6 Winter Waldorf Festivals to Celebrate in December

Advent

The period beginning four Sundays before Christmas that is observed by most Christians in preparation for the celebration of Christmas Day. In Waldorf homes, Advent is recognized by representing the kingdoms of our planet each Sunday:

The first Sunday of Advent we recognize minerals and stones.
The second Sunday of Advent we recognize the plant kingdom.
The third Sunday of Advent we recognize the animal kingdom.
The fourth and last Sunday of Advent we recognize humankind.

We have so many beautiful ways to share with you on how to bring this sacred festival into your home or school in our publications:

December Preschool/Kindergarten Book (Ages 3-6)

December Afterschooling Book (Ages 6+, teens and adults)

Advent and St. Nicholas Festival Book (All Ages)

St. Nicholas Day, December 6th

Celebrated on December 6th (December 5th elsewhere) in many European countries to honor the Christian saint as the bringer of gifts. Boys would sometimes dress as bishops to give to the poor. Many children would wait for treats to be left under their pillows or shoes that were left out. In Waldorf homes and schools, this celebration continues with children leaving their shoes out the eve before (December 5th) to wake to small treats inside including chocolate, coins, fruits, nuts and sometimes a small toy. 

Where to find ideas for this beautiful celebration:

December Preschool/Kindergarten Book (Ages 3-6)

December Afterschooling Book (Ages 6+, teens and adults)

Advent and St. Nicholas Festival Book (All Ages)

Santa Lucia Day, December 13th

The Feast of St. Lucia or Santa Lucia is a festival of light, as are many of the celebrations this time of year. In some countries she is represented as a lady in a white dress with a wreath of candles in her hair. Many celebrate this special day by having the oldest daughter in the family wear a wreath in her hair and offer sweet buns or cookies to others. Boys also share a role by wearing star boy caps or dressing as St. Stephen. The procession is said to help all move forward with light into the deep, dark winter days ahead. 

In my Kindergarten class, we often made St. Lucy Buns as well as crowns and star boy hats for the children and had a walk around our playground and school. In the Little Acorn Learning guides we offer complete instructions for these activities as well as some more unique ideas such as planting indoor wheat for St. Lucia Day.

December Preschool/Kindergarten Book (Ages 3-6)

December Afterschooling Book (Ages 6+, teens and adults)

Winter Festivals Book (All Ages)

Hanukkah

This beautiful Jewish festival is often called the Festival of Lights. It is observed to recognize the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem. Often a menorah will be lit each evening for eight nights to represent the rededication of the Jewish faith and to spread the light to future generations. A fun game played during this time is the spinning of a dreidel and sometimes small gifts will be shared each of the eight days of spiritual acknowledgement. While my family is not Jewish, I always recognized this special festival in my classroom as the light of hope reaches beyond all faiths and backgrounds. 

Our Winter Festivals Book includes a beautiful tutorial on making a menorah with found nature items, a Star of David banner, as well as a paper menorah. We also have recipes and songs to share.

The Winter Solstice/Yule, December 21st 

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This day marks the winter season which continues until the Spring Equinox. Yule was celebrated before the conversion to Christianity in many cultures and this ancient festival still holds strong roots in all we see in the Winter Solstice as well as Christmastime. 

Celebrating the solstice is a magical time in Waldorf homes and schools. All of our books bring this warming festival into the lives of your children with warm recipes, songs, crafts and meditations. Creating a Yule Log was always a favorite in my classroom.

December Preschool/Kindergarten Book (Ages 3-6)

December Afterschooling Book (Ages 6+, teens and adults)

Winter Festivals Book (All Ages)

King Winter Celebration Book (All Ages)

Christmas Day, December 25th 

The day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in many Christian faiths (Eastern Orthodox faiths celebrate on January 7th). The four Sundays of Advent lead up to this sacred day.

In our home we have a beautiful tradition of an Advent Spiral calendar as well as other advent traditions such a nativity, advent wreath, mistletoe and Christmas tree. Culturally on this day, many children wake up to gifts from Santa Claus who travels the world to bring joy to those who believe. The tradition of Santa Claus stems from the long rooted tradition of celebrating St. Nicholas, the saint of giving. Many non-Christians still enjoy decorating and sharing gifts this time of year to share love and light with one another.

