Darker days and darker nights

To bring the children's attention to and constructively mark the fact that the nights are drawing in and winter has taken hold, we grabed some clue, some washed nutella jars and some sparkling stars. Cover the jar in glue, roll in hundreds of tiny stars (and spend the next 3 days finding them all over the carpet!) and wait to dry. They looked fab with little tea lights set in them :) It's a very simple activity with pretty results, and it's a very subtle way to get tiny people to start thinking about the cold of winter and what it might mean to them.

Have fun!

When Time is Scarce!

There's just so much you need to do at this time of year, but you also have little ones that are bored.... You need some time to do those last minute chores and the children want to have some fun!

Here is a great resource when you just need a little bit of unhindered time: www.sparklebox.co.uk has some printables. It's aimed at pre-school teachers in the U.K and is a site widely used by school, but it is equally as great for use in the home. It has lots of Christmas themed activities as well as lot of other great stuff for all year round use. While it's not a pagan resource there is lots here that you'll find useful. Lots of literacy and numeracy resources, mask making, story sequencing, recipe cards, and plenty of multi-faith resources. There is something here that you can use, I assure you.

Right, we're off to make some Little Donkey masks (gosh if I hear that song even once more I might just trawl ebay for some earplugs...)

Meagan's Yule ~ By Kathryn Dyer

MEAGAN AND THE YULE SOLSTICE
by Kathryn Dyer ©1991

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Meagan. She lived in a house that had lots of woods behind it. She lived with her mommy and daddy, her big brother Corwin and her beautiful cat named Starweaver.

Meagan loved to watch Starweaver play with the snow in the winter. He would try to catch the flakes as they came down from the sky. Sometimes he would get mad when the flakes would melt and then his tail would start swishing from side to side. Meagan's parents told her not to mess with Starweaver when his tail was swishing like that.

"When Star swishes his tail back and forth it means that he is mad or frustrated," said her father Michael, "and playing with him would be like someone teasing you when you're mad or don't feel good." Meagan could sure understand that! "What does frustrated mean Daddy?" she asked. "Frustrated is how you feel when you are trying very hard to do something and it won't work right. Like when you were learning how to dress yourself and you couldn't get your head through the neck of a shirt." explained Michael. Meagan knew just how that felt and she promised never to bother the cat when his tail swished.

But today Starweaver wasn't swishing his tail. He was following Meagan and Corwin into the woods and chasing shadows. Meagan and Corwin had gone down the path into the woods to gather green fir branches, mistletoe and holly. It was Christmas time and they were helping to decorate the house. Later they would go with their parents to pick out a live tree to decorate and then plant in the Circle behind the house. Meagan's family were Pagans, but they also celebrated Christmas when Santa Claus came.

Meagan's mother Elizabeth told her that many people would celebrate a God's birthday at the middle of the winter or the Yule Solstice. Meagan knew that the Yule Solstice was the longest night of the year. Of course, many Christians celebrated the birthday of Jesus at Christmas. But before there were Christians some people would celebrate the birthday of Mithras, one of the old Gods, or some of the other Solar Gods. Solar means that the God is in charge of the Sun and Light. Meagan could see how the sun would be very important in the cold of Winter.

Meagan's family celebrated two holidays in the winter. They would celebrate Christmas, which her mother said was Santa Claus's birthday and they would celebrate the beginning of winter which they called the Yule Solstice. Meagan thought that Santa Claus must be a very nice person to give other people presents on his birthday so she and Corwin always left him a piece of cake and some eggnog to drink.

Meagan and Corwin picked lots of branches to decorate the house with. They tried to get fallen branches when they could but when they had to take them off a live plant they would ask the plant first and then thank it when they were done. Meagan had some crystals in her pocket to leave for the plants as a thank-you present. Corwin used the scissors when they had to cut something because he was older and Meagan's safety scissors might hurt the plant more. Corwin was always very careful not to cut more than they needed. They put all their branches into baskets that Elizabeth's mother Nana had made.

