In this blog post, Laura Kooistra shares seven reasons to celebrate, going beyond the typical milestones, birthdays, and holidays. You can also listen to Delise and Ginny discuss this topic with Laura on Blessings and Motherhood in “The Art of Celebrating Well.“
How Do You Define Your Terms?
Whether you’re a CC member or you classically educate at home, I’m willing to bet you have a favorite dictionary. And I’d even go so far as to say that none of us would consider that weird!
I grew up with The American Heritage dictionary, required by my brick-and-mortar school. Sitting in my 11th grade Shakespeare class, I was enthralled by The Oxford English Dictionary.
As a homeschooling parent and classical educator, I’ve come to rely on and feel fondly about “The 1828”. I don’t even have to say the rest because if you know you know.
I’m referring to Websters Dictionary 1828. And, when it’s time to define a term, it’s where I turn!
Let’s Define “Celebrate”
Using the online Merriam Webster Diction I find:
The first thing I notice is that the term is transitive. For those of us familiar with The Essentials Program, we know that a transitive verb needs an object. We’re celebrating something.
As the definition tells us, sometimes it’s a ceremony like being sworn in as a judge. It’s very solemn but we celebrate the accomplishment of that lawyer turned judge, turned public servant. We might celebrate something like, “Yay! You passed your driver’s test!” For younger students milestones like learning to spell their name, or in my family’s case, staying in their bed all night, are cause for celebration! In my opinion the small and big wins alike are a reason to celebrate—especially if there’s ice cream involved!
We honor occasions like anniversaries, graduations, weddings, and holidays. We set apart accomplishments like Senior Thesis, a book release, or an artist competing an installation or gallery show. Many of these falls into the “Big Event” bucket and you probably easily recognize the shared community marked by ceremony that surrounds this type of celebration.
Surely, you’ve noticed that the “something” doesn’t have to be tied to much of anything. To celebrate doesn’t have to be boisterous. From high to low, to once in a lifetime, to every day that ends in “day” – “to celebrate” is within our grasp and I would suggest that the common life is to be celebrated as much as possible.
So, whether you make every Friday night a celebration for a job well done, or simply that you made it through the academic week, pizza night and family movies or games is always a way to put a lovely cap on the week!
At the Core of Celebration Is the Goodness of God
We see the pattern of celebration begin in the Old Testament Scriptures. Feasts, for example, which the Israelites kept in accordance with the law were always commemorative of something good the Lord had done or is doing on behalf of his people. These recurring celebrations were sacred and helped the people recognize the significance of the acts of the Lord.
The biblical accounts make the celebrations very accessible to modern readers. We easily comprehend that to celebrate God’s deliverance, His provision, His prophetic promises fulfilled is in response to God’s goodness.
When we respond to God’s goodness and celebrate, we bring glory to God. He is the object of our transitive verb!
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31
What Do We Celebrate at the End of the Homeschooling Year?
Certainly, we point to the goodness of God, whether the year was stellar, a knock ‘em down, drag ‘em out slog, or somewhere in between. We’ll experience it all, and the goodness of God is steadfast.
But, let’s bring this a little more down to earth. Here are seven suggestions that you might want to incorporate into your family rhythm.
1. Academic Achievements
Recognize your child’s academic progress. This is perfect for the homeschooling family since you uniquely understand what the highs and lows of your student’s academic year have been. You know how you’ve scaled, tailored, adjusted, and customized and how your student has mastered difficult skills, loved certain areas of study, persevered through hardship, and achieved academic goals. You can create certificates of “______” to commemorate your student’s achievement and hold a celebratory ceremony.
2. Special Projects or Achievements
Whether it’s a 4H ribbon, a part in the local performing arts production, a memorable Faces of History presentation, achieving Memory Master, or your teen landing their first job, take some time to celebrate! Homemade cards, a favorite meal, get into your stash of sparklers- any of these accessible ideas will help you put together a celebration.
3. Family Milestone
Do you remember the day you started your CC journey? What about a gotcha day for an adopted son or daughter? Are there birthdays, anniversaries, retirements- these celebrations for families mark the years and knit you together in shared memories.
