Our Advent Sun Calendar
To tap into the natural rhythms associated with Christmas this year I am creating an advent calendar for the kids that ties everything into the pagan traditions connected to the Winter Solstice. I couldn't be more excited about this DIY calendar and am having so much fun planning out the what I should tuck into each tiny envelope!
Whether religious or not, we are all in a sense waiting for the light during the cold dark month of December. Advent literally means "the coming", as in the coming of the light. It is beautiful to consider that The Unconquered Sun (the Roman Sun God) and the Unconquered Son (of Jesus Christ) both share the same birthday. While the Winter Solstice is technically December 21st and Christmas is celebrated on the 25th, the Romans held the Festival of the Unconquered Sun on the 25th so that's how they came to share the day. The unifying aspect of this cannot be overlooked.
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and Christmas the birth of the savior for Christians. Both usher in a sense of hope and renewal as the seasons shift towards longer days and a give us a way out of darkness. While Santa is still coming to our house this year I also wanted to find a way to highlight the aspect of renewal and our connection to something larger than ourselves within the framework of the natural world.
With that said, I took the kids to the craft store earlier this week with a loose sense of what I was after. As I gathered materials I knew I wanted to keep things simple and worked with that in mind. I found small craft paper bags, tiny keys, colorful decorative tags, and a few other odds and ends. At home I had yellow thread that knew I wanted to incorporate for the connection it has to the sun and we had a brass bell I thought would fit in somehow. The structure of this all came together after I found the perfect stick from our pile of finds on the front porch.
The paper bags will be numbered and hung from the branch with string. I realize that I am a little behind on this venture but hope have it all finished up in the next day or so! I'm not sure yet what the keys will represent. I had originally thought of them as symbolic and decorative but of course my almost four-year-old wanted to know right away what the keys were for and what would be in the bags with the keys. So, I'll have to think on that one.
The bell will be hung on the 21st to mark the Winter Solstice and the Sun pictured on the 25th. Each bag will hold little drawings or notes, some perhaps sweet treats, but all with a guiding phrase or activity to set the tone for the day. I want to plan little adventures, explorations, and activities that will center around the connections mentioned above. Some things might include decorating trees with edible ornaments for the animals, donating toys or food, making a craft, taking a trip, reading a particular book, etc.
I will keep everyone posted as this evolves and will try to post each week to keep everyone up to date on what little bit of sunshine each tiny bag holds.
Would love to hear if and how others are approaching this season with nature in mind. Please share. This is such an exciting project for me and I can't wait to share it with you as it unfolds!