"Don't let Starweaver eat anything!" said Corwin, "Many plants can make cats and people sick." Meagan held her basket up higher. She didn't want Star to get sick! Corwin told her that soon she would get to go on walks with their father into the woods to learn about which plants were safe to eat and which were not. "Yes," said Meagan, "and then maybe Cindy's mom will show me how to make medicines!" Cindy was Meagan's best friend and her mother was an herbalist. Cindy's mother Anna made medicine, incense, make-up and lots of other things wit all kinds of plants and flowers. Sometimes Meagan would go with her mother when Elizabeth went to trade herbs with Anna. Then she and Cindy would have fun smelling all the herbs in Anna's workshop.

Soon Meagan's house was full of decorations. They made popcorn and cranberry strings to decorate the tree. Each year Meagan and Corwin would make a special ornament to put on the tree. This year Nana helped them make ornaments out of clay. Nana put the ornaments in her kiln, which is a kind of oven, so that they would get hard. Meagan loved her Nana very much. She always brought Meagan a surprise when she cam to visit. One time she had brought a little black kitten who grew up to be Starweaver!

One time Meagan asked Nana if she was a Pagan too. Nana said, "Oh, I'm half of one and a dozen of the other". Meagan couldn't talk about it to her other grandparents. Her daddy's parents Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott were very Christian and always asked where the children were going to Sunday school. Meagan had been to Sunday school a few times with Cindy because her parents wanted her to know about all religions. But she didn't tell Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott about the time she went to the Jewish temple or talked to her parents' Buddhist friend. She knew that they wouldn't understand and she didn't want to make them feel bad.

It seemed like no time at all before it was the night before Yule Solstice. Meagan's family had found a dead tree in the woods to use for a Yule log. They decorated it with greenery after Michael carved little suns onto it. When it was ready they put it in the fireplace and put the piece of Yule log they had saved from last year on top of it. This year Jeremy, the Coven's High Priest, had to work on the Solstice so the Coven had decided to hold their ritual on the next Saturday. Meagan was excited, they would celebrate three days this year!

That night, Meagan's family had a big dinner and Nana came to stay the night. Elizabeth had talked to Cindy's mother Anna and she let Cindy come to spend the night too! Sonn Elizabeth lit the Yule log and many candles around the room. Cindy and Meagan lay on the rug in front of the fire while Michael played his harp. They sang some songs that people in their Coven had written about the Yule. Cindy didn't know very many of the songs they sang but she tried to sing them anyway. This made Meagan giggle and so Cindy started to tickle her. They had a great tickle fight until Nana said that they were too close to the fire even if it had a screen.

Cindy and Meagan got to stay up past their bedtime and even got to have a cookie before they went to bed. They promised each other to meet after Santa came to play with their new toys. Meagan could hardly wait for Santa to get there! On Christmas Eve she and Corwin left out some coconut cake and eggnog for Santa. They left him a note wishing him a happy birthday and thanking him in advance for anything he might leave for them if he thought that they had been good. Meagan had tried to be good all year but it was very hard for her to go to sleep that night. She kept thinking that she heard raindeer on the roof.

The next morning Meagan got up and brushed her teeth. She could hardly wait to go downstairs but she had to wait until her parents and Nana were ready. Because Corwin was old enough he had gone down to the kitchen to heat water for tea and coffee. Meagan's mother and Nana would only drink herb tea but Michael said he had to jumpstart his mornings which always made Elizabeth laugh and tease him.

Once they got downstairs Corwin and Meagan rushed to see what Santa had left them while their parent's took pictures. After they were done, the whole family exhanged presents. Then it was time to visit Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott. It wasn't until the next day that Meagan had time to play with Cindy.

Since the Coven had chosen to meet on Saturday they decided to have a party all day. People began arriving early in the morning. Some of them had brought gifts for Meagan and her family who also had gifts for them. Meagan had made Jeremy a plate with a pentagram and runes around it spelling out his name with the clay her Nana had brought to make the Christmas decorations with.

