Birthdays in the Casa

We mark a child’s birthday in the casa with a small celebration. That day in conference, the children sit in a circle around a candle which Melody lights and she leads them as they recite the months of the years in which the child has been alive. The child whose birthday it is walks around the candle much as a planet orbits the sun throughout the course of the year while these months are being recited. They begin to appreciate the difference between a child of three and a child of six. Afterward, we sit down with a set of photographs, one from each year of the child’s life, and we acknowledge their time on the earth and the changes that have taken place within it. It provides a quiet but meaningful pause in the day to honour a child’s special day.