Children’s Day Lights Up Winter Solstice

The laughter of Seattle Shambhala children and their grownup friends floated up like an offering as we celebrated Children’s Day on December 21.

Over the years, the Shambhala community has adopted a tradition of celebrating the changes of season. These special days of celebration are called nyida days – from nyima (“sun”) and dawa (“moon”). Nyida days occur on or near the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices.Green Pea Fort, yet to be built

Children’s Day occurs at the time of the winter solstice (in the northern hemisphere.) While all four nyida days are regarded as family-oriented occasions, Children’s Day provides a special opportunity to express appreciation for and with our children. Because the solstice marks the time of year when the night is longest and daylight has waned, light is a special characteristic of this holiday. Celebration of the winter solstice has its roots in many different cultures. The Shambhala Community has drawn on traditional images associated with this time of year to create a distinctive and rich festival of our own.photo 2

At the heart of the Children’s Day festivities is the shrine, the representation of the dignity of the family, the joy and creativity of the youthful heart, and the celebration of the senses. In Seattle, kids and their families created a wonderful Children’s Day shrine that remained as the main focal point in the main shrine room for a long time. Decorating the shrine is a family project, with special contributions from the children. This is their time to join heaven and earth.

(Children’s Day background thanks to the Shambhala Times.)

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