Our first Candlemas

When I discovered the wonderful world of Waldorf and all it's beautiful toys, handwork and festivals, I knew I wanted to add some of those elements to our own family life.  And we have, from the birthday crown tradition, to the toys in our house, to the crafts and handwork that we do, to being more connected with nature, there's been many changes.  But one thing I really wanted to add into our family life, just never seemed to happen, as I was never prepared or well informed to participate in: the festivals.  By festivals, I mean, celebrate equinoxes, solstices, Michaelmas, and the latest, Candlemas.

Candlemas was this past Saturday, and I really only realized that it was coming on Friday.  

So I did a little research to find out more about the meaning and traditions behind it (I found this post from Waldorf Mama especially helpful).   I am a spiritual person and very connected to nature.  So that description of Candlemas really spoke to me.  I believe energies can really affect our being, weather they are positive or negative.

It's been a though winter for us this year.  Winter started incredibly early where we live.... it started snowing just before Halloween and that's when our fall ended.  The weather has been harsh most of the time (we've had mostly below -25 C all winter), we've been lacking sunshine, warmth and fresh air.  The kids have been bickering (at best of times) and fighting an awful lot.  And this mama, well, this mama has been tired and out of patience.  It's like our home was filled with negative energy and it was draining.

So celebrating the mid point between the longest day of winter and spring equinox, by doing a bit of spring cleaning, making candles and lighting them all to bring some light and warmth into our home is just what we needed.

I wanted to melt some beeswax and pour them into jars with the kids but couldn't find the right wick.  So instead, I got the kids to decorate jars that we used as votives.

They really got into it.  I lit some candles on the table while they were busy with their craft and it really had a calming effect on them.

They were so proud of their work!  And it was so nice to see them get along again :)

When they were done, we added their votives to the table and lit them as well.  The candles stayed lit all day, until past the kids bedtime.  We also had pancakes (for supper), as is tradition and, well, anytime we can have pancakes for supper it's a good day, LOL.

Candlemas really has helped us shift our moods and attitudes from the crankiness of winter to the optimism of the upcoming spring.  The negative energies seem to have left our home.  Everyone has been feeling lighter, calmer and happier.  This may have been our first time celebrating Candlemas, but it wont be the last.  Anything that can cause such a positive shift in our attitude is worth doing again!

Love and light xo