Plans to Observe Candlemas with Art, Music, and a Poet-Tea (with FREE Printable Fine Art 10-Pack)

This year, Candlemas (also known as the Purification of the Blessed Mother and The Presentation of the Lord) falls on the same day as my children's regular AMP It Up club meeting.  Thus, I asked the other mamas in the club if we might depart from our regular Art, Music, and Poetry activities for the day in order to focus on the liturgical celebration.  They happily agreed,  thus, much like I did for a Poet-Tea for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, I have been having fun planning our Candlemas Poet-Tea.

During AMP meetings, we typically:

• recite and chat about poems,
• read about a composer or par of the orchestra,
• listen to some classical music,
• complete a simple journal page,
• take a movement break,
• enjoy a brief picture study or look at an example of art from around the world,
• and try our own hands at making art.

For liturgical year Poet-Teas, we change things up a little. 
 
A Candlemas Poet-Tea Setting and Menu

For Candlemas, a simple poet-tea table will be decorated with:

• a white tablecloth (for purity)
• a variety of candles (including a blue one for Mary)
• an image of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple 

Symbolic drinks and foods will also be laid out as friends arrive.  They will likely include:

• a pitcher of water (to represent the purification)
• hot cinnamon-vanilla-coconut milk (white - to represent Joseph's pure protective love for Mary and Jesus, with specs of brown to remind us of sawdust since Joseph's career was carpentry)
• GFCF pretzels (to represent Simeon's praying arms)
• raspberries with swords in them (to remember the prophecy of the pierced heart)
• strawberries and Cocowhip (to remind us of Mary's pure, sinless heart when she went to the temple for purification due to humble obedience)
• peeled apple slices and chocolate fondue (to remind us of Anna the Prophetess with the "black" on the outside - symbolic of Anna's widowhood - and the white on the inside - symbolic of the purity and goodness of her devout heart, for she never left the floor of the Temple, day or night)
• homemade blueberry vegan ice cream (brought by a friend for Our Lady)
• vegan cupcakes decorated with swords or doves (brought by a friend to symbolize either Simeon's prophesy or the offering Joseph and Mary brought to the temple)
• Paleo Crepes (brought by a friend because crepes are traditional on Candlemas and remind us of Jesus swaddled) 

(Great thanks to Alice at Cottage Blessings and Jessica at Shower of Roses for the ideas for many of these dishes!)
   
Presentation of the Lord Chat and Poet-Tea

Once all are gathered, we will likely commence our poet-tea by  watching this brief dramatization of the Presentation of the Lord on YouTube:

Or, perhaps, this one:



Then, we will pray grace together and chat about the symbolism of each item of food on the table.

As children eat, I will read a selection of Candlemas poetry as found at the International Marian Research Institute and , perhaps a Sonnet for Candlemas shared by Malcolm Guite. As I read, I will ask the children to listen for specific words and phrases that help them to see the images within the poems and we'll chat about how specific word choices can make or break a poem.
  
Art Appreciation, Prayer, and Poetry Writing

Once all the children are done eating and we clear the table, I'll lay out a collection of 10 fine art images of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple, and with these to help us mediate on the fourth Joyful Mystery, we may pray a decade of the rosary. 

Then, we will tie the idea of specific words making or breaking a poem, to specific details depicted by artists through the ages.  Examining the fine art images, we will play Two-Finger Touch I Spy by having one child say, "I spy... (a detail in the image)" while the other children attempt to be the first to two-finger touch the image that matches the description.   Whoever is the first to touch the correct image  keeps it and gives a descriptor of another image. 

When all images are in hand, children will pair up so each pair has at least one image.  Then, pairs will be challenged to help one another create a stanza of poetry to go along with one of the images they hold.  Children will be asked to remember the importance of specific word choices and, when we share our poems with one another, will be encouraged to comment on vocabulary choices that help them see and feel.

Music
   
Then, it will be time for the music portion of our gathering, which, I admit, almost had me stumped.  For, despite spending far too much time on Google and YouTube, I have been unable to discover a "perfect" (for us) piece of music to explore for our Candlemas Poet-Tea.  Thus, I've decided to teach a music vocabulary word instead: canticle.

I intend to play one of the following two versions of the Canticle of Simeon and, then, to ask if anyone has ever heard the words in the song before and where?  Pending what the children respond with, responses, I will explain that a canticle is a hymn, psalm or other song of praise taken from biblical or holy texts other than the Psalms.

 

~or~

  

I may also play the following video while the children do their artwork:



Art: Creating Specific Details

We will close our gathering with artwork before free play and conversation.Using a variety of art media and inspiration from the images we focused on while praying the Fourth Joyful Mystery and playing I Spy, the children (and mamas) will be invited to create their own depictions of a single detail from the scene of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple or of a symbol of the day, such as the flame of a candle, the hand of Simeon, the eyes of Mary, etc.  This exercise should tie in well with the specificity of detail that we will have talked about during our poetry portion of the Poet-tea.