December Preschool/Kindergarten Book (Ages 3-6)

December Afterschooling Book (Ages 6+, teens and adults)

Advent and St. Nicholas Festival Book (All Ages)

Winter Festivals Book (All Ages)

Which of these December festivals do you celebrate? We hope we have inspired you to weave your own family traditions and customs into your winter celebrations and also try incorporating new ideas from some of the examples above.

Happy Three Kings Day & The Epiphany!

I just love saying that word "epiphany".  :) 

Photo and craft by Jennifer Tan of Syrendell as in our Three Kings Day & The Epiphany E-Book

Wow things have been really busy these last five days and my commitment to focusing more on my business and making changes in my daily routines have been going well so far.  I know myself well though and consistency and discipline is what I struggle most with when it comes to balancing work and family.

Today began my first Mindful Parenting E-Course and I hope that I get as much from it as the students.  I have so many wonderful ideas that I have to balance with keeping the e-course simple and obtainable so members can make changes without getting more overwhelmed than they already are.  And while I have a wonderful outline, I am absolutely putting out fresh ideas each day and I hope it serves the members of the course well.  It is not too late to join us, all emails and class posts will be available to you at any time you sign up!

In the e-course, I plan on focusing upon the following key areas that I have identified in my life that need equal attention in order to obtain true balance as a parent and caregiver:

Environment:

We will work together to try to create habits that help us to prepare our week ahead, establish and maintain routines in our homes, add beauty to the places we dwell, slowly organize our spaces and create peaceful and loving homes and schools for the children who depend upon us.  As fun as beautiful crafts can be, children - more than anything - need rhythm, consistency and an environment that is predictable.  Focusing here and on ourselves (in the next item) is the MOST important thing.

Self (Body/Mind/Soul):

We will learn to take time out each week for ourselves as often as possible to breathe, meditate, stretch, exercise, get fresh air, be creative, explore our talents, turn off media and background noise, connect with friends and our community, eat clean food, drink water, get proper rest, journal and slow down to pay attention to the world around us.

Children:

We will incorporate (slowly) simple activities, songs, stories and ideas that create a soothing presence around the children we care for.  We will remind one another to include children in the daily tasks of running a home and school so they can learn practical life skills by modeling our behavior.  We will slow down and remember that we are being watched and it is our responsibility to be worthy of imitation.  We will work harder to provide healthier meals, better rest, more outdoor time and less media so our children can thrive and develop optimally.  

Celebrations:

We will look at easy and attainable ideas to bring the seasons and festivals into our homes and schools.  We will slowly consider how this particular time of year plays into our lives, as caregivers, on a deeper and more spiritual level.  We will include songs, stories, books and crafts when we feel able in order to create a home filled with seasonal spirit.  We will NOT blame ourselves when we cannot fit these things in.  Caring for our environment, self-care and being a more mindful and present parent outweighs this and should always take precedence over crafts and activities.  

Parent Education:

Along the way, I will send writings, links, tools, quotes and adult book recommendations that I feel will help you learn and grow as a parent and teacher.  Taking a course like this is a wonderful first step but in order to break old habits, we need knowledge to back it up.  I am also working on a potential guest speaker call to bring more ideas into our group.  

Today the group focused on adding simple meditation, routines and a mantra to their days ahead and looking forward to get a clear understanding of their obligations and commitments this week so they can work around that framework.

I LOVE the crafting, singing, stories and activities that I include in my guides - but the truth is that these are bonuses and the most important thing we can do as caregivers is to take care of the needs of our homes, our "selves" and our children.  

For that reason, I will only offer simple ideas for celebrating Three Kings Day tomorrow and through the week to students (yes it is OK if you celebrate later in the week or not at all!!).  But, if you do want to celebrate, take a look at the Little Acorn Learning January 2015 Newsletter for some fun ideas and activities.  

Is this a new festival for you and your family to celebrate?  In what simple ways will you bring the joy of the season into your home or school this week?