Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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November Themes

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

October 30, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

When my kids were very small, we had monthly themes on our bulletin board, for our homeschool lessons, and to order our daily lives.

As the kids get older, the themes aren’t quite so vivid. I enjoy the liturgical calendar, the natural cycles of the world, and celebrating the flow and small events in our lives.

We loved these themed Calendar Connections.

Fun Stuff: National Days

We love reading about saints and sometimes do spiritual activities. And we also talk about how white saviors and missionaries weren’t the best for indigenous peoples.

History: Racial Injustice Calendar and The Zinn Education Project.

All Saints’ Day on November 1, is an opportunity to honor all saintly people and to look forward to the upcoming festivals – Martinmas on November 11, and Saint Nicholas on December 6th.

November 2, All Souls’ Day, is an opportunity to remember family members and friends who have passed. People remember, tell stories, and pray to those who passed on to ask for blessings.  Food is shared and sometimes left out overnight for the visiting spirits.

Celebrating All Saints’ Day

1st

Turn back the clocks!

Literacy Day

2nd

Ohio Day. We moved to Ohio a few years ago. See our Ohio notebooking pages and Ohio field trips.

Deviled Egg Day

3rd

Sandwich Day

5th

Doughnut Day

Guy Fawkes Day

Remember, remember, the Fifth of November
Gunpowder treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

Watch V for Vendetta!

6th

Nachos Day

7th

Play Outside! Day

8th

Cappuccino Day

STEM/STEAM Day

9th

Louisiana Day

10th

Vanilla Cupcake Day

11th

Veterans Day. See our Veterans Day Unit Study.

13th

Kindness Day

14th

Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika.

15th

Bundt Day

Clean out the refrigerator Day

Recycle Day. See How to Be More Sustainable at Home.

16th

Indiana Day

17th

Take a Hike Day

Homemade Bread Day

19th

Play Monopoly Day

20th

Child’s Day

21st

Gingerbread Cookie Day. See our Gingerbread Unit Study.

Adoption Day

23rd

Cashew Day. Try our cashew chicken!

Espresso Day

26th

Cake Day

Fourth Thursday in November

National Day of Mourning

Thanksgiving Day in USA

  • Thanksgiving Unit Study
  • Favorite Thanksgiving Books
  • Makahiki – Thanksgiving in Hawaii

Day After Thanksgiving

National Native American Heritage Day. See my list of Books About Indigenous Peoples.

Black Friday or Buy Nothing Friday

Day of Listening

28th

French Toast Day

Monday After Thanksgiving

Cyber Monday

30th

Mississippi Day

How do you celebrate November?

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: fall, month, November

October Themes

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

October 1, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

When my kids were very small, we had monthly themes on our bulletin board, for our homeschool lessons, and to order our daily lives.

As the kids get older, the themes aren’t quite so vivid. I enjoy the liturgical calendar, the natural cycles of the world, and celebrating the flow and small events in our lives.

We loved these themed Calendar Connections.

Fun Stuff: National Days

We love reading about saints and sometimes do spiritual activities. And we also talk about how white saviors and missionaries weren’t the best for indigenous peoples.

October 4: National Taco Day. Here’s an easy taco seasoning to ditch those spice packets.

Also the Feast of St. Francis

6th: Noodle Day! We love making homemade pasta. Delicious with our homemade canned slow cooker marinara. Also, easy mac and cheese, tuna casserole, turkey divan, or easy lo mein.8th is pierogi day!

10th is mental health day

  • Military Spouse Mental Health
  • Military Children and Toxic Stress
  • Books about Depression
  • Mental Illness Portrayed in Film
  • Memes as Therapy
  • It’s OK That You’re Not OK
  • Living with Depression
  • What Depression Feels Like
  • I am a Survivor
  • Ashamed
  • Do Not Fear
  • Advice to My Younger Self
  • Breaking the Cycle of Negativity
  • Emotional Health
  • Grieving Family Who Are Still Alive
  • My Father is a Racist
  • Red Flags
  • I’m Angry
  • Personal Growth
  • Dealing with Disappointment

Second Sunday in October is clergy appreciation day.

Second Monday in October is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Here is a list of Books by and about Indigenous Peoples.

14th is National Dessert Day

15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

16th is Global Book Day. Check out my book lists.

October 22nd, St. John Paul II

23rd is Boston Cream Pie Day. I love this dessert and need to practice making it.

