Birthday Ceremony

Last week we celebrated my youngest daughter's third birthday.  It was important for us to honor her with our ceremony that reminded her where she has come from and where she is headed.  Here is what we did:

The night before we all sat around her in bed with a candle and recited this 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!
(Ref: Verse of Anticipation, “All Year Round” – A Druitt, C. Fynes-Clinton and M Rowling)


I set up her throne the night before so it would be ready and waiting when she awoke.  I used our hand-made wooden playstand, covered it with our cotton rainbow fabric, draped her birthday banner (I made this using her baby clothes and her sling for her first birthday), her sister cut out a star for above and we placed a chair for her.
The next day she awoke and said, "I'm Three!  How did that happen?"

Later than day, when we could all be together, we sat her at the throne with her cape.  She normally would wear her birthday crown, but was not interested in that at all since she has been wearing it prior days anticipating the upcoming day.  We read a story about how she chose us to be her parents, and her journey to us on the rainbow bridge.  I used something like this one, altered with more details.

We walked her down the rainbow silk and around a small table set up with a yellow silk (the sun) with candles that each represented her years.  We each took turns taking her hand around the sun and telling her about her life in that year.  At the end, she blew out all the candles. My hope is that these ceremonies help my children anticipate the beauty of their story and create powerful memories for the future.