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Media we may use includes:

• Canson mixed media paper
• colored pencils
• Cray-pa oil pastels 
• watercolor paints
• Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint
• chalk pastels 
• Crayola oil pastels

For Another Time
 
After the Poet-Tea, I hope to listen on my own or with my children to the short audio called the Sorrows and Wisdom of Mary at Ancient Faith Ministries and would love to find some Catholic audios and podcasts related to Candlemas, too.  (Please share links with me if you have any.)

I also intend to share the following video about the Presentation with my children either before or after our Poet-Tea so they can learn more about the significance of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple.



(I do not want to share it at the Poet-Tea for several reasons, among them, the bloody images at the beginning may disturb our more sensitive AMP members and spoil the tea.)On a more light-hearted note, I would guess that taking a babydoll and dramatizing the Presentation might unfold naturally with my children.  We shall see...

However our Candlemas Poet-Tea and post-tea unfold, I know we will be blessed.  I pray your Candlemas is filled with light, beauty, love, and blessings, too! 

More

Enjoy glimpses into other Poet-Tea plans and photos.
 

I'd welcome YOUR ideas for celebrating Candlemas with a Poet-Tea or just in general.  Please do share your favorite recipes, poems, songs, artworks, crafts, talks, prayers, and devotions with me, so I might be inspired by them for inclusion in my family's future Candlemas observances.  Thank you!

Begin a Children's Adoration Hour (More than Once if Need Be!)

Several years ago, a Catholic homeschool group I was in approached a local priest about leading a monthly series of formal Holy Hours for children.  He kindly agreed and the initiative kicked off. 

Although I am a "cradle Catholic", I was new to such experiences and was grateful to the organizing mom and agreeable priest for introducing my children and I to children's Adoration.  Unfortunately, though, the introduction was short-lived.
 
You Never Know if You Don't Try...
 If I recall correctly, the format used for the first Holy Hours my children and I experienced was that of the World Apostolate of Fatima.  This format offered a beautiful, formal, and traditional Holy Hour approach, which worked best for families with older (or more sedate!) children.

During the Holy Hours, the presiding priest stayed on the altar, leading the service and offering a thoughtful homily.  The children sat in pews with their families, ideally, listening, praying, adoring, and taking turns leading decades of the rosary.  In reality, though, some children (like mine!) tried to escape the pews, got super wiggly, and, at times, even needed to be taken to the back of the church.

Luckily for we moms with "busy children", the mom who organized the Holy Hours also invited everyone to enjoy a snack, a meaningful, hands-on activity and some fellowship after the prayer time each month.  It was the snack and the engaging additional activities that helped me keep my children coming back each month.  For, in all honesty, at my children's young ages and with their wiggly ways, they just did not get much out of the Holy Hour portion of the monthly initiative.

I dare say, the same was true for some other children, because, unfortunately, attendance at the monthly Holy Hours began to dwindle, and, before too many months passed, the initiative ceased.

Although managing my children at the Holy Hours was often a challenge, I was sad to see the program peter out.  I had hoped that in experiencing it on a regular basis, and in witnessing the example of older children, my children would come to love Adoration.

Going It Alone

With no group option for children's adoration, I began making time for my husband or me to take our children to adoration on our own.  Our efforts to do so were not always met with welcome by our children, but, eventually, were met with a genuine plea of, "I want to go to Adoration." 

Unfortunately, due to changes in work schedules, my husband and I allowed something not-so-great to happen:  new work hours did not match well with Adoration chapel hours in the next town over, so, as much as I hate to admit it, we stopped prioritizing getting ourselves to adoration regularly.

Granted, we did get to the chapel occasionally, and I was able to participate in occasional Holy Hours at our parish, but as our own weekly commitments to Adoration weakened, so did our children's experience of frequent, fruitful quiet time with Jesus.

Renewing Regularity through a Group Children's Adoration Hour

About a year and a half ago, after a new local Catholic homeschooling group began, another mom and I began chatting about our desire for a regular group adoration hour.  I told her about a website I had found, Children of Hope, and she agreed that the format it described seemed like an appropriate one for our children, formal, yet interactive and with opportunities for children to move, also something we could lead on our own, or that could be led by a priest if we were blessed enough to find one who could offer our group his time. 

Thus, my friend and I began praying over beginning a children's adoration hour and, sensing it was meant to happen, began making inquiries.  I reached out to some priests I know, but their churches did not have regular Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and their schedules were unable to accommodate exposing the Holy Eucharist for our group.  My friend reached out to some she knows and got permission for us to bring a group of children to an existing adoration time.  However, she was told that it must be a completely silent adoration.  We did not feel our children were ready for that.

So, another mom got permission for our group to gather for a private hour of Adoration, where we could speak some and guide the children, at a church near her.  Unfortunately, the hour was quite an early one and the location a bit far for many in our group. 

