Illustration by Teresa Villegas Happy New Year! I began thinking about the coming year and all the new ideas and journeys I want to put into place and experience. Interestingly enough, a zen koan came to mind from a book I read many years ago. It's been retold in various ways, and my retelling here is another addition among millions I'm sure. I like this story every time I read it or hear it again and again. It's a great reminder that in order to learn, we have to be humble, to empty our mind and make room for the new. A Cup of Tea Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a student who came to inquire about something he wished to understand....
via GIPHY Illustrated GIF by Teresa Villegas (to replay gif simply refresh this page in your browser) Yeah! It's Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere! It happens at the same instant for all of us, everywhere on Earth. In 2015, That’s on December 22 at 4:48 Universal Time (on December 21st at 10:48 p.m. CST for us in the USA) It’s when the sun on our sky’s dome reaches its farthest southward point for the year. We are now in mid winter (contrary to the common misnomer as "the first day of winter") and this solstice has its shortest day and longest night of the year... Here Comes the Sun! Celebrate!! Being a parent is what inspired me to write and illustrate...
Illustration by Teresa Villegas From the book "How to Celebrate Winter Solstice" Text in the green says: "Did you know that the word “silent” has the same letters as “listen”? In ancient times people lived closer to the land and had a strong sense of relationship with their terrestrial and celestial environment. Therefore, this was the focus of their celebrations. Each person felt a heightened connection with the natural world and an awe with the cyclical pattern of life. In short, the Winter Solstice was the community's way of re-centering itself with nature. At the heart of the ancient Solstice celebrations was an acknowledgment of the predictable patterns of life while recognizing the progression of time within an individual's milestones. For the...
This short video explains the Winter Solstice in an easy and concise way. An excellent reference for classrooms and home learning. We have many more interesting videos (and music) about the Winter Solstice on our youtube channel. The music is very nice to play while students are cutting, folding and having fun with all the activities. Enjoy!
"I cannot tell you how charming this book is. It's just a delight and the illustrations are stunningly beautiful. It's just such a peaceful book and it feels like it does on Winter Solstice." - Debra Lynn Dodd
So fortunate to have been a guest for this online radio show. Debra's generous and informative site inspired me while researching the Winter Solstice and its duration of sunlight this time of year. We share why we both love the Winter Solstice and a bit about my book. Listen to the online radio interview here: http://www.debralynndadd.com/toxicfreetalkradio/celebrating-winter-solstice-3/
