Montessori New Year's tradition

Every year, we will celebrate the children's birthday with the Montessori birthday ritual. It always requires a little preparation, but it's really worth it. If you want to read what it is and how we do it, you can find it under this post, in the articles recommended (by me 😉).

But today I want to share an idea with you, inspired by my Spanish Montessori mentor Marta Prada from Pequefelicidad. She talked about it in this post on her Instagram profile (if you understand Spanish, I invite you to read it) and today I share my interpretation with you.

Since Emily was born, on December 31st, we haven't celebrated New Year's Eve anymore, but  I think it could be a beautiful New Year's tradition, to give importance to a cycle that ends and one that begins. To celebrate the year that is ending, with all the things we learned, and to welcome the year that is beginning, with all the things it can teach us.

It's similar to the Montessori birthday, but it has two candles and two circles.

One candle is surrounded by 12 photos, which can be one for each month of the year or simply the most significant of the year: this circle represents the cycle that ends. The other candle is surrounded by 12 white sheets: this circle represents the cycle that begins.

We light the candle surrounded by the 12 photos and observe each one of them, one by one: we can sit and pick them up one at a time or, if we have space, we can crawl around the circle, stopping at each photo, remembering and telling anecdotes. When we have completed the circle and looked at all the photos, we blow out the candle and say goodbye to the year that is ending, giving thanks for all the moments we lived, for all the things we learned.

At this point we look at the circle of the cycle that begins, and we talk about the meaning of those blank sheets: it is a new cycle, pages yet to be written.

We can make the ritual our own: for example, we can draw something for each of those sheets thinking about what we value, to always keep it in mind in the new year.

We can write a word on each of those sheets, words of inspiration, which represent what is really important to us in life.

Or we can just talk about the meaning of the sheets, a blank canvas, a new beginning, and then play a song that is special to us, and sing and dance.

When we're done, we light the candle and welcome the new year. We are ready. Onwards.

This 2020 has been different in so many ways, that maybe you want to let it go in a different way: I hope you like this idea as much as I did. And who knows, maybe it becomes a new yearly tradition.

I wish you to finish this cycle with a smile, despite everything, focusing on what this year has taught us, rather than what it has deprived us of. Positive over negative.

Sending you my love. 🌸