24th: National Bologna Day

26th: National Day of the Deployed

  • Homeschooling During Deployment
  • Maintaining Attachment During Deployment
  • How Deployment Affects Kids
  • Parenting Alone During Deployment
  • Navigating Motherhood During Deployment
  • How Deployment Affects Marriage
  • How I Spent Deployment
  • Surviving Deployment as an Introvert Spouse
  • Celebrating Holidays During Deployment
  • Reintegration

26th is National Pumpkin Day

  • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
  • Pumpkin Scones
  • Favorite Pumpkin Books
  • Pumpkin Math
  • Pumpkin Unit Study

27th is National Beer Day and Black Cat Day

28th is National Chocolate Day

  • The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
  • Chocolate Spice Cookies
  • Easy Cake with Chocolate Frosting

29th is National Cat Day. See our CATS here.

31st Halloween and Reformation Day

  • How We Celebrate Halloween
  • Favorite Halloween Books
  • Favorite Halloween Movies
  • Reformation Unit Study
  • Prepare: Celebrating All Saints’ Day

Turn back clocks tomorrow!

History: Racial Injustice Calendar and The Zinn Education Project.

How do you celebrate October?

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: fall, month, October

September Themes

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

August 31, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

When my kids were very small, we had monthly themes on our bulletin board, for our homeschool lessons, and to order our daily lives.

As the kids get older, the themes aren’t quite so vivid. I enjoy the liturgical calendar, the natural cycles of the world, and celebrating the flow and small events in our lives.

We loved these themed Calendar Connections.

September is a time to welcome harvest, say goodbye to summer for good even if temps are still warm, welcoming fall.

Apples are a great September theme.

  • Canning applesauce
  • Apple Tasting
  • Apple Orchard Tour
  • Preschool Letter A

Fun Stuff: National Days

We love reading about saints and sometimes do spiritual activities. And we also talk about how white saviors and missionaries weren’t the best for indigenous peoples.

Labor Day is the first Monday in September. See my Labor Day Unit Study.

National Chianti Day is the first Friday in September.

4th is macadamia nut day!

6th is coffee ice cream day!

7th is beer lover’s day!

11th is Patriot Day. See my 9/11 Unit Study.

12th is chocolate milkshake day!

National Pet Memorial Day is the second Sunday in September. We love our cats!

Grandparent’s Day is the Sunday after Labor Day.

16th is play dough day! Easy play dough recipe here!

Constitution Week begins September 17.

  • See my Constitution and Government unit study.

18th is the Air Force birthday. Also cheeseburger day!

19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day! It’s a great day to read pirate books!

22nd is ice cream cone day!

Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox around the 23rd.

  • Favorite Fall Books
  • Fall Unit Study
  • Fall Leaf Crafts
  • Celebrating Michaelmas
  • Celebrating Rosh Hashanah
  • Fall Sensory Bin and Light Table

25th is math storytelling day. Math stories are so fun!

26th is Shamu day. We loved going to Sea World when we lived in San Antonio, TX.

History: Racial Injustice Calendar and The Zinn Education Project.

How do you celebrate September?

Linking up: Our Three Peas, Random Musings, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, Grandma’s Ideas, Anita Ojeda, Marilyn’s Treats, Soaring with Him, Mary Geisen, April Harris, Anchored Abode, Slices of Life, Imparting Grace, Ridge Haven Homestead, Welcome Heart, InstaEncouragements, Purposeful Faith, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, LouLou Girls, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap Crafts, Life on Oak Hill, Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Creative K Kids, Answer is Choco, Home Stories, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, Embracing Unexpected, OMHG, Pieced Pastimes, CWJ, Fireman’s Wife, Inspired Prairie, Life Beyond the Kitchen,

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: fall, month, September

Celebrating St. Francis

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

October 1, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco, was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, and preacher.

He founded the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis, and the Custody of the Holy Land.

St. Francis died at Portiuncula, Italy on October 4, 1226.

Pope Gregory IX pronounced St. Francis a saint on July 16, 1228. The pope also laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, Italy. The church, also known as Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, Francis was designated Patron saint of Italy.

Francis fell in love with the humanity and the humility of Jesus; while most of Western and even Eastern Christianity focused on proving the divinity of Jesus.

It’s not easy to put into a capsule the spirit and gifts of Franciscan thinking. Its hallmarks are simplicity, reverence, fraternity, ecumenism, ecology, interdependence, and dialogue. Its motto and salutation is “Peace and All Good!”

