YULE RITUALS FOR SMALL CHILDREN For a first time with children in your own home (or where you can all stay overnight) you might try incorporating some of these: - A solstice candle which burns all night and which someone stays up to watch. - The other part of this light festival is that one can borrow another tradition from Europe and light a big, fat candle each night for twelve nights before and sing some pagan carols, etc. to help the Sun come back. - All get up to great the sun. ( Check exactly when it rises in your area.) - cassette: Charlie Murphy, Canticles of Light (chant, no one can hold back the dawn). - Have the youngest be "born" as the Sun King/Queen from between someone's legs amidst much "labor". - Circle and sing "Lord of the Dance". - Dumb supper; can have special food, all one color (dark or black). All keep silent while eating. The dark foods can also be red foods or any color which makes sense to the participants. (I'm not into strict anything.) But dark foods are like muffins or cake with molasses in them. Dark grapes. For those who eat meat, well done, well browned-roast or "dark meat" chicken. Dark beer or root beer. Pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, dark olives in a ratatouille. Sweet potatoes with dark brown sugar sauce. (A cook with a little imagination can carry this list on.) - Have a costumed couple arrive unannounced (an elder Goddess (?) and Father Time (?)) They can do a drama about the turn of the wheel or they can storytell.... - An added figure I have used is Jack Frost, who is that green guy with the holly decoration and bell on his cap. Alternately he is all white and has icicles dripping. He can scare and trick...etc. - The Christian advent calendars are such fun for children, I wish someone would get busy and invent a Pagan "advent" calendar. Wouldn't they go like hot cakes? - Alternatively, have the youngest be Lucia Queen. Circle of candles on head. Get up earliest and pass first presents to those in bed with a cup of chocolate/tea/coffee. Lucia (I pronounce it "lou chee a" the Italian way) Bride is a Scandinavian EVENT which is celebrated here in Ballard (Seattle) by the Scandinavian community around Dec. 13. Lucia was an Italian Pagan Goddess who was taken over by the Catholic Church and made Saint Lucia; but who has never really been accepted by all Catholics and so She doesn't appear in all of the Saints directories. They have a Christian story for her but it's not the original Lucia any more than Saint Bridget is the original Bridget. Lucia comes from Lux, meaning light. The Scandinavian Lucia wears a crown of 9 candles. The Italian festival of Santa Lucia is also a festival of light and so the original Pagan Goddess may have been a Goddess of Light or the Birth Mother helping to rebirth the Sun King. I don't much care for the Bride of Christ concept, or the Immaculate Conception stuff which may come along for some people when one uses the word "Bride" at this time of year; so I've changed the name to Lucia Queen. Also, obviously, one need not have the youngest daughter be Lucia, but could have a woman of childbearing age do it. For our time and pagan culture that would certainly be more appropriate. The Lucia Queen wears all white with, traditionally, holly woven in the crown and a red sash. She wakes between 1:00 and 4:00 am (first cockcrow) and brings coffee and Lucia buns to each household member in bed. This used to include all servants and farmhands. While she does this she sings the traditional Lucia songs (which I don't know but can maybe get if there are any Scandinavian speaking purists on this lists). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One ritual that is simple is to light a fairly good size candle with simple prayers, poems, stories, and such being read. You can sing songs of light holidays. Open gifts to on another etc. Then leave the candle burning safely for the entire night time...maybe even slumber party it around the room where the candle is lit. The following morning get up before dawn and go to the highest place and as the sun crescents the horizon "Yule" a sound welcoming the new born sun child. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My daughter is nine, and also isn't really interested in any "spiritual stuff" as such, but she will get involved in some rituals, she particularly enjoyed a ritual some friends and I did with her involving candles and circle dancing. We plan on making it a part of our solstice ritual this year. There is a special name for this dance (it alludes me at the moment, I will check with my friend) it involves each person holding a candle in one hand, link pinkies with others hand and dancing in a circle to music (the tune alludes me too) but I suppose any tune and any dance would do. My daughter loves lighting the candles! We had lots of candles burning in the room, the music was "tinkley" with chimes and bells, the ritual was fun and magickal!