Winter Solstice and Children's Day
The Children's Day holiday is held each year at Winter
Solstice time in December by the Shambhala community. This holiday, instituted by Chögyam
Trungpa Rinpoche, celebrates children and childhood, emphasizing that every child can
be a king or a queen.
Central to Children's Day is the shrine, constructed and decorated by the children with their family.
Traditions for celebrating Children's Day are evolving around the world:
- Children's Day in the Baca, by Moh Hardin (The
Baca, Southern Colorado, 1991)
- Enter the King and Queen, by Susan Szpakowski
(St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, 1991)
- Shrine, Castle, and Going-Out Tradition,
by Ellen Rook (Albany, New York, 1995)
The ILIANA story, written by
Walter Fordham and presented at Children's Days over the last few years, is now available in book form.
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Last modified Dec 12, 1999
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