Francis believed that God was nonviolent, the God of Peace. This belief may be a simple presupposition for us today, but at the time when the Christian church was waging a Holy Crusade against its enemies, the Saracens, Francis’s interpretation of the gospel life and its demands was revolutionary. Francis saw it from the viewpoint of the poor, especially from the place of the poor, naked, suffering Christ. He had deep devotion to the God who is revealed as nonviolent and poor in the stable of Bethlehem, as abandoned on the cross, and as food in the Eucharist. God’s meekness, humility, and poverty led Francis to become “perfected as his Heavenly Father was perfect.” Francis identified with the “minores,” the lower class within his society…And he passionately pointed to the Incarnation as the living proof of God’s love. He frequently cried out in his pain that “Love is not loved!”

Incarnation is absolutely foundational to the Franciscan worldview. It is said that Francis created the first live Nativity scene. Franciscans emphasize Incarnation perhaps even more than redemption. In other words, Christmas is more important than Easter. Francis said that for God to be born a human being, born in a stable among the poor, shows that we already have redemption. Christmas is already Easter because if God became a human being, then it’s good to be a human being! The problem is already solved. That Jesus was born into a poor family shows God’s love for the poor.

Source: Adapted from John Quigley, “Brothers,” Richard Rohr: Illuminations of His Life and Work, eds. Andreas Ebert and Patricia C. Brockman (The Crossroad Publishing Company: 1993), 5-6.

At Greccio near Assisi, around 1220, Francis celebrated Christmas by setting up the first known presepio or crèche. His nativity imagery reflected the scene in traditional paintings. He used real animals to create a living scene so that the worshipers could contemplate the birth of the child Jesus in a direct way, making use of the senses, especially sight. Both Thomas of Celano and Saint Bonaventure, biographers of Saint Francis, tell how he used only a straw-filled manger set between a real ox and donkey. According to Thomas, it was beautiful in its simplicity, with the manger acting as the altar for the Christmas Mass.

On November 29, 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Saint Francis the Patron Saint of Ecology. During the World Environment Day 1982, John Paul II said that Saint Francis’ love and care for creation was a challenge and a reminder “not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us.” He wrote on the World Day of Peace, January 1, 1990, that the saint of Assisi “offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation…As a friend of the poor who was loved by God’s creatures, Saint Francis invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples.”

On 13 March 2013, upon his election as Pope, Archbishop and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, becoming Pope Francis.

At his first audience on March 16, 2013, Pope Francis told journalists that he had chosen the name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, and had done so because he was especially concerned for the well-being of the poor. He explained that, as it was becoming clear during the conclave voting that he would be elected the new bishop of Rome, the Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes had embraced him and whispered, “Don’t forget the poor,” which had made Bergoglio think of the saint. Bergoglio had previously expressed his admiration for St. Francis, explaining that “He brought to Christianity an idea of poverty against the luxury, pride, vanity of the civil and ecclesiastical powers of the time. He changed history.” Bergoglio’s selection of his papal name is the first time that a pope has been named Francis.

Quotes

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

Lord, make me an Instrument of Thy Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon…

If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.

If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

Sermon to the Birds:

My little sisters the birds, ye owe much to God, your Creator, and ye ought to sing his praise at all times and in all places, because he has given you liberty to fly about into all places; and though ye neither spin nor sew, he has given you a twofold and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your offspring. Two of all your species he sent into the Ark with Noah that you might not be lost to the world; besides which, he feeds you, though ye neither sow nor reap. He has given you fountains and rivers to quench your thirst, mountains and valleys in which to take refuge, and trees in which to build your nests; so that your Creator loves you much, having thus favoured you with such bounties. Beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praise to God.

Symbols associated with St. Francis of Assisi:

  • A bag of gold and rich raiment at St. Francis’ feet.
  • A winged crucifix with five rays.
  • Stigmata.
  • A crown of thorns.
  • A lighted lamp.
  • A fiery chariot.
  • Animals such as birds, deer, and a wolf.

Things to Do:

  • Pray the Canticle of the Sun, which was written by St. Francis.
  • Many churches and parishes have a Blessing of animals or pets on or around this day.
  • St. Francis was influential on our present-day Christmas crib or creche. Make or buy a special nativity set to play with or display.
  • Although St. Francis is one of the most popular saints of the Church, and his feast is a huge celebration in Assisi, there are no particular foods attached to his festival. Tradition has passed on that on his deathbed he requested Frangipane cream or Mostaccioli (almond biscotti). Fire is a symbol of St. Francis, first of all because his heart was on fire with love of God, but there are other stories that deal with fire, particularly when he prayed, the surrounding areas would become so bright that people thought the areas were on fire. So a flaming dessert or wine would be an appropriate ending of a wonderful feast. One could also try some Umbrian style recipes, or just have “Italian night” at home, even simple pasta and sauces.
  • What does poverty in our state of life mean? How can I follow the Gospels like Francis?
  • Study art and photos of Francis. Find out more about the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Although an earthquake in 1997 damaged the basilica, it reopened in 1999.
  • Read about St. Clare and her relationship with St. Francis.
  • Read about the Tau Cross.

