Celebrations of Light

Two years ago I presented tutorials for paper and fabric origami stars. According to my blog and Flickr stats, they continue to be a popular holiday craft. The paper origami stars make a great family activity to get the kids involved in the excitement of decorating and can be used throughout the year.

December in many religious and cultural traditions involves stars and the return of the light that emanates from them. I love how these origami star ornaments blend East and West, Christian and Solstice celebrations.  I haven't tried this myself, but I bet the stars could also be adapted to create a Star of David for a Hanukkah celebration. (The Muslim Ramadan and Eid celebrations and the Hindu Diwali festival, which occurred earlier in the fall this year, involve stars as well.)

 

The fabric origami star tutorial is easy even for beginning sewists and very adaptable to a range of fabrics.

We probably won't be doing a lot of decorating this year at our rental house, but I'm looking forward to following along with Bella Dia's Book and Activity Advent. The idea is to count down the days until Christmas by reading one Christmas, winter, or holiday-themed book a day.We don't always do a related craft, but the simple messages in the children's books keeps me centered on the essential themes of thankfulness, giving, and celebration of family. (My personal favorite is The Trees of the Dancing Goats, by Patricia Polacco. Sentimental me cries every time I read it, and my boys look at me funny when my voice starts to falter.) 

The daily practice of reading these stories with my kids keeps me from getting too caught up in all of the things I feel I SHOULD be doing during the holidays. This year I've decided that the only thing I must do every day in December is curl up with a good book and share a little spirit and sentiment with my kids.

What are your tips for keeping the holiday stress to a minimum?