"Thank you so much Meagan!" said Jeremy, "I will put this on my altar at home and everytime I see it I will think of you." Meagan felt very happy that Jeremy liked her present. Everyone had a good time. They all played games and sang songs. Michael played his harp. Corwin had gotten a new recorder for Christmas and played it for eveyone. Sometimes people would stop for a little bit and go for a walk in the woods. Not everyone had woods behind their house like Meagan's family did.

It was getting to be time for the Circle to gather. Everyone took turns taking quick showers and baths to purify themselves. Meagan and Corwin helped decorate the Circle with greens and candles before it was their turn. They took their baths and put on their robes. The Coven was starting to gather in the Circle. There was a bonfire ready to light and two unlit candles waiting on the Altar. They would light the bonfire and the candles to help light the Horned Lord's way through the dark months of winter.

Robert blew a Horn and the ceremony started. When it came time for Cakes and Ale they passed out some special cookies that Nana had made for them. "I may not come worship with you," Nana said, "but I respect what you do and I would like to share a little part of it with you."

All too soon the ritual was over. Meagan was going to help clean up the Circle but her mother saw her yawning and sent her to bed. "Don't worry Meagan," said Elizabeth, "the grown-ups are going to stay up until the bonfire goes out and we'll clean up then. Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed and one of us will come tuck you in in a minute, o.k.?" "O.k. momma," yawned Meagan, "it's all been so much fun this week, I just can't stay awake any longer."

When Michael came up to tuck Meagan in she was already sound asleep and dreaming about the wonderful week she had had.

"A Book on Every Bed"

I thought this was a great idea. Even better if it lets me sleep in on Christmas morning. :)

Take a book. Wrap it. Place it on your child's bed so it's the first thing s/he sees on Christmas/Solstice/Holiday morning. "A Book on Every Bed" is an attempt to spread the love of reading from parents to children, to raise and foster a generation of readers.

This idea was inspired by one of America's favorite writers, David McCullough, who he woke up every Christmas morning as a child to a wrapped book at the foot of his bed, left by Santa. This tradition carried on with his children and grandchildren.

I found out about this idea through a column in the Denver Post.

UZU--Melia

Song Ideas

After Moon asked for Yule songs I thought I would have a little look on YouTube to see what I could find there, thus all the links that follow go to YouTube! These were in my humble opinion the best of those that I found. They're not children's songs, but they are Yule songs, so I leave it to you lovely folk to decide if you like them or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m2LfbR5meY&feature=related ~ Holly King - Legend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATDVDGlc7oc ~ 'What night is this?'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdf4Qcy1MEI&feature=related ~ Winter Solstice ~ The Tea Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9NKAFlP-4Y ~ The Oak and Holly Kings - The Dolmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XAKjXkJxj8&feature=related ~ Ring Out Solstice Bells - Jethro Tull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8i0ypSqBxE ~ 'Santa Claus is Pagan too'

I'll leave it there because there will be plenty of other songs for you to explore in the 'suggestions' box! I particularly love 'Santa Claus is Pagan Too.' Please excuse the messy lay out here by the way, I'm not very good with links!

Simple Celtic Plait Tutorial

As many of us will be making Yule/Christmas cards with our children I thought I would share a very simple method of creating a celtic style knotwork band. I've used biro and graph paper so you can see more clearly (a good way to go about it if you want to sneak in some number work while getting creative with your little people!) but pencils and erasers are the way to go really! These look fabulous as borders on cards...



If you're not using squared paper you'll want to draw in some guide lines that you can rub out later. What you need is 3 equal sections from top to bottom. In the middle section you need to draw out a zig-zag pattern (if you're working on early math concepts this is a fun way to practise measuring).




For the next stage you need to extend the points of your zig-zag as shown above - make sure all the extensions are facing the same direction or you'll need that rubber sooner rather than later!




For stage 3 take each of those extensions and loop them over in a curve towards the next line. This is where your top and bottom guidelines are needed. If you're anything like me when you draw it free hand without the guidelines your knotwork has all sorts of bulges and thin bits. The guidelines just help to keep it neat and tidy.

