Schultz Party of Four

Today we welcomed the infant light of spring. It was a little hard to see through the white-out blizzard and twelve inches of snow, but we perservered.
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The first day (or second) of February have been celebrated for thousands of years as the mid-way point of winter. In pre-Christian times it was a Festival of Lights celebrating the lengthening of days. The early Church celebrated the presentation of baby Jesus at the temple 40 days after his birth when Simeon proclaimed him to be the "light of the world." Many places around the world still celebrate this holiday, called "Candlemas" with various traditions, all involving candles in one way or another.
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In an effort to incorporate a seasonal rhythm into our lives, and largely inspired by the book All Year Round (which also inspired the Weather Tree), we celebrated "Candlemas" by making candles today.
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I chickened out of any boiling of hot wax and opted for rolling sheets of wax instead. THIS tutorial from Brown Robin was super helpful. I ordered the wax and wicks from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. The sheets are very cheap, however the shipping is not. Next year I will solicit orders from friends so we can all share in shipping and candlemaking fun!

The girls enjoyed heating the wax with the hair dryer and picking the colors for their candles. I thoroughly enjoyed how they turned out, and how simple they were to make. Our intention is now to use these special candles when we celebrate other holidays as part of the rhythm throughout the year.