Sacred Celebrations, a project of the Spiritual Care Team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, is up through Jan. 7, 2025, in the chapel on the second floor of Monroe Carell.
The project is a way to celebrate the various winter holidays and allow patients, families, and staff to experience wonder, awe, and connection around them and to one another.
Winter celebrations for Christmas/Advent Season, Yule/Winter Solstice, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will be featured in the chapel that will be open 24/7 to allow patients and staff the opportunity to engage in a self-led exploration that includes the following stations:
- Smelling Station — The winter holidays are full of aromas. During the holidays, some people spend time around a Yuletide fire, sitting around a Christmas tree, cooking and eating a Kwanzaa feast, spinning a dreidel for chocolate, or decorating with seasonal goods like cranberries and greenery. When you’re smelling each scent, you are encouraged to pay attention to how each smell makes you feel.
- Sand Tray and Dreidel — On Hanukkah, Jewish people around the world play the game of dreidel to remind them of the events leading up to the Hanukkah miracle. The letters on the sides of the dreidel are in reference to the sacred oil leftover from the Greeks that was enough for one day but lasted eight. Each letter corresponds to coins associated with the game. Participants are encouraged to draw the letters in the sand, spin the dreidel, and explore the variety of Hanukkah materials.
- Connections Board — With the materials provided, participants can make something holiday-themed to pin to the canvas like a note of thanks for the people with you in the hospital or a note for those you are missing, share a special memory, draw a picture or use the polaroid camera to take a photo to post on the board. The possibilities are limitless.