Lastly rub out any guidelines you've drawn in and you can colour your lovely piece of art work. Simples!

After a few goes this gets really easy I promise - have fun!

Yule tree anyone?

I was just doing some of my regular blog reading... and found these great ideas over at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom for adding some Yule to your holiday tree. Great ideas there are making a nature themed tree, kitchen witch theme, handmade theme... she has a whole list of ideas! Also see her post on making an outdoor Yule tree to feed the birds over the winter. I really like that one... and I may do it with the kids... although I may have to plant an evergreen tree in my yard for it! LOL!

Hope you are all having fun in the midst of the usually busy holidays!

Santa's Story

Here is a little story for children and adults alike that a blog friend sent to me in response to a post I wrote many moons ago (a post that inspired the creation of this blog!). I warn you that it is a bit long but well worth reading if you haven't seen it before already. It certainly got me to thinking when I read it!

Santa's Wisdom to Pagans
Author unknown

We had a nice, serene kind of Solstice Circle. No jingling bells or faked-out Christmas Carols. Soon after the last coven member left, Jack was ready to pack it in."The baby's nestled all snug in her bed," he said with a yawn, "I think I'll go settle in for a long winter's nap."I heaved a martyred sigh. He grinned unrepentantly, kissed me, called me a grinch, and went to bed.

I stayed up and puttered around the house, trying to unwind. I sifted through the day's mail, ditched the fliers urging us to purchase all the Seasonal Joy we could afford or charge. I opened the card from his parents. Another sermonette: a manger scene and a bible verse, with a handwritten note expressing his mother's fervent hope that God's love and Christmas spirit would fill our hearts in this blessed season. She means well, really. I amused myself by picking out every Pagan element I could find in the card.

When the mail had been sorted, I got up and started turning our ritual room back into a living room. As if the greeting card had carried a virus, I found myself humming Christmas carols. I turned on the classic rock station, but they were playing that Lennon-Ono Christmas song. I switched stations. The weatherman assured me that there was only a twenty percent chance of snow. Then, by Loki, the deejay let Bruce Springsteen insult my ears crooning,

"yah better watch out, yah better not pout."

I tried the Oldies station. Elvis lives, and he do Christmas songs. Okay, fine. We'll do classical ~ no, we won't. They're playing Handel's Messiah. Maybe the community radio station would have something secular humanist.

"Ahora, escucharemos a Jose Feliciano canta `Feliz Navidad'."

I was getting annoyed. The radio doesn't usually get this saturated with holiday mush until the twenty-fourth.

"This is too weird." I said to the radio, "Cut that crap out." The country station had some Kenny Rogers Christmas tune, the first rock station had gone from John and Yoko's Christmas song to Simon and Garfunkel's "Silent Night," and the other rock station still had Springsteen reliving his childhood.

"--I'm tellin' you why. Santa Claus is comin' to town!"

I was about to pick out a nice secular CD when there was a knock at the door. Now, it could have been a coven member who'd forgotten something. It could have been someone with car trouble. It could have been any number of things, but it certainly couldn't have been a stout guy in a red suit--snowy beard, rosy cheeks, and all--backed by eight reindeer and a sleigh. I blinked, wondered crazily where Rudolph was, and blinked again. There were nine reindeer. Our twenty-percent chance of snow had frosted the dead grass and was continuing to float down in fat flakes.

"Hi, Frannie." he said warmly, "I've missed you."

"I'm stone cold sober, and you don't exist."

He looked at me with a mixture of sorrow and compassion and sighed heavily.

"That's why I miss you, Frannie. Can I come in? We need to talk." I couldn't quite bring myself to slam the door on this vision, hallucination, or whatever. So I let him in, because that made more sense than letting all the cold air in while I argued with someone who wasn't there.

As he stepped in, a thought crossed my mind about various entities needing an invitation to get in houses. He flashed me a smile that would melt the polar caps.

