Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Celebrating Saint Lucia’s Day

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We enjoy celebrating holidays from around the world.

St. Lucia’s Day is a lovely celebration for children.

Celebrating Saint Lucia's Day

St. Lucia Day History

The celebration of St. Lucia comes from stories that were told by monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden.

December 13th was also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, in the old “Julian” calendar and a pagan festival of lights in Sweden was turned into St. Lucia’s Day.

St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with  red sash and a wreath with candles on her head. Small children use electric candles, but from about 12 years old, real candles are often used. The crown is traditionally made of lingonberry branches which are evergreen and symbolise new life in winter.

A national Lucia is chosen in Sweden every year. Lucias visit hospitals and homes for the elderly, singing a song about St. Lucia and handing out Pepparkakor, ginger biscuits.

Boys might dress up as Stjärngossar (star boys) and small girls might be attendant Tärnor (like Lucia but without the candles).

A popular food eaten at St. Lucia’s day are Lussekatts, buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins which are eaten for breakfast.

St. Lucia Crafts and Activities

A fun recipe for St. Lucia Cookies

Catholic Icing paper dolls

Making Learning Fun printables

Felt crowns from JoyFilled Family

Lots of activities from The Kennedy Adventures

Paper crowns and star hats from Kiddley

Another paper crown from Sweet Paul

Swedish holiday books from What Do We Do All Day

Arthur episode about St. Lucia on PBS Kids

St. Lucia Books

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Celebrating Martinmas

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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:

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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Celebrating Saint Joan of Arc

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I’ve always held a fascination for Joan of Arc, ever since I was a little girl.

The historical story is a remarkable one, no matter what one believes.

To hear heavenly voices and do something amazing, to save one’s country and obey God – it’s the stuff of dreams and fairy tales.

But Joan did all that and more.

Joan was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1431, after a politically-motivated trial. The appellate court retried Joan and declared her innocent on 7 July 1456. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.

We’re focusing on European history this year since we’re living in Germany.

We spent several weeks reading about Joan of Arc, the 100-year war, and other issues of the Middle Ages.

To celebrate the end of the first unit of our history cycle 2, we visited Rouen – where Joan of Arc was tried and executed.

Joan of Arc Unit Study

For our Joan of Arc Unit Study, we read lots of books, watched some films, completed notebooking pages, and traveled to Rouen.

Books:

Joan of Arc: The Lily Maid by Margaret Hodges

The Lily Maid

Joan of Arc by Michael Morpurgo

Joan of Arc by Michael Morpurgo

Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert

Heroine of France

Dove and Sword: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Nancy Garden

Dove and Sword

Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

Joan of Arc by Demi

Joan of Arc by Demi

Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole

Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole

Joan of Arc by Mark Twain

Joan of Arc by Mark Twain

DK Biography: Joan of Arc by Kathleen Kudlinski

DK Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc (Step into Reading) by Shana Corey

Joan of Arc Early Reader

My son especially loved this book and it was very accurate, not dumbing anything down.

Level 4 Joan of Arc Reader

Joan of Arc (Dorling Kindersley Readers, Level 4) by Angela Bull

DK Reader Joan of ARc

Films:

Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman and Directed by Victor Fleming

Ingrid Bergman as Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc with Leelee Sobieski

Joan of Arc Miniseries with Leelee Sobieski

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc with Milla Jovovich

The Messenger

The Passion of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc Interactive DVD by Nest Learning

There’s also an activity book here.

Joan of Arc NEST

Activities:

St. Joan of Arc coloring page from Catholic Icing

Reenaction with Legos by Adventures in Mommydom

Simple Joan of Arc Lapbook from Homeschool Epiphany

Online documents of Saint Joan of Arc Trials

Interactive Maps of Travels of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc notebooking and coloring pages from Shower of Roses

Joan of Arc notebooking page from Homeschool Helper Online

NotebookingPages.com has a set of Middle Ages notebooking pages that included a set for Joan of Arc

Our Field Trip to Rouen:

Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc de Rouen

Since 1979, this church stands on the Old Market Square where she was burned. It is both a church honoring St. Joan of Arc and a civil memorial with a cross and eternal flame in the courtyard. The outside is modern, designed by architect Louis Arretche, evoking the sea with a cover of scales in slate or copper. The roof of the church is meant to resemble an overturned Viking ship and consuming flames. Inside, there are remarkable stained glass windows of the old church Saint Vincent Renaissance. There are no relics of St. Joan of Arc.

