Pinterest Pick Thursdays

Thanksgiving is just a week away!  Eek!  Just so you are aware, there will be no Pinterest Pick Thursday post on Thanksgiving.  That means, the next Pinterest Pick Thursday post you will see, will be posted on December 4.

And, speaking of December, did you know that Chalica starts Monday, December 1?  That's only 11 days away!  And, with no more Pinterest Pick Thursday's from now until then, I hope you will forgive me if I drop all of this Thanksgiving and Gratitude talk for a moment, and jump straight to Chalica...

 Pinterest Pick of the Week
Chalica Preparations

Faith Formation Component
All

Time for Activity
1 Hour

Recommended Age
Preschool and Up

Materials
My Chalica Book: A Beginner's Guide
 Chalica: A UU Winter Holiday
Candles, or a bit of spending money
Poster Board and Marker, or a piece of paper and a pen

Activity
Chalica is a new holiday, dreamed up by Daylene Marshall in 2005.  It is an '"invitation to spend a day with each of the principles."  Chalica starts on the first Monday in December and lasts for seven days.  The whole point is to spend one day reflecting, honoring, and living out one of our seven principles, starting with our first principle on Monday.  In general, Chalica can be celebrated in many different ways, but I always recommend that people who do celebrate Chalica put aside time at the end of the night to light a chalice and reflect on the day.

Rev. Lisa Schwartz celebrates Chalica at the UU Fellowship in Topeka.  Taken from Phil on the Prairie.

Briefly, I will share with you that growing up, December was the time we'd learn about other religions and their holidays.  We'd set up the manger right next to the menorah (though we don't have any Jewish heritage), and we'd usually attend the Solstice celebration at Church.  While, I certainly enjoyed learning about the different religions and their holidays, I never really felt like I 'owned' any of the holidays.  I longed for tradition and ritual that I could own.  I still do, in fact.  That is why Chalica excites me so.  And, I hope the prospects excite you to... finally, a UU winter holiday.  Our own holiday, around which we can establish traditions and rituals.

Because Chalica starts just 4 short days after Thanksgiving this year, I invite you to prepare for Chalica now, this weekend.  So, if you are excited about this holiday as I am, here is what to do:

• Read up on Chalica.  Learn more by...
• visiting the Chalica Blog
• reviewing this article from Donald E. Skinner at the UUWorld.
• exploring the Chalica Facebook Page
• studying this Huff Post Blog by Amanda Gregory (Look, I'm mentioned at the end!).
• or, reading Evan Autin's article on Parenting Beyond Belief.

Chalica commitments poster from Parenting Beyond Belief

• Download the booklet I created "My Chalica Book: A Beginner's guide (Third Edition)" and Reverend Sharon Dittmar's "Chalica: A UU Winter Holiday."  Or, pick up hard copies at First Church of Cincinnati this Sunday.  
• My booklet provides an introduction to Chalica, a brief history of the holiday, suggestions on how to honor each principle each day (new this year, movie suggestions), several resources, and a reference page.  
• Reverend Sharon Dittmar, on the other hand, offers up a very convenient, one page list of suggestions on how you can celebrate each day of Chalica at home or around Cincinnati (see below).

Chalica: A UU Winter Holiday.

• Gather your family and teach them what you have learned about Chalica.  Then, use the resources listed in #2 to create a game plan...
• Discuss
• Why are we celebrating Chalica?  
• How do we, in this family, want to celebrate Chalica? What kind of traditions and rituals do we want to attach to this holiday?
• What will everyone commit to do to honor each principle?
• Decide: 
• How many chalices will we use (1 v. 7)?  
• Will you buy them or make them?  
• Where will you put them?
• Act: 
• Write down everyone's commitments on a poster board like the one above (don't have a poster board, use a piece of paper instead).  Then, post it in a prominent location within your home.
• Go purchase any materials you will need - candles for your chalices, paper to write letters, etc.

You may be asking yourself why do all this prep now?  After all, there is still so much to be prepped for Thanksgiving.  Honestly, you don't have to prep now, but I would encourage you to prepare before December 1.  It is important to be intentional about Chalica - especially if it is your first time celebrating it or if you have children you need to 'convince' to participate.  After all, this whole holiday is centered around being intentional about our principles.  It can be so easy to let a day pass, and not think or reflect on our principles at all.  You can prevent that from happening by preparing now.

And, when Chalica begins, Monday, December 1, I hope you will visit this page every day for a special Chalica message.

Original Sources
All original sources cited above.

Wishing you a very wonderful Thanksgiving!

- Ms. Meredith