WINTER: Rest and Reflection
Winter brings stillness, offering an invitation to slow down, rest, and reflect. Your winter rhythm can center on creating warmth and coziness in your home. Begin the day with gentle activities like singing or candle-lighting, allowing the family to ease into the shorter, colder days. Indoor activities like baking, crafting, and storytelling take on special meaning during this time. Seasonal crafts can include making lanterns, knitting, or creating nature-inspired art from pinecones or evergreen branches.
With less daylight, incorporate more rest into your rhythm. Afternoons might be devoted to quiet play or reading under warm blankets, and evenings can be spent by the fire or with candlelight, perhaps sharing stories or poems that honor the quiet of the season. Winter rhythms focus on replenishing the body and spirit, creating space for reflection and peace before the cycle of renewal begins again in spring.
Festivals
1. Advent (Four Sundays before Christmas): A time of anticipation and quiet reflection, often marked by lighting candles on an Advent wreath or spiral.
2. St. Nicholas Day (December 6): Celebrating the spirit of giving, where children may receive small gifts or treats in their shoes.
3. Winter Solstice (December 21-22): Honoring the longest night and the return of the light, often celebrated with candles and stories.
4. Christmas (December 24-25): Celebrating the birth of Christ, often with family traditions, singing, and gift-giving.
5. Epiphany (January 6): Marking the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and celebrating the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
Activities
1. Candle-making: Creating beeswax candles to symbolize light during the darkest time of the year.
2. Advent wreath or spiral: Lighting a new candle each Sunday of Advent, or walking an Advent spiral to reflect on the journey toward the light.
3. Seasonal storytelling: Sharing winter stories, including tales of the nativity, St. Nicholas, and King Winter.
4. Winter crafting: Making snowflakes, paper stars, or crafting winter-themed gnomes or angels.
5. Baking winter treats: Preparing gingerbread, spiced cookies, and other warm baked goods to enjoy during family gatherings.
