Why I love celebrations and festivals

I love celebrations. And I love school celebrations. They bring the school family together, builds community, develops relationships, I get to talk to everyone, big brothers and sisters, dads, grandmas and even uncles and aunties, everyone talks to each other and there is joy and, well, celebration. There doesn't even need to be much planning or ceremony - just something to celebrate and time to get together to share fellowship, food and stories.

"Religious" celebrations are my favourite of all. This is more than the passing of time or the moving to the next step celebrated in a graduation, although that too is important. This is the eternal, sacred story remembered.

We recently held our Pentecost celebration. It was much later than Pentecost due to a number of illnesses and very new babies born at that time, but it didn't seem to worry anyone.

Pentecost is at such a great time in Australia, right in the middle of the cold and dark winter. What better symbol for the Holy Spirit than a burning fire that gives light, warmth and peace in the darkness.

Families arrived at 6.30pm with their plate of supper to share, and got busy making lanterns together with their children. The children had already applied watercolours and later linseed oil to their A3 length of paper in the weeks before. Parents just needed to staple the cardboard base into the paper wrapped into a tube, and add a handle. When they were all done, we told the story of Stone Soup and ate the soup the children had prepared earlier.

Much eating and talking and kids running wild at kinder at night time occurred.

But before it got too wild, we headed out to the fire to toast marshmellows (white ones have no artificial colours) given to each child's parents. Then standing toasty and warm around the fire I told the Pentecost story, when the Holy Spirit came. When in the story the Holy Spirit came in tongues of fire, we lit the tea lights in our lanterns.

It was nice to stand in the dark, the children not afraid with the glowing, warm fire and their parents and friends present, and talk about the Holy Spirit being with us always.

Then the children used their lanterns to light the way home.

One mum had written on her calendar "Bonfire night." So when her husband arrived to find a little fire burning in a washing machine barrel he was a little disappointed. Hopefully the warmth of the tiny fire revived him. I did have a lighthearted discussion with the principal about having a bonfire next year, but for some reason he didn't seem too keen...

One of the mum's said to me the next day - "you know, on the way home, my husband said to me, "That was a really good night." And I even got to see the smile come back to my 12 year old's face." What more can I ask for when a celebration touches kids, Mums and Dads together.