Resources

  • The Catholic Toolbox
  • Sweet Little Ones
  • The Kennedy Adventures
  • Real Life at Home
  • Catholic Icing
  • Catholic Inspired
  • Homeschool with Love
  • Catholic Playground
  • Ducksters
  • A Slice of Smith Life
  • Teaching Catholic Kids
  • Lovely Waldorf read alouds
  • Virtual Pilgrimage Tour
  • A Love Letter to St. Francis of Assisi from St. Clare

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joyO Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it’s in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen.

~Prayer of St. Francis by Sarah McLachlan

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Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: faith, fall, saint

Celebrating Michaelmas

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

September 23, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

It’s officially autumn or fall in the northern hemisphere.

Even if it is 90° outside.

by the way, it’s pronounced “Micklemess.” you’re welcome.

Autumn Equinox Traditions

Some traditional rituals for the Celtic festival Mabon include building an altar to offer harvest fruits and vegetables, meditating on balance, gathering and feasting on apples, sharing food, and expressing gratitude. The holiday is named after the Welsh God, Mabon, son of Earth Mother goddess Modron.

Many people gather at Stonehenge to watch the equinox sunrise.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish fall festival for the New Year.

Japan marks both equinoxes with a period called Ohigan. The Buddhist belief is the afterlife land is in the west, and during the equinoxes, the sun sets more directly on the western horizon. The equinoxes are also symbolic of the transitions of life. The week around each equinox a time to visit the graves of one’s ancestors, to tidy up the grave sites, and leave flowers. It is also a time of meditation and visiting living relatives.

Many Asians celebrate the Moon Festival on the full moon nearest to the equinox. On a lunar calendar, that is the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. It is celebrated with festival activities, gazing at the moon, and eating moon cakes. In the southern U.S., Moon Pies are often used in place of moon cakes.

Celebrating Michaelmas

Michaelmas is the Catholic feast of the Archangel Michael. Some traditions use this feast day to celebrate other archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael as the Feast of the Angels. The feast day is September 29, which is celebrated as the beginning of fall in many locales. The feast day was probably set near the autumn equinox to draw the faithful away from pagan celebrations, as with most other Christian holidays. Traditions include gathering and eating nuts (which begins on Holy Rood Day on September 14), and eating a fattened goose, which was supposed to protect against financial need for the next year.

“Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day,
Want not for money all the year”.

It is a time of transitions, as servants were paid their wages after the harvest and workers scrambled to find new employment contracts. The employment fairs that facilitated this custom became an opportunity for community celebration. It’s one of the quarter days, when accounts had to be settled.

In Ireland, finding a ring hidden in a Michaelmas pie meant that one would soon be married. 

In remembrance of absent friends or those who had died, special Struans, blessed at an early morning Mass, were given to the poor in their names. Nuts were traditionally cracked on Michaelmas Eve.

In Scotland, St. Michael’s Bannock, or Struan Micheil (a large scone-like cake) is created from grain grown on the family’s land during the year, representing the fruits of the fields. It is cooked on a lambskin, representing the fruit of the flocks. The grain is also moistened with sheep’s milk, as sheep are deemed the most sacred of animals. As the Struan is created by the eldest daughter of the family, the following is said:

“Progeny and prosperity of family, Mystery of Michael, Protection of the Trinity”

It is also a good time to eat blackberries, as “Old Michaelmas Day” on October 10, is traditionally the cutoff time for picking blackberries. It is said that on this day, when Lucifer was expelled from Heaven, he fell from the skies, straight onto a blackberry bush. He then cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, spat, and stamped on them and made them unfit for consumption! And so the Irish proverb goes:

“On Michaelmas Day the devil puts his foot on blackberries.”

The Michaelmas Daisy, which flowers late in the growing season between late August and early October, provides color and warmth to gardens at a time when the majority of flowers are coming to an end. The daisy is probably symbolic since St. Michael is celebrated as a protector from darkness and evil, just as the daisy fights against the advancing gloom of Autumn and Winter.

“The Michaelmas Daisies, among dede weeds,
Bloom for St Michael’s valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.”

