Free printable Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, Christmas crafts

Advent is the Catholic Christian season leading up to Christmas. For four weeks, prior to Christmas, Catholics practice Advent values prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each week focuses on hope, expectation and joy. Here are free printable advent calendars for kids to make, to guide Christmas devotions. Free printable Catholic Christian Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, Christmas crafts

Free printable Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages for Catholic feast days

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is honored on several different Catholic and Orthodox Christian holidays. Some are holy days of obligation. December 8 is the Feast Immaculate Conception, January 1 is Solemnity of Mary and August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Advent and Christmas honor Our Lady. She is revered in the Sorrowful, Joyful, Glorious and Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, too.   Free printable Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages for Catholic feast days | Examiner.com

Free printable St. Patrick's Day activities: Saint Patrick lessons, crafts

Erin Go Braugh! Luck 'o the Irish! Always after me Lucky Charms! Sure an' the St. Paddy's Day holiday--March 17--has taken on a pot 'o blarney! That rascally leprechaun has done his bit to turn attention from the real story of Saint Patrick! Green beer, "Kiss me, I'm Irish"even corned beef and boxties have nothing to do with the man behind St. Patricks Day. St. Patrick's Day celebrates the life of the Catholic saint



Patrick (Patricus) a wealthy young Roman living in Briton, who was kidnapped by pagan Irish slavers. In Ireland, Patrick suffered much but escaped and became a bishop. Saint Patrick asked the Pope to return to Ireland to bring the gospel. Patrick's mission brought peace and safety to beleaguered Irish and Ireland became the center of learning and culture in the Dark Ages. Ireland instituted the exemplary Brehon court system, a model for legal justice. Here are free printable Saint Patrick lessons to teach the real meaning. Granted some activities do hit the silly aspects of St. Patrick's Day, but they are at least educational.  Free printable St. Patrick's Day activities: Saint Patrick lessons, crafts | Examiner.com

Shrove Tuesday activities to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lenten season

Mardi Gras--also called Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday--anticipates Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Catholic, Orthodox and some protestant Christian churches. These observances count down to holy week and the Easter Triduum. Shrove Tuesday falls at a different day each year with the movable Easter feast. In 2015, it's Tuesday, Feb. 17. Although the term Mardi Gras is used synonymously with the Carnival ("farewell to the flesh") celebration, it's actually one day. Here are activities children can do to learn more about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent.   Shrove Tuesday activities to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lenten season | Examiner.com

Day of the Dead Lesson Plans and Printable Activities to Celebrate Dia de los Muertos - Bubblews

Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, originated as a pagan celebration preceding the Catholic church's observance of All Saints Day (a holy day honoring canonized saints) on November 1. It is followed by All Souls Day on November 2 which remembers the beloved dead. In Latino cultures, this celebration is called Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Here are Day of the Dead Lesson Plans and Printable Activities to Celebrate Dia de los Muertos

Free St Patricks Day Lesson Plans and Printable Activities

Top 'o the mornin' and all that Irish blarney to ye! Soon it will be St Paddy's day on March 17. The story of Patrick really has naught to do with green beer and leprechauns. Patricus was a Roman boy taken as a slave to Ireland. He became a bishop and returned to the Emerald Isle as a missionary.  Free St Patricks Day Lesson Plans and Printables

Stained Glass Window Christmas Card Crafts with Free Printable Holiday Stencils

I'm always looking for good Christmas and holiday crafts that work with senior citizens, preschoolers and special needs students. Here's a no-fail stenciled holiday card making craft with free printable stencils included that's great for all ages. Gobs of patterns and templates for all your favorite Christmas symbols.Easy Stained Glass Window Christmas Card Crafts with Free Printable Holiday Stencils

Stained Glass Window Christmas Card Crafts with Free Printable Holiday Stencils

I'm always looking for good Christmas and holiday crafts that work with senior citizens, preschoolers and special needs students. Here's a no-fail stenciled holiday card making craft with free printable stencils included that's great for all ages. Gobs of patterns and templates for all your favorite Christmas symbols.Easy Stained Glass Window Christmas Card Crafts with Free Printable Holiday Stencils

Free Printable Christmas Manger Scenes, Nativity Sets

 During Advent we prepare our hearts for the Advent (coming) of Jesus. We set out Advent wreaths, calendars and Nativity sets, also called the creche or manger. Here are free printable nativity scenes. In our house, we begin with a stable full of animals on the first Sunday of advent. Each day we move the figures a little closer toward the stable. When the children were young, they loved 'helping' Mary and Joseph and the Magi travel to Bethlehem. We would place an unbreakable nativity set on a shelf at child level and they were free to rearrange the characters as they chose. Free Printable Advent and Christmas Nativity Scenes
Here are the links.

Free Printable Lent Activities

For Catholics and Orthodox, Ash Wednesday begins the season known as Lent. Lent is a penitential liturgical season of the church calendar. As in Advent, we prepare our minds and hearts for the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the imposition of the ashes, we are reminded to 'turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel'. We think of ways that we can follow this. Here are printable worksheets, games and crafts to help  Free Printable Lent Activities

Free Printable Purim Crafts, Activities

The Hebrew celebration of Purim begins at sundown on February 24, 2023. Each year Jewish observances fall on different days, because our Hebrew brother and sisters do not follow our western Gregorian calendar. Purim celebrates the bravery and wisdom of a simple Jewish girl, Esther who became queen to Ahasuerus, King of Persia. King Ahasuerus's first wife Queen Vashti was very beautiful. One night the King demanded that Vashti parade naked in front of all his guests. She refused and was excecuted.  Free Printable Jewish Purim Activities