"Don't you miss Christmas, Frannie?"
"No." I said flatly, "Apparently you don't see me when I'm sleeping and waking these days. I haven't been Christian for years."
"Oh, now don't let that stop you. We both know this holiday's older than that. Yule trees and Saturnalia and here-comes-the- sun, doodoodendoodoo. "

I raised an eyebrow at the Beatles reference, and then gave him my standard sermonette on the appropriation and adulteration that made Christmas no longer a Pagan holiday. I had done my homework. I listed centuries; I named names--St.Nicholas among them.

"In the twentieth century version," I assured him, "Christmas is two parts crass commercialism mixed with one part blind faith in a religion I rejected years ago." I gave him my best lines, the ones that had convinced my coven to abstain from Christmassy clichés. My hallucination sat in Jack's favorite chair, nodding patiently at me.

"And you," I added nastily, “come here talking about ancient customs when you--in your current form--were invented in the nineteenth century by, um...Clement C. Moore.

"He laughed a rolling, belly-deep chuckle unlike any department- store Santa I'd ever heard.

"Of course I change my form now and then to suit fashion. Don't you? And does that stop you from being yourself?" He said, and asked me if I remembered Real Magic, by Isaac Bonewits. I gaped at him for a moment, and then caught myself.

"This is like `Labyrinth', right? I'm having a dream that pretends to be real, but is only made from pieces of things in my memory. You don't look a thing like David Bowie."

"Bonewits has this Switchboard Theory." Santa went on amiably, "The energy you put into your beliefs influences the real existence of the archetypal-- oh, let me put it simpler: "in the beginning, Man created God'. Ian Anderson."

He lit a long-stemmed pipe. The tobacco had a mild and somehow Christmassy smell, and every puff sent up a wreath of smoke. "I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than Bonewits tells it, but that's close enough for mortals. Are you with me so far?"

"Oh, sure," I lied as unconvincingly as possible.
Santa sighed heavily."When's the last time you left out hot tea and cookies for me?"
"When I figured out my parents were eating them."
"Frannie, Frannie. Remember pinda balls, from Hinduism?"
"Rice balls left as offerings for ancestors and gods."
"Do Hindus really believe that the ancestors and gods eat pinda balls?"
"All right, y'got me there. They say that spirits consume the spiritual essence, and then mortals can have what's left."
"Mm-hm." Santa smiled at me compassionately through his snowy beard.

I rallied quickly. "What about the toys? I know for a fact they aren't made by you and a bunch of non-union Elves."

"Oh, that's quite true. Manufacturing physical objects out of magical energy is terribly expensive and breaks several laws of Nature--She only allows us to do that on special occasions. It certainly couldn't be done globally and annually. Now, the missus and the Elves and I really do have a shop at the North Pole. Not the sort of thing the Air Force would ever find. What we make up there is what makes this time a holiday, no matter what religion it's called."

"Don't tell me," I said, rolling my eyes, "you make the sun come back."

"Oh my, no. The solar cycle stuff, the Reason For The Season, isn't my department. My part is making it a holiday. We make a mild, non-addictive psychedelic thing called Christmas spirit. Try some."

He dipped his fingers in a pocket and tossed red-gold-green- silver glitter at me. I could have ducked. I don't know why I didn't.

It smelled like snow and pine needles, and cedar chips in the fireplace.
It smelled like fruitcake, cornbread savory herbal stuffing, like that foamy white stuff you spray on the window with stencils.
It felt like a crisp wind, Grandma's hugs, fuzzy new mittens, pine needles scrunching under my slippers.
I saw twinkle lights, mistletoe in the doorway, and smiling faces from years gone by.
Several Christmas carols played almost simultaneously in a kind of medley.

I fought my way back to my living room and glared sternly at the hallucination in Jack's chair. "Fun stuff. Does the DEA know about this?"

