We are a community comprised of diverse families with many cultural traditions and belief systems. Each year, we celebrate the range of cultural and religious beliefs and traditions through song during our Festival of Lights program. This program reaffirms our belief in unity and community. Although we all come from different backgrounds, many of our cultural celebrations are filled with light. In many cultures, light banishes darkness and represents hope. Our winter Festival of Lights program reflects the theme of light in the birth and rebirth found in folklore, religious experiences, and cultural traditions from around the world.

The Festival of Lights Setting:

For this program, we use symbols from around the world. The scenery reflects the songs that our students are singing and/or the cultures represented in our student body.

Christmas Tree - Today the lighted Christmas tree is an ecumenical, culturally American symbol of the giving of gifts and celebrating family. Its roots are from the 8th century, when a missionary named Boniface, after cutting down an oak tree sacred to the pagan god Thor, pointed to a nearby fir tree and said that it was a symbol of the love and mercy of God. The evergreen tree is an ancient symbol of life in the midst of winter. Romans decorated their houses, mainly the windows and mantles, with evergreen branches during the New Year. 

The Kinara - The kinara is the candleholder used during the African-American Kwanzaa celebrations, a celebration of unity and community. The kinara holds seven candles, and one candle is lit each day during the seven-day celebration. These candles represent the Seven Principles (or Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. 

Luminarias - This is traditionally a decorative element most often found in Latin America, specifically Mexico. Traditionally, luminarias are made from brown paper bags weighed down with sand and illuminated from within by a lit candle. These are typically arranged in rows to create large and elaborate displays.

The Menorah - The menorah represents the miracle of the Hanukah lights, when only one day's worth of oil burned for eight days after the Maccabees reclaimed the holy Temple. The menorah's mission, a symbol of the nation of Israel, is to be "a light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6). According to the Jewish faith, Israel is supposed to accomplish its mission by setting an example by not using force. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit" (Zechariah 4:1-6).

The Nativity - The Nativity manger scene is a representation of a Christian pastoral moment. This scene captures the adoration on the faces of Mary and Joseph, Jesus's parents. This is a powerful moment in the Christian faith because it tells the tale of God shining his light on a star to guide shepherds and wise men to His only son in the manger.

Performances at the Festival of Lights will include:

• The Junior Kindergarten Chicks will perform "Jingle Bells" with faculty singers (secular)
• Kindergarten Penguins and Polar Bears will usher in the eighth-graders for the Santa Lucia processional (Christian story of love and light)
• 1st Grade Goats and Sheep will tell the tale of how the Grinch stole Christmas by singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
• 2/3 Buckeyes and Viceroys will sing songs of Diwali (Hindu Festival of Lights) and Kwanzaa (African-American celebration of community)
• 4/5 Coopers and Redtails will sing "Silent Night" (a Christmas carol) and "The Hanukkah Song" (Jewish Festival of Lights)
• 6th Grade will sing Korean Folk song "Arirang," celebrating the Lantern Festival in Korea and other parts of Asia
• 7th Grade will perform "The Raven," a creation myth about light in Native American culture, with a sustainability twist
• 8th Grade will perform Santa Lucia and sing "Dona Nobis Pachem"

Service Spotlight

This year, Middle School advisory groups prepared 13 baskets, each containing the fixings for a festive holiday meal for a family of four, for the clients of the Koinonia Foundation. Koinonia provides both short-term emergency assistance and self-sufficiency services to the citizens of the Greater Kingstowne/Franconia area. They provide emergency assistance with food and clothing, offer a financial safety net, and encourage self-sufficiency by offering counseling and education to break the cycle of poverty.

As part of our effort, parent Amy Heist ran a cookie decorating workshop, which produced beautiful home-baked cookies that we included in the baskets. The baskets were ably wrapped (during one of our snow days) by Zoe Traub '14 and her mom Amanda. Parent Maria Wigodsky delivered the completed baskets to Koinonia. thanks to all the students and families who brought in food items and donated money to purchase grocery gift cards so that families could buy meat, fresh vegetables and other perishable items to complete their holiday dinners.