Candlemas in our Home 2011

Candle Cake with Doves for the presentation

Yesterday we celebrated Candlemas in our home and while I had not written our plans for the day like I did last year. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do.

We rolled  bees wax sheets. It was a little tricky for me to keep up with the cutting to size of the sheets.

Vellvin helped Myffwyn.

Moran was very pleased with her ability to do this and she had enjoyed it so much.

Moran and Autumn were a team as well.

Eden and Rogan were very enthusiastic.

Corbyn found it a little too slow passed for him so was a little more interested in breaking up the sheets.

The complete rolled collection.....78 in total.

Instead of dipping candles like we did last year. We wanted to do some puring into moulds. So as we were out of bought wicks we made the cotton string ones. I pre dipped these ones unlike the ones Rogan and I made for Arwen's birthday.

We were wanted to pour wax into our walnut shells that we have collected over the years.

After puring in the wax we put in a little wick and pressed just slightly to the bottom and they stayed there.

I was pretty impressed with Saxon as I needed a puring ladle but didn't want to use one of our cooking ones. So I found the plastic half of an egg and Saxon screwed  on a length of wood for a handle.
It worked perfectly!!!!

The next item to fill were shells. Eden loves collecting these large abalone shells and she was most keen to have a wax candle in her shell

Here are our shells and walnuts all filled with beautiful wax to become lovely candles.

Next we tried a few cookie cutter moulds for shapes we liked, of course hearts and stars are hot favourites.

The three stages of filling the cookie cutters. You really have to push down hard to prevent to much leakage.

Our finished collection of pouring candles. Autumn also wanted to try a toilet roll holder and some egg carton ones as well.

Our candle cakes, this was after a while, unlike the photo at the top, one of our candles fell sideways.

I also tried to make small candles that I was going to use as individual place settings, however they did not turn out as I wanted so I bundled them up and had them as bundles of candles instead.

So as we served them up we each had a slice of candle cake and an individual candle in the top of it.....very clever idea Saxon. I would never have thought of it.

Our other little waitress.

After dinner and desert we were treated to a wonderful display of artistic talent by Autumn.
she made a shadow box theater and then made the figures for the play.

As she moved the figures I read the story of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple: LUKE 2: 22-39

	22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
	23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ),
	24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
	25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
	26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
	27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
	28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
	29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
	30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
	31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
	32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
	33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
	34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
	35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
	36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
	37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
	38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
	39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

Prayer for Candlemas~

Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.
Your son, our beloved Lord Jesus
was presented in the temple 40 days after his birth.
He was recognised by Simeon and Anna,
and welcomed as the promised Messiah.
May we like them, behold the glory of the Lord Jesus.
Grant that we may stand before you
with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.
May we serve you all our days
and make your name known
as we worship you as our Lord.
So may we come by your grace
to eternal life .
Amen.

Blessings to you and your homes,