Cross Monument Eglise outside Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

Eternal Flame at Base of the Cross outside Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

Front Facade of Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen

Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen downspout

Bust Statue of Joan of Arc

Michel Coste Statue of Joan of Arc

I paid €0,50 for an English brochure.

Joan of History and Message Brochure

Hours:

Monday to Thursday, Saturday : 10am to 12pm and from 14h to 18h

Friday and Sunday : 14h to 18h

Closed : 25 December and 1 January.

Rouen Cathedral

Joan of Arc was put on trial in the bishops’ palace, but we felt it fitting to visit the famous cathedral.

The highest spire in France, erected in 1876, a cast-iron tour-de-force rising 490 ft above the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. Claude Monet immortalized Rouen’s cathedral facade in his paintings.

Rouen Cathedral

A chapel is dedicated to Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc Chapel in Rouen Cathedral

New Joan of Arc Museum in Rouen

Interior courtyard of the Bishop's palace Rouen

The kids loved these discovery booklets with puzzles, questions, activities, and information about the life and times of Joan of Arc and the city of Rouen.

Joan of Arc Museum Discovery Booklet for Kids

The Joan of Arc museum has projected videos and images that explain the story of Joan in each room of the bishop’s palace. It’s quite innovative and exciting and holds everyone’s attention really well.

There are statues and artifacts at the end of the tour.

We viewed the tower from the attic window.

Joan of Arc Museum

We bought a rare souvenir in the museum gift shop:

Joan of Arc and Rouen Book Souvenir

See info about Historial Jeanne d’Arc here.

Individual Tickets €9,50 or Family Ticket €26

Hours:

31 May to 1 October:

Tuesday to Sunday: 9.45 a.m.–7.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 6 p.m.)

1 June to 30 September

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 9.45 a.m.–7.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 6 p.m.)

Friday and Saturday: 9.45 a.m.–8.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 7 p.m.)

Joan of Arc Tower

This dungeon was part of the castle built in 1204 by Philippe Auguste. It is all that remains of the Rouen Castle. Joan was held prisoner here during her trial.

We didn’t have time to walk over to the tower, but we saw it from the window of the museum.

Tickets € 1.50

Free for children under 18

Hours:

1 April to 30 September

10am to 12.30pm and from 14h to 18h Monday through Saturday. From 14h to 18h30 on Sundays.

October 1 to March 31

10am to 12.30pm and from 14h to 17h Monday through Saturday. From 14 to 17.30 on Sundays.

Closed: Tuesdays and 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November, 25 December.

Rouen is a fun town with lots to see and do, a nice market, and plenty of restaurants and shopping.

We would love to see Domrémy and Reims someday.

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Celebrating Saint Nicholas’ Day

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We don’t do a typical American Santa Claus Christmas.

The kids love the idea of Santa so we review the legend and history of St. Nicholas each year.

St. Nicholas History

Traditionally, Nicholas was born in the city of Patara, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

In one of the earliest and most famous incidents from his life, he is said to have rescued three girls from forced prostitution by dropping a sack of gold coins through the window of their house each night for three nights so their father could pay a dowry for each of them. In his youth, he is said to have made pilgrimages to Egypt and the Palestine area. He became Bishop of Myra.

Legend claims that he was temporarily defrocked and imprisoned during the First Council of Nicaea for slapping the heretic Arius. We love that story.

 

While living in Germany, we had lots of awesome options to celebrate St. Nicholas Day!

We look forward to Speculoos cookies, fun chocolate Santas in all shapes and sizes and colors, parades and markets galore!

The kids like to do fun Santa crafts, bake cookies to give to friends and neighbors, read books and watch movies and sing carols about Santa and St. Nicholas.

We’ll be putting out shoes on December 5 this year and waking up to chocolates and little gifts.

St Nicholas

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day:

Books about Saint Nicholas:


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