"Oh, Frannie. Why are you such a hard case? I told you that it's non-addictive and has no harmful side effects. Would Santa Claus lie to you?"
I opened my mouth and closed it again. We looked at each other a while.
"Can I have some more of that glittery stuff?"
"Mmmm. I think you need something stronger. Try a sugarplum."

I tasted rum ball.
Peppermint.
Those hard candies with the picture all the way through.
Mama's favorite fudge. A chorus line of Christmas candies danced through my mouth.
The Swedish Angel Chimes, run on candle power, say tingatingatingating .
Mama, with a funny smile, promised to give Santa my letter.
Greeting cards taped on the refrigerator door.
We rode through the tree farm on a straw-filled trailer pulled by a red and green tractor, looking for a perfect pine. It was so big, Daddy had to cut a bit off so the star wouldn't scrape the ceiling.
Lights, ornaments, tinsel.
Daddy lifted me up to the mantle to hang my stocking.
My dolls stayed up to see Santa Claus, and in the morning they all had new clothes.
Grandma carried in platters with the world's biggest Christmas dinner.
Joey's Christmas puppy chased my Christmas kitten up the tree and it would have fallen over but Daddy held it while Mama got the kitten out. Daddy said every bad word there was but he kept laughing anyway.
I sneaked my favorite plastic horse into the nativity scene, between the camels and the donkey.

I came back to reality slowly, with a silly smile on my face and a tickly feeling behind my eyes like they wanted to cry. The phrase "visions of sugarplums" took on a whole new meaning."

How long has it been," Santa asked, "since you played with a nativity set?-"
"But it symbolizes-- "
"The winter-born king. The sacred Mother and her sun-child. Got a problem with that? You could redecorate it with pentagrams if you like, they'll look fine. As for the Christianization, I've heard who you invoke at Imbolc."
"But Bridgid was a Goddess for centuries before the Catholic Church-oh." I crossed my arms and tried to glare at him, but failed.
"You're a sneaky old Elf, y'know?"
"The term is `jolly old Elf.' Care for another sugarplum?"
I did.

I tasted gingerbread.
My first nip of soy eggnog the way the grown-ups drink it.
Fresh sugar cookies shaped like trees and decked with colored frosting.
Dad had been laid off, but we managed a lot of cheer. They told us Christmas would be "slim pickings." Joey and I smiled bravely when Mama brought home that spindly spruce. We loaded down our "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" with every light and ornament it could hold. Popcorn and cranberry strings for the outdoor trees. Mistletoe in the hall: plastic mistletoe, real kisses. Joey and I snipped and glued and stitched and painted treasures to give as presents. We agonized over our "Santa" letters...by now we knew where the goodies came from, and we tried to compromise between what we longed for and they thought they could afford. Every day we hoped the factory would reopen. When Joey's dog ate my mitten, I wasn't brave. I knew that meant I'd get mittens for Christmas, and one less toy. I cried. On December twenty-fifth we opened our presents ve-ery slo-wly, drawing out the experience. We made a show of cheer over our socks and shirts and meager haul of toys. I got red mittens. We could tell Mama and Daddy were proud of us for being so brave, because they were grinning like crazy.
"Go out to the garage for apples." Mama told us, "We'll have apple pancakes."

I don't remember having the pancakes. There was a dollhouse in the garage. No mass-produced aluminum thing but a homemade plywood dollhouse with wall-papered walls and real curtains and thread-spool chairs. My dolls were inside, with newly sewn clothes. Joey was on his knees in front of a plywood barn with hay in the loft. His old farm implements had new paint. Our plastic animals were corralled in Popsicle stick fences. The garage smelled like apples and hay, the cement was bone-chilling under my slippers, and I was crying.

My knees were drawn up to my chest, arms wrapped around them. My chest felt tight, like ice cracking in sunshine. Santa offered me a huge white handkerchief. When all the ice in my chest had melted, he cleared his throat. He was pretty misty-eyed, too.