With so many roadblocks, my friend and began to wonder if our idea of a group children's adoration hour was really "meant" to happen.  Unsure, we stopped pursuing it actively and just left it to prayer and the Spirit's work.

Well, the Spirit did work!  About a month ago, a priest that my friend had contacted some time back got in touch with her, told her a new Adoration chapel had been built at his parish, and that he would welcome our group.

Wow!  We were thrilled!

My friend immediately got word out and a surprisingly amount of families from our group signed up for the first children's hour.  Then... snow!  Inches and inches of snow. A blizzard buried our plans.

Doubt crept in, but did not last. We decided to have my friend ask the priest if we could simply reschedule for another day this month.  He said, "of course."  She got word out, and four families ended up joining in for our group's first children's Adoration hour.

It went beautifully!

The wonderful parish priest met us in the chapel and led our group in praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.  Before praying each decade, he led the children in a discussion which engaged all but the youngest of our children.  (And, as moms of crawling children tried to corral their wee ones, the priest simply smiled and said, "Let them be."  It was so beautiful witness the mix of formal prayer, yet the encouragement of free movement for those young children that truly needed it!)

Then, when the priest had to leave us to attend to parish business, we invited all the children to move from pews to the space in front of the altar.  There, we began a modified version of the sample format for children's adoration as described at Children of Hope.  My favorite parts of that experience was witnessing the children earnestly praying in silence for a few moments, as well as hearing them share prayer intentions with one another.  Children praying, in silence and aloud, while visiting Jesus is simply precious.

After our Adoration time concluded, we moved to a meeting room to enjoy some liturgical year activities.

Because our initial meet up day fell close to Candlemas, two of our activities were making candles and prayer cards based on the Presentation of Jesus.   

Because our rescheduled meet up day fell close to Our Lady of Lourdes feast day, we also had children make candles and paper mosaic grottoes of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The children were also given an opportunity to revisit a game we played at our last All Saints day party and to bless themselves with Holy Water from Lourdes.

As our meeting time concluded, the priest was able to come back to see us and kindly blessed our candles.
 

Then, we concluded with a group prayer.

Start Your Own Children's Adoration HourWhat a wonderful experience our recent children's adoration hour and liturgical year celebration was!  I look forward to meeting again next month and encourage others to start similar initiatives.

You can find many resources for children's adoration hours at:

• Children of Hope
• Children of the Eucharist
• Guided Children's Adoration

I am sure there are more sites and sources out there for children's adoration, too.  If you know of a great one, please do share about in a comment.

Easy-Peasy Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Casein-Free Sunday Breakfast and Feast Day Recipe

You went out first thing to shovel out so hubs could pull his car in when he gets home from a night shift.  It's Sunday morning and the kids are hungry.  You don't want to give them more processed food.  You ant to enjoy a Sunday meal before Mass.  What do you whip up?

You've been out having a family sabbath morning, just got home and need to turn around to get to a feast day celebration with friends.  You are low on groceries, but want to bring something yummy to share.  What do you make?

If you're me, you make "Candlemas Crepes", a recipe we made up at the beginning of this month.

 Candlemas Crepes

These were made in minutes after I shoveled this morning and, thus, are not the prettiest blog-worthy crepes ever, but they are quick, tasty and healthy!

To Make

Blend together:

• 2 bananas
• 6 eggs
• 1-2 teaspoons of real vanilla, depending on how much you like it (or none at all if you don't)
• 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite spices (We use cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves)

Spoon onto a hot, greased griddle.  (We use coconut oil or ghee on our griddle.)

Cook on one side until bubble form on the top.  Flip.  (We make them small so they are easy to flip.)

To Eat

Eat as is hot off the griddle.  (My children always ask for a "taster" as soon as the first set come off the griddle.)

Sprinkle or pour your favorite sweetener on top.  (We like them with raw honey, real maple syrup or, on special occasions, coconut  palm sugar, on top.)

Offer defrosted berries, fresh berries, sliced fruit or other sides along with them.

Why We Call Them Candlemas Crepes

On the first Sunday of this month, friends invited us to celebrate Candlemas with them.  When I looked up what foods are traditionally associated with Candlemas, I discovered crepes are.

Back when we were a gluten-full family, I was never good at making crepes.  However, since crepes are essentially eggy, thin pancakes, and since we make things like that all the time now, I figured I could whip up something crepe-like to bring to the party.

I recalled seeing a paleo bread recipe that called for eggs and plantains.  With this in mind, I figured eggs and bananas could make a good crepe.  Luke, however, has a mental aversion to crepes, so I knew I had to "hide" the banana flavor.  Thus, I added generous portions of vanilla and spices. 

I topped the finished crepes with organic coconut palm sugar since it was a feast day and the kids could not get enough of them.  And, so, the recipe was born and named.

Do you have a go-to recipe that you use for family Sunday breakfasts or feast days?

Remember:  I have moved the link-up to pinterest for now.  If you leave a comment with a link to a post related to training up children in the faith, I will add it to the board.