Resources for Families

Michaelmas is celebrated in the Waldorf schools, which celebrate it as the “festival of strong will” during the autumnal equinox. The primary idea behind the festival of Michaelmas is to get children to face their own challenges – in other words, their internal and external dragons. Michaelmas is typically the first festival of the new school year celebrated.

Courage

St. George is the Earthly counterpart to St. Michael. Read about dragons. Read stories about St. George. Do something that requires bravery. Make a cape. Make courage tea from edible flowers or salve from calendula. This is a time for spiritual growth as a family.

Decorate with daisies.

Make chains or fill a vase with wild ones. Bunches of daisies are super cheap in the markets now.

Study the moon.

The moon is really beautiful and meaningful on clear crisp nights. We like to look at it rise on our evening walks and sometimes it’s still up during the day! We often get the binoculars to study the craters and terminator at night.

Thank a police officer.

Saint Michael is the patron saint of police officers. Stop by your local police station with a yummy treat to thank them for their service. Tell them that it’s their feast day so you brought some food for feasting and let them know that you are praying for them in an extra special way on Michaelmas. Many churches pray a blue mass.

Pick and eat and cook with blackberries.

We often like to find wild berry patches or a pick your own farm. We’ve mad jam before or pies. It’s a fun tradition with kids!

Feasting

Roast a goose, chicken, duck, or turkey. Or even get a rotisserie from Costco or somewhere. Serve traditionally with carrots and apples and stuffing or homemade bread. Maybe try to roast a bannock!

Check out these great recipes!

A Michaelmas Prayer:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle;

be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:

and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

A lovely lesson from Kennedy Adventures.

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Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: faith, fall, saint

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

September 23, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

Many cultures celebrate a new year around the autumn equinox. I’ve always felt this is a time of new beginnings.

I love the crisp fall leaves and poignant scents of cinnamon and apples, reminding us of sweetness and decay.

We also enjoy the traditions of Lammas Day.

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration that begins on the first day of Tishri, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time when Jews celebrate the good things they have experienced in the previous year, and also when they reflect on hopes and dreams for the coming year.

But Rosh Hashanah is not only festive; it is also a solemn time, a prelude to Yom Kippur, the Day of Judgment.

Rosh Hashanah inaugurates the Days of Awe, ten days during which Jews reflect on their conduct, make amends for past wrongs, and set themselves to do better in the coming year.

We’re not Jewish. We’re not Messianic. We don’t keep Kosher.

I love to celebrate the feasts since we began years ago during our Year 1 history lessons. It’s important to know church history. I teach my kids religion and learn with them.

Reading the Torah

The portion of the Torah read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah is Genesis 22:1-19, the story of the Akedah, or “The Binding of Isaac.” This is certainly a problematic Bible passage. I like this article “I’ve Had it with the Akeda” and I research on it every year.

In congregations that observe a second day of Rosh HaShanah, the Torah portion is Genesis 1:1-2:3, the story of creation.

The Haftarah, the selection from the prophetic books that accompanies Torah readings on Shabbat and holidays, is from I Samuel, and tells the story of Hannah.

My favorite prayers and lessons are from Hebrew for Christians. I also have my very own siddur.

Casting Away

Tashlich (“to cast away”) is a ceremony generally conducted on the first day of Rosh Hashanah when we symbolically cast our sins into a moving body of water – such as a river, stream, or ocean. This often includes the recitation of verses from Micah and Psalms.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

    and passing over transgression

    for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

    because he delights in steadfast love.

He will again have compassion on us;

    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our sins

    into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18-19

Bread has been used to represent our sins, but some choose to cast stones, wood chips, or bird seed instead, to be more environmentally healthy.

Symbols of Rosh Hashanah

The foods eaten are symbolic and their names are poetic puns, representing the prayers.

Shofar

A ram’s horn is blown to announce the new year.

Dates

The prayer before eating a date (tamar in Hebrew) includes the phrase “yitamu hataim”— may the wicked cease.

Apples and Honey

Dipping apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah is tradition to wish for a sweet New Year.

Pumpkin or Squash

Before eating pumpkin or squash (k’ra’a in Hebrew), Sephardic Jews say “yikaru l’fanekha z’khuyoteinu“– may our good deeds call out our merit before you.

Peas or Beans

Mentioned in the Talmud as ruviah, a word that sounds like the Hebrew “to increase,” indicates a desire for increased blessings in the new year.

Leeks or Onions

Associated with the Exodus from Egypt.

Beets

From the Aramaic name silka, similar to the Hebrew salak (go away) is used to express the hope that our enemies disappear.