"Want to come sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas?"
"You've already given it to me." But I sat on his lap anyway, and kissed his rosy cheek until he did his famous laugh.
"I'd better go now, Frannie. I have other stops to make, and you have work to do."
"Right. I'd better pop the corn tonight; it strings best when it's stale.
"I let him out the door. The reindeer were pawing impatiently at the moon-kissed new-fallen snow. I'd swear Rudolph winked at me.
"Don't forget the hot tea and cookies."
"Right. Uh, December twenty-fourth, or Solstice, or what?"

He shrugged. "Whatever night you expect me, I'll be there. Eh, don't wait up. Visits like this are tightly rationed. Laws of Nature, y'know, and She's strict with them."

"Gotcha. Thanks, Santa." I kissed his cheek again. "Happy Holidays." The phrase had a nice, non-denominational ring to it. I thought I'd call my parents and in-laws soon and try it out on them. Santa laid his finger aside of his nose and nodded.

"Blessed be, Frannie."The sleigh soared up, and Santa really did exclaim something. It sounded like old German. Smart-aleck Elf. When I closed the door, the radio was playing Jethro Tull's "Solstice Bells."

Christmas or Yule?

Yule approaches.

I know that this is often a time of some contention for some of Pagan types! Some of us feel very strongly about NOT celebrating Christmas, and some of us embrace it. Who is to say who has the right of it? I personally feel the two are so similar in message and actual celebration that I tend to celebrate my Yule at Christmas time with the rest of my community. It also makes it easier for my children!
For me part of the pagan message I want to pass onto my children (and this is simply true to my path, but maybe not yours?) is that of the importance of community. The pagan culture is a vibrant and diverse one, but regardless of if my children ever decide to chose it for their own, they are still a part of the wider culture of our community. To me this is as important from my pagan perspective as the pagan culture that I chose to identify with. I am heavily influenced by the desire to make the world a better place while we live upon it and this is only ever achievable within the community. It's when we work together that we make the biggest difference and change works so much better from within, be it change of people's opinions towards the pagan community or helping people show more respect towards their physical environment. Despite being a part of the Pagan community we are all a part of the culture of the place in which we were raised or now live in, and that is equally as important to me.
This Yule thing seems to one of those hot topics that can so easily divide Pagans. In the past I've seen quite heated online debates about celebrating Christmas as Pagans! But does the view point need to change when you go from being a Pagan to being a Pagan-parent?
For me one of the beautiful things about the various flavours of Paganism is their tolerance and the way they so easily embrace a whole tapestry of other cultures and beliefs into the fold. Now, I know this is a broad and sweeping statement, and not altogether a correct one because certainly there are many Pagans who are not tolerant and open to other beliefs. No group of people is perfect! But in general terms the message of Paganism is a tolerant one.
When we have children I think it becomes more important to open ourselves up to those holidays we don't consider Pagan for our children's sake even if before we might have been against celebrating them. Ultimately religious choice is theirs, but to make an informed choice they have to be aware of other religions
What do you think about celebrating Christmas as Pagans? How important do you feel it is to celebrate as part of your community?

Chocolate and Ginger Truffles Recipe

This recipe is great for Yule celebrations and gifts - equally as wonderful as Christmas celebrations and gifts! This is fun and yummy recipe to make along side the 'Spice Table' activity.

Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate
1/4 cup of thick cream
1/2 cup of finely chopped glace ginger

Method:
Melt chocolate in a non-stick saucepan and add cream.
Stir in the glace ginger.
Chill overnight.
In the morning you can roll the mixture into little balls. Provide children with a few different options to roll the truffles in. Cocoa powder, grated white/milk chocolate, and candy sprinkles are a few ideas.

Learning concepts found in this activity include early science ideas - talk about how the ingredients change as they are heated and cooled.

This is also a sensory activity for young children to explore different textures i.e the cocoa power, sprinkles etc. Encourage your child(ren) to vocalise and describe how the different ingredient feel.

Slightly older children can practise reading skills while reading the recipe and early math concept can be incorporated while measuring out the ingredients needed.

Older children can be encouraged to experiment with different spices instead of ginger to explore their creativity!