Thursday, November 11, 2010

Our Autumn Festival ::

glass lanterns

Ever since reading the book Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer, I have wanted to have a family Autumn festival. It so happened that last weekend was the perfect weekend to join our closest friends for this event. Our two families brought together food and craft {making lanterns} and after dinner we ventured out with our lighted lanterns for a brisk neighborhood walk. It was breathtaking, no photograph can capture the essence of an event like this. The light from the candles was beautiful, the children were quiet and reverent, the skies were clear and full of stars, it was the perfect night.

lanterns

fire

waiting for dinner

dinner

Menu

Roasted chicken

Corn

Rice

Butternut squash

Cornbread muffins

Tea

Apple pie

Ice cream

lantern walk

We made our lanterns pretty simply, gluing tissue paper to recycled plastic containers. We did pour a little cornmeal in the bottom of each container to give it a little weight and to stabilize the tea light candles. The adults carried glass lanterns, no tissue paper, which turned out beautifully and I’m sure will be used again and again.

lantern walk

lantern walk

lantern walk

dessert - apple pie

So after our walk, we all enjoyed one last time around the table, eating warm apple pie a la mode while being told the story: The Little Red House, With No Doors or Windows and a Star Inside. Can you guess what that is?