Midsummer Celebrations

MIDSUMMER snook up on us, but we found plenty of ways to celebrate without much preparation. We made a new summer nature table based on the story of Runya the Fire Fairy, one of Emma's alter egos. It featured an orange and yellow fairy house and a bonfire, to which all the woodland animals were invited to roast acorns. We learned a new summer song while preparing a special festival snack of sun tea, orange slices, apricots and butterfly biscuits then read The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow together. Dinner was cooked over a real fire in the back garden, the bowl of chilled fruits a welcome addition in the 80 F temperature and higher humidity. No evening of magical happenings would be complete without a gift for the fairies, so the children assembled a miniature feast of fruits, herbs and tea along with a tiny campfire for the fairies to dance around. By morning, the food was gone and in its place, a little thank you gift of flowers and a pile of embers. There really must have been fairies in our garden!

Recipe for Sun Tea
Chamomile tea "brewed" in the sun, muddled with fresh mint and orange slices and sweetened with honey. Quite delicious!

Happy Mother's Day

HOW nice to feel appreciated! I had the opportunity to attend a day-long class on Mother's Day while the children enjoyed a day of daddy time. On my return I was greeted with a fabulous cake which they had baked together. Yum!

Good Morning Easter

A sunrise is always wonderful, but on Easter Sunday, after hiking up a mountain in the dark until you are so high up that the sky almost swallows you, surrounded by hundreds of people of all different denominations sharing songs of praise, it brings an incredible feeling of awe and reverence.

Whereas Easter eggs are best if chocolate and hidden among the vegetables.

I Walk About With My Lantern

FOR the first time we experienced Martinmas with a really large group of people. All four kindergarten classes at Emma's school, along with their families, gathered after dark. Everyone carried a lantern - the children's made in school, others brought from home. The ceremony began quietly, and we walked a magical candlelit path through the woods in a long procession, quietly singing lantern songs. In the middle of the woods, a blazing bonfire invited us to gather and sing together, before we quietly peeled off back to our cars, a generous chunk of gingerbread pressed in everyone's hand.

While the story of Martinmas is of St. Martin, who cut his cloak in two to share with a freezing beggar, the theme of bringing light to the dark, hope to the foresaken, is especially poignant for young children.

"St. Martin, St. Martin, St. Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow.
He rode so boldly through the storm
His large cloak kept him well and warm.

By the roadside, by the roadside, by the roadside a poor man arose
Out of the snow in tattered clothes.
Kind sir, please aid me in my plight
Or else I'll die from cold tonight.

St. Martin, St. Martin, St. Martin stopped his horse and drew
His sword and cut his cloak in two.
One half to the beggarman he gave
And by this deed his life did save."

Pumpkin Time

AFTER several years of this, I have got over the grossness of the pumpkin goop that you have to pull out by hand, but I don't think I'll ever actually enjoy this part of the carving. Nevertheless, a beautiful Jack o'Lantern came into being, and the seeds became a crispy snack. Other pumpkins became pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup. Mmmh!

Jack o'lantern, jack o'lantern

You are such a funny sight

As you sit there at my window

Looking out at the night.

You were once a yellow pumpkin

Growing on a sturdy vine.

Now you are a jack o'lantern

May your candle light shine.

Brave Knights in the Storm

AMID threats of horrible weather, we decided to face the dragon and go ahead with our Michaelmas celebration. One by one, families arrived in wellies and raincoats and children were directed to a huge cauldron of steaming golden liquid to dye their silk capes, scarves and sashes. We held circle in a covered outdoor area then split the children into two groups for an age-appropriate Michaelmas story. Then we all met up again in the backyard for a rainy day dragon hunt. A fun game had around twenty children chasing a green-draped Thomas, who led them into the neighborhood park where the children ran about searching for dragon tears. Back at the house, a feast of dragon bread, soups and other homemade goodies awaited to warm up the soggy but happy small knights.

Here's a Snowy Branch of May

WE were lucky to participate in several wonderful celebrations to welcome May. In preparation, the children and I gathered flowers in the back garden to make crowns. We used honeysuckle vine as the base, decorated with little roses and other blooms found in the garden. Of course baby (doll) had to have her own crown. Later, we enjoyed maypole dancing and singing, laughed watching the mamas try to do it, made tambourines and anklets with little bells, ate delicious cake decorated with grass, flowers and a maypole and above all spent many fun-filled hours with good friends.

Here's a snowy branch of May
The branch the fairies gave me.
Who would like to dance today
With the branch the fairies gave me?
Holding high, holding high
Holding high the branch of May.