4. Personal Milestones
Your student just achieved a level in karate, they learned to ride bareback, or finally made the perfect macaron! Don’t miss the chance to notice and celebrate. Of more significance, your child comes to saving faith in Christ, professes their faith publicly through baptism or profession of faith, finishes their bible reading plan – make a big deal! Or at least light a candle, turn on some music, and hang a homemade banner!
5. Transitions
Is this the year your student moves from Foundations and Essentials to the Challenge program? Did somebody get a raise or promotion? Is your recent graduate heading off to college or do they have a sweet internship lined up? Humans are uniquely able to celebrate the future and the goodness to come!
6. Gratitude
Did your student have a unique bond with a Tutor or Director? Celebrate with a thank you note and the expression of gratitude. Maybe you’ll want to organize an appreciation gathering like meeting up for a picnic, a bonfire and sunset, or smores. This would be a fun celebration in which to include classmates! Did grandparents, a mentor from church, or a coach speak into your student’s life? Yours? A handwritten note, a coffee meet-up, or a “grownups only” dinner are possible ways to celebrate.
7. Restoration
We all go through seasons of loss, difficult change, mourning/grief, and valleys. Some of these seasons do resolve in restoration and we do well to celebrate how the Lord has delivered us. And, for those of us for whom the circumstances won’t or can’t change, celebration is still possible when we remember to rejoice in the Lord and His goodness.
(Please, oh please, do not hear me spiritually bypassing the difficulties under which you must continuously bear up. Sometimes it’s enough for me to celebrate with a cup of tea or a homemade latte, and a spot of sunshine on the back deck that “today is not as hard as yesterday; thank you, God!”)
What Are the Benefits of Committing to Celebrate?
I’m sure you’ll have your list of benefits for celebrating. Which of the following resonates with you?
- Reflecting on lessons learned
- Preparing for changes in routine or environment
- Marking the conclusion of one thing before moving to the next
- Creating anticipation for the future
- Engaging community and connecting people through events
- Building confidence with recognition for achievements or overcoming struggle
- Establishing shared traditions
- Cultivating gratitude
- Setting the course for future action plans and goals
- Acknowledging personal growth and accomplishments
What Are Some Specific Ideas for Celebrations That Are Not “Typical”?
(i.e. Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Holidays)
My family has loved the annual celebration of summer solstice. We start a bonfire, hope that fireflies have arrived, listen to the song of insects, birds, and tree frogs while we await the sun’s disappearing from view on the longest day of the year. Root Beer Floats are mandatory!
Fridays are important in our family culture. Mom and dad are done with the work week as are the adult children still living at home. We take a break from the homeschool routine and enjoy horseback riding lessons in the late afternoon. And then, it’s pizza night! We’ve perfected homemade crust, and we experiment with toppings. As the pizza’s come out of the oven, we gather to watch a family friendly show or movie. We finally slow down, celebrate the provisions from the week, the joy of connecting with each other, and special food!
My family is fortunate to live near the lakeshore of one of the Great Lakes. My husband has a late winter birthday, and we try to go to the water’s edge to take in the expansive view, enjoy a drive, and whether it’s wintry or mild, we set apart his day with a trip to the beach!
We have some special music playlists that provoke sweet memories from shared trips, events, and seasons of family life. When we play those songs, we’re transported to “back when” and we enjoy it all over again! Dance parties on the back deck are expected.
Here are some ideas from other families:
- Create a slide show: Go through photos and add music to create a slide show for your family and friends.
- Take a field trip—or a vacation: Consider a commemorative getaway or a trip to a venue/attraction that your family will enjoy.
- Make a memory collage: Use pictures of field trips, projects, experiments, and other fun moments to create a display and set a time to tell stories and share memories of the events.
- Give silly awards: Hold family or community votes for “Most likely to______”, or “Best _____”. Create categories, cast secret ballots, you might play The Throne Room for your mock awards ceremony, and dissolve into laughter and happy tears!
It’s Good to Celebrate!
Acts of commemoration, gratitude, togetherness, and community not only honors our achievements and milestones, but also bears witness to the enduring faithfulness of God. From ancient feasts to modern day gatherings, celebrations weave their way through the history of human experience, reminding us of the providence and goodness of God.
It’s not too overstated to suggest that celebration is not just an act, but a way of life—a testament to our belief in the unfailing faithfulness of God and the uniquely human capacity to envision the future. For in celebration, we find not only the culmination of our past achievements, but the promise of blessings to come.
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