

December 26 - January 1
Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by Dr. Karenga to bring African Americans together as a community. Celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a traditional meal. Kwanzaa takes place over seven nights. On each of the seven nights, one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder) is lit, and one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili), are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. ​ You can read more about this festival including the seven principles here.

Chinese Lantern Festival

Celebrated on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month, the Lantern Festival traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year.
The Chinese Lantern Festival began over 2,000 years ago. The Lantern Festival is the first full moon night in the Chinese calendar, marking the return of spring and symbolizing the reunion of family. Traditional celebrations include enjoying lanterns, lantern riddles, eating tangyuan, a.k.a. yuan xiao (ball dumplings in soup), lion dances, dragon dances, etc. You can learn more about this festival and ways to celebrate here.
Picture
When learning about a new cultural or religious festival, genuine interest and wonder allow us to explore cultures other than our own with appreciation, reverence and honour. Through this open-hearted learning journey, we teach our children about the incredible diversity and similarities of our human experience. 
0 Comments

    Blog

    Explore schedules, rhythms & routines, songs, music, festivals, free play, meals, projects & more to support your homeschooling program.

    Author

    The Wonder Squad

    Categories

    All
    About Daily Wonder
    Activities
    Calendar Of The Soul
    Curriculum
    Festivals
    Holidays & Celebrations
    Instructional Videos
    Meditation
    Nurtured Heart
    Parent Education
    Pentatonic Flute
    Rhythm & Routine
    Songs & Poetry

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020

    RSS Feed

You might be wondering...

Purchase
Supplies
Courses
About

FAQ
Contact
​Home

​Terms & Conditions
PURCHASE

Visit us on Teachers Pay Teachers

© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Serving your worldwide educational needs from Comox Valley, BC, Canada.
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • The Creators
      • Waldorf Connection
  • ABOUT
    • FAQ
    • Gallery
    • Testimonials
    • Press
    • Newsletters
  • PARENTS
    • Purchase Lesson Plans
    • Supplementary Courses >
      • Purchase Ukulele Course
      • Purchase Pentatonic Flute Course
    • Learning Pod Support
    • Homeschool Coaching
    • Homeschool Planning
    • Samples
    • Supplies
  • TEACHERS
    • Purchase Lesson Plans
    • Purchase Ukulele Course
    • Purchase Pentatonic Flute Course
  • CONTACT
  • Blog