And In The East

And in the east, the dawn was breaking
And the world was waking
Any dream will do.
-Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat

BEING woken up in the middle of the night for a special girls' adventure is very exciting! Emma and I bundled up and set off to climb Stone Mountain with nothing but tiny torches lighting the way in the darkness. At the top, we gave thanks and welcomed the new day at the mountain's annual Easter sunrise service.

The sunrise was stunning, the view inspiring and the feeling of reverence for the world and its creator most humbling.

Happy Easter!

Hot Cross Buns

IT wouldn't be Easter without hot cross buns, and it's so much more fun to bake with a friend.

Easter Eggs

WITH all intention of dyeing them and hanging them on an Easter tree, for days we had been diligently blowing eggs and carefully saving the shells. It didn't happen, but we discovered that crayons make an excellent substitute for dye to bring colour to Easter baskets. And azalea bushes make great hiding places for the eggs!

Mothering Sunday

THE European celebration known as 'Mothering Sunday' is now often called Mother's Day in the UK and elsewhere; however its origins differ from the American Mother's Day. Mothering Sunday is originally a Christian festival, which begun as far back as the sixteenth century, when parishioners returned to their 'mother church' on the fourth Sunday in Lent for worship. This inevitably developed into a time for family reunion, and later became the one day a year that young people in domestic service were given the day off. They would return home to visit their mothers, often bringing a simnel cake or flowers as a gift.

Sadly a visit home was not possible for us; however we had fun sifting through photos to create a photo calendar of extended family to send to three sets of grandparents. And we now have a lovely visual reminder of cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents across the sea.

Valentine's Tree

VALENTINE'S Day is not a festival we usually celebrate at home. However, when Emma was invited to bring 21 homemade valentines to school to exchange with classmates, my creative juices took over and we spent several afternoons creating pretty paper decorations to share.

We built on our recent discovery of rose windows and began by cutting out heart-shaped and circular frames. These were covered in a single layer of white tissue paper. Then we tore red, pink, white and lilac tissue paper into tiny pieces and stuck them all over the white background. The top frame piece sandwiched the mosaic together. Other decorations were made by cutting out heart and flower shapes and decorating them in different ways with paper scraps. To those who may protest this was supposed to be Emma's project, let me assure you many of the decorations were entirely her own creation. Her favourite response to any hint of direction these days is: "No Mama; people like to do what they like to do." How very right she is.

Wakey Wakey!

In the United States, most people know February 2nd not as Candlemas, but as Groundhog Day. This curious acknowledgement refers to a common earth-dwelling mammal, a type of marmot.

According to folklore, if it is cloudy when the groundhog emerges from his burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow signifying that Spring is soon to follow. If it is sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, he will return to his burrow and Winter will continue for another six weeks. The holiday came from the Pennsylvanian Dutch community, who brought from Europe the belief that hibernating creatures can predict the arrival of Spring. But the original ideas go back way further, with links to the Catholic celebration of Candlemas, which commemorates Mary's purification, the feast of St. Birgid, and in its earliest incarnation, the ancient Pagan festival of Imbolc, which is associated with fertility and weather divination.

The little boy we were babysitting was fascinated by the media frenzy surrounding this small furry animal, so we spent a good part of the afternoon playing groundhog. This involved all kinds of burrowing, foraging for food, checking the weather and singing Winter and Spring songs. No time for candles... maybe tomorrow.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

Candle Dipping for Candlemas

AT an early Candlemas celebration, we had the opportunity to try candle dipping. This is done with a crockpot full of hot melted beeswax and a bucket of cold water. You dip a wick into the wax, then immediately into the water. Then back into the wax and again in the water. Back and forth, back and forth. It's very rhythmic and with the delicious smell of the warm wax, quite entrancing. We sang our swing song as we dipped, to help keep the motion fluid and the moment special. When the candle reached its desired size, we added small wax decorations. Though possibly odd-looking to an adult eye, Emma was thrilled with her creation and proclaimed that she would never light it because it is so beautiful, she doesn't want it to burn away.

We Three Kings... and Grandma

WE planned our Epiphany celebration for several days: baking, practising songs, making costumes. In the tradition of the German Sternsinger (see last year's post), we were going to process in costume to the front door and sing, then we would be let in and offered refreshment.