Fish

Fish heads symbolize our wish to be heads, not tails; leaders, not followers. Originally a sheep’s head (a little hard to get these days) served as a reminder of the ram that saved Isaac’s life.

Crown Challah

Round challah represents the circle of the year and of life.

Pomegranates

The abundance of seeds represents prosperity. Also promises you will do many good deeds in the upcoming year.

Sephardic Jews celebrate a Rosh Hashanah Seder with much symbolism.

Our dinner is like a mini Thanksgiving feast.

Menu Ideas

Start the meal with Fingerlickin’ Challah, amazingly soft on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside and a make-ahead Roasted Carrot Soup with Coriander.

Soymilk is the secret to a parve Creamy Carrot Soup that will bring a rich, healthful, and colorful splash to the holiday table.

Anyone from the American south knows black-eyed peas, but did you know Jewish tradition says that eating them on Rosh Hashanah can increase your good luck in the New Year? Sausage, Black-Eyed Pea and Swiss Chard Soup is a hearty way to ensure good fortune and eat your greens at the same time.

Then dazzle your guests with a gorgeous Salmon Over Pomegranate and Golden Kiwi Arugula Salad as the appetizer. 

For the main course, pair the quintessential Hearty Pot Roast with a Cumin Spiced Brisket With Leeks and Dried Apricots, a decidedly non-traditional take on a holiday favorite.

Apples and Honey Mustard Chicken, from the popular Peas, Love & Carrots cookbook, captures the essence of Rosh Hashanah on a platter. The honey-mustard sauce is a beautiful companion for the chicken, which is baked with apples and finished with a crunchy Panko topping.

Pomegranate Braised Beef, another highlight from Peas, Love & Carrots, puts a sweet-tart spin on a holiday classic. Deglazed with hard apple cider, the meat cooks in a flavorful sauce starring pomegranate syrup to ensure a sweet new year.

Make an exotic salmon recipe with Danielle Renov’s show-stopping Tahini and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Kadaif Topping, from Peas, Love & Carrots finished with fresh pomegranate seeds. A nest of ultra-thin kadaif noodles (think baklava) tops it all off for a crispy, golden crunch.

Citrus Teriyaki Salmon is a great entrée for non-meat eaters and a wonderful alternative to the classic gefilte fish appetizer. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to make

Side dishes should be exciting, too. Serve time-honored Tzimmes with Honey alongside Jeweled Butternut Squash featuring pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and chopped dates. Pomegranate also plays a starring role in the fresh and fruity Blood Orange Pomegranate Salad.

Pastrami Leek Galette? Yes, you read that right. Leeks are another traditional symbolic food for Rosh Hashanah. Sautéing pastrami with mushrooms and leeks cooks the veggies down to their caramelized essence. The savory, thyme-scented filling bakes right inside the dough for an elegant presentation.

This Ashkenazic Roasted Tzimmes keeps it traditional, simple, and light. In this updated version, a bit of ginger adds a subtle, warm kick while fresh mint offers an herbaceous finish.

A holiday meal can’t be complete without dessert. But don’t settle for dry, crumbly honey cake when you can make a light and fluffy and delicious Honey Bundt Cake. Or go in a more unexpected direction while still nodding to the tradition to eat dates, and serve Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce. Or lighten things up with Baked Pears with Honey and Cinnamon.

Thanks to a few shortcuts, nobody has to know how easy it is to make these unique and oh-so-decadent desserts. Caramel Apple Halva Babka bakes up on frozen challah dough, while Apple Bourekas with Silan-Sesame Drizzle calls for frozen puff pastry squares and apple pie filling.

We like honey cakes!

Pair dessert with Wissotzky Teas’ new and exotic chai offerings: Ginger and Turmeric Spiced Chai, Pumpkin Spiced Chai, Salted Caramel, or Spiced Nana Mint Chai. Mint tea drinkers can savor Wissotzky’s new line of Simply Nana Teas, which unleash a subtle layer of earthiness and invigorating minty flavor in natural green, black, and herbal flavors.

Some years, we have turkey or chicken instead of beef.

We always have challah, a lovely fruity salad, fish, and leeks or onions.

Family Resources

  • Go apple picking.
  • Have a honey tasting.
  • Make new year cards for friends and family.
  • Bake challah together.
  • Go on a nature walk.
  • Throw your care, prayers, worries, resolutions into water.
  • Blow the shofar or party horns.

