Celebrate!
December is, of course, the midwinter time (in the Northern Hemisphere) full of festivals of light. Christmas, Chanukah, Yule, Kwanzaa—this month gives us lots of opportunities for lighting candles and hanging lights, for presents and feasting and singing and celebrating. You can click on the links below for information, activities, ways to celebrate and more. Or start out with a website that's got so much great December stuff it won't fit in one category.
|
top^
|
We Honor… |
|
| Unitarians who brought us much-loved Christmas carols.
Edmund Hamilton Sears was a Unitarian minister in Wayland, Massachusetts, who wrote "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" for his church in 1849. Try singing all the verses of this song, and noticing the strong message of peace.
James Pierpont was the brother of a Unitarian minister, and served as organist his brother's church in Savannah, Georgia . Pierpont wrote many songs, but his most famous was “Jingle Bells.” Even people who celebrate Christmas in places with no snow love this song!
|
|
top^
|
Act!
At this time of year when nature in the Northern Hemisphere is trimmed down to bare essentials, with many plants dormant and seemingly dead, we humans seem to like having an excuse to go all out and buy a lot of stuff. Presents are a lot of fun, but it's also worth remembering that making and shipping and eventually throwing away all that stuff takes a big toll on the earth. So maybe this year your family could discuss ways to have fun holidays that wouldn't involve quite so much STUFF. For instance, in your immediate family, maybe each person could get one store-bought gift that they really want, and then you could have a joint family gift of a special outing to see a show or have an ice cream sundae or go cross-country skiing or whatever your family thinks is special and fun. Of course, making presents is also a great way to go. And just think—almost everyone loves homemade goodies, and there's nothing to store or throw away afterward, especially if you create homemade recycled wrapping paper or containers.
Here's one yummy treat that kids can make (with a little grownup help in using the oven):
Spiced Nuts
1 pound raw nuts, such as pecans, almonds and/or walnuts
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (Or get creative with other spices—I like to add a little nutmeg and coriander)
½ teaspoon salt
Beat egg white and water together. Add nuts and stir. Mix sugar, spice(s) and salt. Add to nuts and stir until everything is coated evenly. Spread out in a single layer on a lightly oiled pan. Bake at 300 degrees (F) for 15 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 minutes. Make sure they are fully cool before you pack them up. |
|
top^
|
Nurturing Your Spirit
Winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa seem to involve a lot of candles and lights as part of the celebration. But in this time of long nights and short days, there's nothing wrong with honoring the dark time. What time does it get dark where you live? Have you ever taken the time to really notice the details of darkness falling? Find a window where you can see the sky—if it looks toward the west you might even see the colors of a sunset. When it gets too dark to read, leave the lights off and just notice what you see around you. What colors does the sky go through as it goes to black? Are there changes in the sounds you hear? In Muslim tradition nightfall is defined as happening when you can't tell a white thread from a black thread. How dark does it have to be before you can't tell the difference? Try waiting and noticing very quietly. Light and energy and motion are all good things. But at this time of year when everything can be very rushed and busy, darkness and quiet and calm can be especially precious. |
|
top^
|
Practicing the Principles
Christmas seems like an very good time to remember our sixth UU principle: “The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.” Did you know that there's a famous Christmas carol on this theme of peace and justice for all people that was written by a Unitarian minister? Edmund Hamilton Sears was a Unitarian minister in Wayland, Massachusetts, who wrote "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” for his church in 1849. Try singing all the verses of this song, and noticing the strong message of peace.
|
|
top^
|
Ask CLiF
Ask CLiF any questions you have about religion or living
a good life.
How do we celebrate Advent?
—No Name Given
Dear Writer,
As with pretty much any holiday you can think of, some Unitarian Universalists celebrate Advent, and some don't. But as it happens, my REsources for Living column in this month's Quest (CLF's monthly publication) is all about celebrating Advent.
If you're interested in doing an Advent project, you can create your own Advent wreath, or an Advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas. You can find a variety of suggestions for how you can make an advent wreath. Or decorate a shallow bundt pan by wrapping it with artificial garland, or (with adult assistance) hot glue pinecones, ribbons, etc., or decorate with glitter glue. You can hot glue on real greenery, but it won't stay fresh very long. Or just create a sort of nest of evergreen twigs which can be replaced as they dry out. Fill the bundt pan with sand, and add three purple and one pink taper candles.
You can make an Advent calendar by putting 22 very small pictures (drawn or put on with rubber stamps) on a sheet of construction paper or posterboard. Put a second piece of paper or posterboard over the top and mark where the pictures are. Cut flaps that can reveal the pictures, and label the flaps 1-22. Decorate the top sheet, then glue to the bottom sheet, making sure that there is no glue where the pictures are, so that the flaps can open. Then you are set to open one “door” each day through Christmas.
—CLiF
|
|
| top^ |
|