In the afternoon, we spent considerable time assembling our costumes. Then Emma wanted to rehearse. Much as the tradition and idea are reverent, our depiction of this holy happening was anything but. We had Grandma hobbling on a hobby horse (camel), Emma chasing her shrieking brother with an unwanted crown, me trying to save the biscuits from the dog, and Baby Jesus smothered in all kinds of unusual gifts. Oh yes, and lots of laughing. I gave up worrying about meaning, instead enjoying some wonderful family time and memory making.

When it was time for the actual procession in the evening, it was dark, snowing, we were outside in pyjamas and capes, eating special treats at bedtime... the atmosphere was very different. And with the camel safely in his stable we enjoyed a cup of wassail.

The Fifth Candle

WE were patiently waiting. Lighting only one, then two, then three, then finally all four of the small candles in our Advent wreath. Every Sunday in Advent a new candle was lit, and we added a verse to the poem dedicated to the four kingdoms.

On these Sundays too we added items to our nature table. First just shells and stone; then green plants and berries. On the third Sunday we added a stable and animals then in the last week, Mary and Joseph appeared before the stable accompanied by their donkey.

Then, on Christmas Day, the children found baby Jesus lying in a manger in the stable, surrounded by his parents, the animals and some shepherds. And at the table, we lit the centre candle. Happy Birthday!

The first light of Advent is the light of stones,

The light that lives in crystals, seashells and bones.

The second light of Advent is the light of plants.

Roots, stem, leaf, flower and fruit by whom we live and grow.

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.

Animals of farm, field, forest, air and seas.

All await the birth in greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.

The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.

- Rudolf Steiner

A Legacy

IT'S so easy to get caught up in all the holiday hype. Even when you try to keep commercialism at bay, gifts, food and house preparation and trying to make everything just perfect can become stressful. This weekend I was moved to tears in two very different ways. Two things that made these little 'stresses' seem so trivial.

The first was attending the memorial service for a friend's two year old daughter. In a very short time, this little girl changed many people's lives.

The second was coming together with a hall full of strangers to sing Handel's Messiah. This work is so full of passion it makes your hair stand on end.

After I'm gone, I don't expect millions of people to celebrate my birth every year. I don't expect people to be inspired by the story of my life, or any of my work to be great enough that it is performed over and over for centuries to come. But I do hope my children remember me as the mama who always had a cuddle, a song, a story or an adventure up my sleeve. That's really more important than one more batch of mince pies and homemade Christmas crackers.

Squirrel's Thanksgiving

THANKS to a little friend called Carmen, I learned something new the other day. We got fresh pecan nuts from our farmer's market and wanted to take them along as a snack to the park. But I didn't have a nutcracker. On the way to the park we scoured three shops looking for a cheap nutcracker but didn't find one. Recounting this to our friends, they just laughed and Carmen demonstrated how to crack them. Oh. In my defense they were not the store-bought kind that you can crack with your hands. They did need to be crushed with a stone. But still - no nutcracker was required.

So when making pecan pie for Thanksgiving Dinner, we decided to have a little squirrel celebration. Emma and I spread out a large sheet and covered it in all our nuts. Then we made tails and pretended to be squirrels. We had a fine time singing autumn songs and telling squirrel stories. And all the nuts got cracked with no nutcracker!

St. Martin, St. Martin

MARTINMAS commemorates the life of St. Martin, a knight who is best remembered for sharing his warm cloak with a beggar on a cold night. It is also the first of many festivals of light celebrated at this time of year. With our Waldorf group, we remembered St. Martin's deeds through song and theatre then shared light through the neighbourhood on a lantern walk. In the cold, dark evening, there was something magical about the sound of children singing and a penny whistle, and a parade of little lights walking through the streets.
Photo: Jodie Mesler

Michaelmas Celebration

THE feast of St. Michael celebrates the bravery of the Archangel Michael, who cast out the dragon and delivered the people from darkness. Falling on September 29 near the equinox, the festival is also associated with the beginning of Autumn.

We were honored to host our Waldorf group for this celebration - and what an enjoyable occasion it was! After a circle of seasonal songs and verses, the dragon was released and chased all the children. One by one each child received a golden cape of courage - a silk that the children themselves dyed with turmeric and carrot tops at our last play group. How lovely to see them all running around, climbing trees and swinging, their golden capes flowing in the wind.

Then the children took part in a nature treasure hunt, using images on the Knight's Shield as clues. Their treasures all found, they could then seek green glass dragon tears, hidden throughout the garden.

Finally we gathered for a feast including warming soup, pumpkin bread and cupcakes, toffee apples and two magnificent dragon breads. It was indeed a celebration worthy of a great knight. Thank you to all the families who contributed!