Birthday Celebrating

This is my last post before I go on my trip -- too much to get done. Have a lovely weekend, everyone! I thought I published this on Wednesday last week, but I just saved it as a draft! Oops! I'm back from New York now, but the photos and recounting of the trip will have to wait as I'm still actually computer-less. My IT guy -- er, brother-in-law -- is trying to work on our other one, but for now I don't have it.

Many of you have contacted me about a source for our birthday ring. We got it 5 years ago from Magic Cabin. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they still carry them. The rings themselves can still be found in online shops, such as A Toy Garden or Nova Natural. You can get the ring by itself, or an entire set with all sorts of different figures. I haven't found anyone selling the peg people that we have anymore, but now that I'm doing more creating than I was five years ago, I realize how easy it would be to make the them using small wooden peg people (I've seen them at both JoAnn and Hobby Lobby, or you could look here), bits of wool felt & fabric, and some acrylic paint for facial features. It would be fun to have custom-made ones for your own family, incorporating your child's interests or favorite stories into the characters. If I were to do it now, I'd buy a ring by itself and create my own characters for it. Alas, I never even thought of it five years ago. Alexis did, though! Look at the beautiful one she created for her daughter's birthday last year! (More pictures of hers here.)

I get a lot of questions regarding our family's birthday traditions. For the most part, they're a mix of this and that, but several of the more "visible" traditions (the ring, the crown) are inspired by our interest and involvment in the Waldorf community. The birthday ring and crown are actually European birthday traditions -- not expressly "Waldorf", but it seems that in the US, they've come to be associated with Waldorf; I suppose this is just because a lot of the traditions adopted in Waldorf schools have their origins in Europe.

Anyway, we have a tradition of saying a poem before bed on the eve of the birthday. The poem we like to use is a pretty standard one. I'll add it at the end of the post. In the morning, the birthday child awakens to find the birthday ring and crown (more about those here) at his or her place at the table, and the birthday wreath hanging above. The candles on the ring are lit, and we say a (different) birthday poem (this year is was the same poem from Now We Are Six that I shared here on Elisabeth's birthday). We sing and the candles are blown out, and then we eat breakfast. Presents are opened after breakfast, and the crown is worn for much of the day. Beyond that, our birthday celebrations change from year to year, depending on the schedules of grandparents, and the day of the week. The birthday child gets to choose our dinner, of course. We like our celebrations special and full of family traditions, but simple at the same time. I once heard another mother say that before you start a tradition, you should make sure it's something you could do if you were sick, if your child were sick, if you were traveling, and ... something else. You get the point. I think it's so easy to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to celebrating. It's probably better to one small tradition at a time. (Sometimes I'm better at following my own advice than others.)

I'll leave you with our favorite "birthday eve" poem:

When I have said my evening prayer,
And my clothes are folded on the chair,
And mother switches off the light,
I'll still be ___ years old tonight.

But from the very break of day,
Before the children rise and play,
Before the darkness turns to gold,
Tomorrow, I'll be ___ years old.

___ kisses when I wake,
___ candles on my cake.*

*I don't know the author of this poem, it is listed anonymously in several books I have referenced over the last several years. But if the author of the poem is known to anyone, I will happily give credit here!

Comments

[Hope]

Thank you so much for sharing your birthday traditions with us!!! I love your little figures, but Alexis' are very inspiring also. Did the pegs that you found fit into the holes on the birthday ring? Also, what is the significance of the birthday wreath? You have definately changed the way that we will celebrate our next set of birthdays as I feel that we have gotten a bit excessive when it comes to parties and I really want to scale back but still make them special. I cannot wait to hear all about your trip - please share when you get a chance!!!

[kirsten]

i love what you said here: "We like our celebrations special and full of family traditions, but simple at the same time".

exactly.

except for miss soon to be 8 - she is having a party which will be super cute and fun (planning stages!).

[Alexis]

I love those birthday crowns, such nice birthday traditions. Thanks for the link, by the way! I will be making a couple more rings soon, a nephew is turning one and I think my sil would appreciate having one for him. Plus, I still have to make one for my second dd.

[Mama Urchin]

I agree about the traditions. We experienced a seriously sick mama at Christmas and fortunately all of our traditions could still be handled.

[Lauren]

Grace - Your birthday traditions are so beautiful. We will definitely be borrowing them at our house. Thanks so much for sharing them (and for the advice - it is very easy to get carried away).

[Hope]

Sorry, Grace - one more request. I would like to see some close up pictures of your figures if you get a chance as I may try to make some myself. I just love your birthday crowns also!!!

[Liz]

Such wonderful traditions... Mine are so young still... I love the before bed poem! Thank you for sharing.

[Iris]

Hi Grace,
Thanks for all the birthday information and inspiration. We've been slowly establishing our own traditions over the last few years and I've gotton so much inspiration from your ideas. I love the bedtime poem - we'll definitely introduce that this year. Also, your version of the birthday wreath is beautiful. I'd been looking at the ideas in The Birthday Book, but was a little overwhelmed. The ribbons you've used are so simple and pretty. Great idea. Hope you had a fab time in New York. It's amazing how much good a few days away can do. Looking forward to hearing about it.

[amy]

yes yes- I also would like to know the author of that poem. I first found it in Chinaberry book- I love it as our tradition too. Thanks for the post!

[Kate]

Beautiful birthday traditions Grace. Thank You for sharing them, especially the poem...I love that!!

Glad you are home safe and sound from your travels :)

[Mama Bear]

I love your traditions. We did the dinner choice thing with our children. Our son and his wife are following this one. Once my children were old enough they chose what kind of cake they wanted, usually not a birthday cake.
I like the wearing of the crown and the special poems.

[Gypsy]

What beautiful birthday traditions, thank you once again for being such an inspiration. I love seeing celebrations like this that are not commercial, not expensive, but very very meaningful.
Gypsy domesticallyblissed.wordpress.com

[Jodi]

Wow - just stumbled across your blog and I was drawn into it from the Astrid Lindgren book on the right side and then your comment on the Waldorf --- I spent a year in Germany and those things caught my eye. I can't wait to read more - when I don't have a little girl sleeping in my arms. Thanks for you inspiration.

[shelley caskey]

we have very similar birthday traditions. :) so special for our children!

[emily]

i wish i could celebrate my birthday at your house! sounds perfect.

(thought of you yesterday on my bumpy plane ride home. hope yours was smooth and can't wait to hear all about it.)

xo.

[Anne]

I love your ribbon wreath. I have the birthday rings and the only place I could find the ones that Magic Cabin used to carry is Rosiehippo.com - they carry the meadow children if anyone is interested in picking up a set.

[knitsational]

So sweet! Thank you for sharing your traditions. My oldest will be 3 next month and you have definately given me some ideas. Your blog is wondeful, btw.