More Resources:

  • PJ Library
  • AISH
  • Chabad
  • Reform Judaism
  • Ducksters
  • The Maccabeats: This is the New Year
  • Shalom Sesame: Tikkun Olam Song
  • Jewish Learning
  • Kids Connect
  • Interfaith Family
  • Jewish Agency
  • Jewish Boston

We also celebrate Hanukkah and Passover.

L’Shanah Tovah! (For a good year!)

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Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: faith, fall, New Year

Celebrating Lammas Day

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August 1, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 14 Comments

Lammastide or Lughnasadh/Lughnasa falls at the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox.

Lammas means “loaf-mass” in Anglo-Saxon.

The focus was on either the early harvest aspect or the celebration of the Celtic god Lugh.

August 1 is a festival to mark the annual wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop, which just began to be harvested.

After the grain is harvested, it is milled and baked into bread, which is then consumed. It is the cycle of the harvest come full circle.

The grain dies so that the people might live. Eating this bread, the bread of the gods, gives us life. If all this sounds vaguely Christian, it should be. In the sacrament of Communion, bread is blessed, becomes the body of God and is eaten to nourish the faithful. This Christian Mystery echoes the pagan Mystery of the Grain God. 

Lammas coincides with the feast of St. Peter in Chains, commemorating St. Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1.3.19), it is observed of Juliet, “Come Lammas Eve at night shall she [Juliet] be fourteen.” Since Juliet was born Lammas eve, she came before the harvest festival, which is significant since her life ended before she could reap what she had sown and enjoy the bounty of the harvest, in this case full consummation and enjoyment of her love with Romeo.

We especially enjoyed visiting the Trier Cathedral Harvest Festival. Many churches in Europe and the UK have lovely harvest altars, thanking God for His bounty.

Lammas is a festival of regrets and farewells, of harvest and preserves.

  • Reflect on the year in your journal or share with others around a bonfire. Lughnasa is one of the great Celtic fire-festivals.
  • Look up the myths of any of the grain Gods and Goddesses and discuss with your family and friends. 
  • Go to a county fair to celebrate the end of summer, school beginning, harvest.
  • Make corn dollies, herb wreaths or garlands, bake bread. Cute kids crafts here.
  • Go on a nature walk and look at the changes.
  • Sing songs and roast food over the fire.

Robert Burns published the poem John Barleycorn in 1782, and there are various modern versions:

There were three men come out of the west, their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn would die
They’ve ploughed, they’ve sown, they’ve harrowed, thrown clods upon his head
Till these three men were satisfied John Barleycorn was dead

Refrain: There’s beer all in the barrel and brandy in the glass
But little Sir John, with his nut-brown bowl, proved the strongest man at last

They’ve let him lie for a long long time till the rains from heaven did fall
And little Sir John sprang up his head and so amazed them all
They’ve let him stand till midsummer’s day and he looks both pale and wan
Then little Sir John’s grown a long long beard and so become a man

{Refrain}

They’ve hired men with the sharp-edged scythes to cut him off at the knee
They’ve rolled him and tied him around the waist, treated him most barbarously
They’ve hired men with the sharp-edged forks to prick him to the heart
And the loader has served him worse than that for he’s bound him to the cart
So they’ve wheeled him around and around the field till they’ve come unto a barn
And here they’ve kept their solemn word concerning Barleycorn
They’ve hired men with the crab tree sticks to split him skin from bone
And the miller has served him worse than that for he’s ground him between two stones

And the huntsman he can’t hunt the fox nor loudly blow his horn
And the tinker he can’t mend his pots without John Barleycorn

Regrets

Think of the things you meant to do this summer or this year that did not come to fruition. You can project your regrets onto natural objects like pine cones, corn husks, or paper and throw them into the fire, releasing them.

Farewells

What or who is passing away from your life? What is over or completed? Say goodbye to it. As with regrets, you can find visual symbols and throw them into the fire. You can also bury them in the ground, perhaps in the form of flower bulbs which will manifest in a new form next spring.

Harvest

What have you harvested this year? What seeds did you plant that are sprouting? Find a visual way to represent these, perhaps creating a decoration in your house or garden to represent this harvest to you. Make a corn dolly or learn to weave grain or grass into artistic designs.

Preserves

This is also a good time for making preserves, either literally or symbolically. As you turn the summer’s fruit into jams, jellies, and chutneys for later, think about the fruits that you have gathered this year and how you can hold onto them. How can you keep them sweet in the stores of your memory?

How do you prepare your hearts for the change in season?

