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)

Third Sunday of Advent

We made it through the second week of advent. It's been a wonderfully calm and enjoyable time, with some busts of social celebration to give it color.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries

2. Advent wreath ceremony

3. Plan activities for family fun

Human Rights Day

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

This year’s Human Rights Day slogan is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”.

The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on 10 December 2023. Ahead of this milestone, starting today, the UN will launch a year-long campaign to showcase the UDHR by focusing on its legacy, relevance and activism.

In the decades since the adoption of the UDHR, it has served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants.

However, the promise of the UDHR, of dignity and equality in rights, has been under a sustained assault in recent years. As the world faces challenges new and ongoing – pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, climate change – the values, and rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind.

The year-long campaign seeks to increase knowledge of the UDHR as a foundational blueprint for taking concrete actions to stand up for human rights and tackle pressing global issues today.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries

2. Choose next steps

3. Take the human rights pledge

Christmas Oneness

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. In years past I've studied Germany and Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, and Mexico.

This year I decided to continue my research into the Native Americans who lived where my ancestors settled in this land, particularly the Lenape, who lived in East New Jersey - home of the Slocum family as early as 1670, ancestors of my mother's mother's mother, Mary Ellen Slocum Lambert.

Agenda:

1. Write about my ancestors

2. Write about the Lenape people

3. Write about slavery in East Jersey

4. Celebrate a Quaker Christmas?

Rohatsu

Rohatsu is Japanese for "eighth day of the twelfth month," so it always falls on December 8th.

Today Japanese Buddhists observe the enlightenment of the Buddha. It's also known as Bodhi Day. Here's the short explanation: After years of searching for answers, Siddhartha Gautauma finally vowed that he would sit under the Bodhi tree until he found the truth. Siddhartha fasted and meditated under the tree for a week, and on the morning of the eighth day he was enlightened by the principles at the heart of Buddhism. After that he was called the Buddha - The Enlightened One.

In Japanese Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin, an intensive meditation retreat. Participants maintain silent meditation at all times, even while eating and doing chores. And each evening's meditation period gets a little longer, until on this last night they sit up all night. The Rohatsu Retreat gives participants the opportunity to realize their own Buddha nature.

Agenda today:

1. Zazen Meditation

2. Make rice kheer

3. Decorate with a string of colored lights

Full Cold Moon

The full moon of December is sometimes called the Cold Moon (for obvious reasons), but it is also called the "Not Bad Weather Moon" by the Kalapuya of my area, and that's generally pretty accurate. 

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon. But today it's time to CELEBRATE how far I've come, and give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received.

This advent season is a time of expectant waiting. We look forward with excitement to the celebration of Christmas; we wait for the return of longer days after the solstice; and we anticipate the arrival of grace in our hearts.

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate Grace

3. Make a piñata

4. Make sweet, salty, or spicy nuts