In the Shambhala Tradition, Winter Solstice is celebrated through Children’s Day when light will begin to return again. Children naturally give light to our lives and it is but appropriate to have a day especially for them.
The father of Olive and Elliot, Seamus, came to talk about how they celebrate this special occasion to our students. They set up a special shrine in their home in lieu of Christmas trees or Menorahs at this time of the year. The twins proudly showed the shrine they built in their home. Seamus also read a book about a brave and cheerful little girl, Iliana, who searched for the light as darkness began engulfing her kingdom. The darkness made people unhappy and depressed. In her journey, there were special animals that gave help in her journey. The tiger gave her strong armored boots while the snow lion gifted her with a helmet to keep her head safe. The garuda gave her a ride when she started feeling tired and weary all the way back to her kingdom and a sword was given to her by the dragon. These gifts made her braver and safer, but in the end, Iliana found the light at home within her that made her really happy.
The book gave the students more understanding why they are celebrated on this day. It made them smile of the happiness they give to their parents and all the grown ups in their lives.
We would like to thank Seamus for sharing this tradition to our class.