So what’s a feast day? Feast days are days of Christian celebration, usually in honor of a particular Saint or event in the liturgical calendar. Feast days are a fairly new celebration in our house. Although I have been catholic my whole life, I really didn’t gain appreciation for the Saints until a couple of years ago. To be honest I spent most of my life being intimidated by the Saints. Their holiness felt very unobtainable and left me feeling anxious and unworthy. When I started to recognize the Saints as ordinary people that listened to God and followed his individual call to them I started to grow in my appreciation of the Saints. Now I enjoy learning about the Saints, being inspired by their lives and turning to them for intercessory prayer when I am struggling. I love that when I am facing a difficulty there is a good chance there is a Saint who is the patron Saint of that particular issue. I hope to help my children develop an appreciation of all the holy men and women of our time and those that came before us, and I have found that celebrating feast days is a great way to do that.
Getting Started- I say start slow. Y’all there are so many feast days, nearly one everyday. Don’t get overwhelmed! I would start by making a list of the 5-10 Saints that you most admire or connect with…
Do you or your children share a name with a Saint? Or which Saint did you pick at Confirmation?
Is there a Saint who is the patron Saint of your occupation? Hobby? Or cultural heritage? For example St. Monica is the patron Saint mother’s and married women. One of my sons loves animals and has enjoyed learning about St. Francis of Assisi.
Is there any of the more modern Saints that you admire or appreciate? Such as St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Gianna Moller or St. John Paul II
After you’ve decided on a few Saints to celebrate, look up their feast days and add them to your calendar. A feast day celebration doesn’t have to be elaborate. Ours are pretty basic. I like to set up a little image of the Saint and a quote by the Saint. We try to read a little about the Saint’s life and/or say an intercessory prayer. I also try to pick a themed treat/meal- something to do with the Saint. Sometimes it’s a meal/treat that is from the Saint’s culture. Pinterest is a great resource for feast day ideas!
Here is a printable list of Feast days this summer. Of course it is just a small sampling of the feast days, they are the ones that I felt we might celebrate. Maybe there are a couple of feast days you might like too!
