Nativity of the Theotokos

NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS

Here we begin the Church School year, just before the first feast of the new year.

Home Activities:

Make your Feast Wheel and hang it in a prominent place to refer to through the year. There are two wheel patterns included, one for most parishes and one for Old Calendar parishes. Both use the same inner wheel for the movable feasts centered around Pascha since these are unchanged. Cut out the two wheels, attach the small one in front of the larger with a brad, line up for this year's Pascha, color or decorate, and you're ready to use.
Color the icon of this feast and place it in your icon corner.
Reread the stories of Joachim and Anna.
Decorate the house with blue, the color of the Theotokos.
There are lots of nurses in the icon; visit a hospital and view the nurses. Maybe you can even get a tour.
Play nurse: you can lie in bed like Anna and your child can wait on you.

Prayer: Lord, bless all babies, born and unborn, as you blessed Joachim and Anna with the baby Mary.

Nativity of the Theotokos Cryptogram

Decode the message below to learn an important fact about this feast!