Re:holidays | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Lynn Nadeau (welcomeolympus.net) | |
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 18:37:03 -0700 (MST) |
At RoseWind, we tend more to celebrate "all" holidays, rather than none. Keeping in mind that members include Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Quaker, Unitarian, Hindu/meditational, Wiccan/pagan/goddess, Interfaith, atheist and "none of the above", we've often had general seasonal decorations- pumpkins and autumn leaves, evergreens and lights. More specific gatherings have been held, for whomever wishes to come. A couple years ago I held an Autumn Equinox ritual, and tried to let people know well enough in advance what sort of ceremony I had in mind, so the attenders could self select. Others have organized coloring Easter eggs and having an egg hunt, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving or Christmas-Day dinners. Each year many of us have gathered for a Solstice party as originated by a Danish member. Besides candles and food (and a Danish hot wine drink called Glogg), each person shares some sort of performance. Offerings have ranged from music and poetry by the genuinely accomplished, to more-amateur but spirited sharings of songs, writing, dance, storytelling and jokes. I'm no singer, so I enlisted them all in singing WITH me: I brought the words and got everyone singing "Waltzing With Bears." This year we've had a Thanksgiving dinner, with a number of visiting family members. Saturday we'll decorate the common house with whatever we packed away last January, plus whatever shows up (a tree, I hope!). At our Dec 14 monthly meeting, we'll follow the morning agenda with potluck lunch and our annual funny gift exchange. If you haven't done a "swap" gift exchange, here's how: everyone brings a wrapped gift (set maximum cost- ours is $10 though some don't cost anything). Have a specified gift for each of the children, since they don't do well in the snitching game that follows. If you have 25 adults, 25 presents, then write numbers 1-25 on bits of paper, pass in a hat, draw a number. Number 1 gets to choose a gift from the pile in the center of the circle. Opens it, passes it around perhaps for appreciation. Number 2 may then either choose to unwrap a new gift, OR claim what 1 just opened. If that happens, the person who just lost their gift takes a new gift. By the time number 16, say, is taking their turn, they have the option of stealing ANY gift already opened, if they choose to, rather than opening a new one. And each person who is "stolen" from, likewise can claim another already-opened gift, except you can never take back what you just lost. We put a limit of three 'steals" per gift- so after the third steal, that gift is retired from what's fair game. We often have some very funny white elephant gifts, as well as some very attractive gifts (chocolate and wine, and wool socks, have been hot items). Lots of joking and teasing. And when it's all over, some behind the scenes trades so things get to who really wanted them most.... Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing Port Townsend Washington (Victorian seaport, music, art, nature) http://www.rosewind.org http://www.ptguide.com _______________________________________________ Cohousing-L mailing list Cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org Unsubscribe and other info: http://www.communityforum.net/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-l
-
Re:holidays Lynn Nadeau, December 6 2002
-
holidays Fleck, September 19 2005
-
Re: holidays Matt Lawrence, September 19 2005
- RE: holidays Fleck, September 19 2005
- RE: holidays Matt Lawrence, September 19 2005
-
Re: holidays Matt Lawrence, September 19 2005
-
holidays Fleck, September 19 2005
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.