You might also like:

  • Celebrating Candlemas
  • Celebrating St. Brigid’s Day
  • Celebrating St. Nicholas’ Day
  • Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
  • Celebrating St. Valentine’s Day
  • Celebrating St. Lucia’s Day
  • Celebrating Epiphany
  • Celebrating Martinmas
  • Celebrating Joan of Arc
  • Celebrating May Day
  • Celebrating Halloween
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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: faith, fall, saint

Celebrating Martinmas

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

November 11, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

St. Martin is the patron saint of beggars, drunkards, and the poor.

His feast day falls during the wine harvest in Europe, he is also the patron saint of wine growers and innkeepers.

In the agricultural calendar it marks the beginning of the natural winter, but in the economic calendar it is seen as the end of autumn. Because it comes before the penitential season of Advent, it is seen as a mini “carnivale,” with feasting and bonfires.

St. Martin’s Feast is much like the American Thanksgiving – a celebration of the earth’s bounty.

Tradition says that if it snows on the feast of St. Martin, November 11, then St. Martin came on a white horse and there will be snow on Christmas day. However, if it doesn’t snow on this day, then St. Martin came on a dark horse and it will not snow on Christmas.

Children often dress up and go around with lanterns as beggars for sweets. Sound like Halloween?

Celebrating Martinmas

How to Celebrate Martinmas

Make a Lantern

I love these examples of homemade lanterns:

  • Shower of Roses
  • Lavender’s Blue Homeschool
  • Frontier Dreams
  • In These Hills
  • Myriad

St. Martin’s Bags

Ġewż, Lewż, Qastan, Tin
Kemm inħobbu lil San Martin.

Walnuts, Almonds, Chestnuts, Figs
I very much love Saint Martin.

Give to the Poor

Donating clothing to the poor is in remembrance of St. Martin cutting his cloak in half for the beggar during a snowstorm.

Pray for Military

St. Martin was a Roman soldier and November 11th is Armistice Day and Veterans Day.

Bonfires

Foods

Martinmas is the end of fall harvest, so breads and cakes are common.

Pretzels, croissants, and horseshoe-shaped almond sweets represent St. Martin’s white horse.

Goose is often eaten in Germany.

The legend goes that whilst trying to avoid being ordained bishop, St Martin hid in a goose pen only to be betrayed by the squawking of the geese. Around Europe, many people still celebrate Martinmas with roast goose dinners.

Beef is popular in Ireland and the UK.

Rhymes

If the wind is in the south-west on St Martin’s Day (11th), it will stay there right through to Candlemas in February, thus ensuring a mild and snow-free winter.

“Wind north-west at Martinmas, severe winter to come.”

“If ducks do slide at Martinmas
At Christmas they will swim;
If ducks do swim at Martinmas
At Christmas they will slide”

“Thunder in November means winter will be late in coming and going”

“If the geese at Martin’s Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas.”

Ice before Martinmas,
Enough to bear a duck.
The rest of winter,
Is sure to be but muck!”

É dia de São Martinho;
comem-se castanhas, prova-se o vinho.
It is St. Martin’s Day,
we’ll eat chestnuts, we’ll taste the wine.

A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín.
Every pig gets its St Martin. The phrase is used to indicate that wrongdoers eventually get their comeuppance.

Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:11 am on November 11).

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Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: faith, fall, saint

Corn Maze

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

November 5, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The kids wanted to do some fun fall activities.

It’s getting harder the older they get. Most of the fun things seem to be for little kids.

We went to the homeschool day at Pot-Luck Greenhouse.

We went for the corn maze. It was ok. It was near our house, and we went through a couple times. There were activity books.

We’re already lost!

I have this same shot when Alex was 18 months old in Utah!

I love this shot of the bridge!

Fun games!

We took a hay ride to choose pumpkins. They were already cut, to my kids’ disappointment.

Our Other Fall Field Trips:

Black Island Farms in Utah

Sunshine Pumpkin Farm in Germany

Appel Happel in Germany

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Filed Under: Ohio Tagged With: fall, farm, field trip, ohio, Pumpkin

Sunshine Pumpkin Farm

The blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Also see my suggested resources.

November 5, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We took a homeschool field trip to Sunshine Pumpkin Farm.

We travel a lot in fall, so this was exciting for us to do something a little more normal.

The kids liked visiting the animals.

Katie loves cows.

We took a wagon tractor ride to pick our own pumpkins.

Yummy cider and cake for sale in the farm shop!

You can also visit their English and German website. They’re about 10 minutes away from Landstuhl.

There’s a milk and egg dispensary.

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Tagged With: fall, farm, field trip, Germany, Pumpkin

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