Juleverksteda; A Norwegian Christmas workshop

A Juleverksted is a Norwegian tradition, where people get together to make things for Christmas. It has become a big custom for families to host a Christmas Workshop, sometimes one night each week leading up to Christmas. They invite friends and family members to work together to make handmade gifts, cards, decorations, cookies, and finish up preparations for Christmas.


Ideas:
1. Plan a Juleverksted
2. Make Norwegian gløgg
3. Make a gingerbread house
4. Christmas Novena, day 3

Family Love and Joy at Advent

My children painted these plaster houses when they were young.

During this week of Advent my theme is "family love and joy". 

Of course, the joy of the season is spontaneous and un-planable, but I do these three things to create the right conditions:

• Take the time to consider what my friends and family will want most this season. In other words, I become less self-focused and more generous in all ways. 
• Take care of myself so I can be calm and present for the spontaneous joy when it arises.
• Be respectful, patient, and kind (no matter how stressed I feel).

These are obviously year-round aspirations, but I need a strict reminder now, because, somehow, everything seems so important: I have high expectations and I feel I must get this right.

Agenda this week:

1. Journal queries
2. Check in with my family
3. Card-writing practice
4. Make simple gifts
5. Make pepperkaker (gingersnaps)
6. Christmas Novena, day 2

Third Sunday of Advent, Posada, and Novena

We have made it through the second week of advent, and now the excitement is really growing! 

Tonight is the start of Las Posadas, a nine-day Mexican celebration that begins on December 16 each year. Posadas is Spanish for "lodging", and the nine days represent the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.

Tonight is also the start of the Christmas Novena in Italy. A Novena is a Catholic ritual, a prayer repeated daily for nine days. It can take place at any time of the year, but one of the most observed is the Christmas Novena, recited or sung during the 9 days leading up to Christmas day. Las Posadas comes from that same tradition.

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. Listen to novenas
3. Advent wreath ceremony
4. Plan activities for family fun
5. Have a Posadas Procession
6. Sign up to help at the Warming Center
7. Set out our crèche

Advent Unity and Peace

My theme for this week of Advent is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world".

One way I love to do that is by learning about the traditions and beliefs of people throughout the world.

This week I decided to learn more about the advent customs in Norway, the land of my husband's people.

Agenda:
1- Research Norway
2- Make surkål, sweet and sour cabbage
3- Make Kremmerhus, Norwegian horns

Lussi Night and Luciadagen

Tonight is Lussi Night in Norway and in Sweden, and tomorrow is Luciadagen (pronounced LOO-sha-da-gen), or St. Lucia’s Day, or St. Lucy’s Day.

It's hard to sort out all the Lucys: We have St. Lucia, a Sicilian woman in the reign of Diocletian who became a Christian martyr. Because her name means light, she was appointed to be the patron saint for the eyes. 

We also have the older Roman goddess Lucina, also the goddess of light, and of childbirth- bringing children to light.

And in Scandinavia, we have Lussi, a female demon or witch accompanied by an entourage of gnomes and spirits called Lussiferda.

Agenda:
1. Lusse-vigil
2. Set out more candles
3. Make Lussekatt (St. Lucia buns)

Human Rights Day

Today is Human Rights Day: The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on this day in 1948. 

Today the UN kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We celebrate all our inalienable rights and freedoms including a right to education, a decent living, health care and a right to live free from any form of discrimination among others.

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. Choose next steps
4. Take the human rights pledge