Celebration is undoubtedly the most beautiful moment in the life of Fede e Luce. It is the most meaningful because it is the privileged place of encounter, of sharing, of communion—and above all, it is when our joy erupts.
Every gesture, every song, is at once something we experience together and the expression of the joy that this meeting awakens in each of us.
It is essential, therefore, that everyone has the chance to express themselves, to take part. There is no joy if we are not all protagonists, if we are not all at once both actors and spectators. There is no real community if each person is not both welcomed and heard.
There cannot be the "celebrated" and the "celebrators"—simply because community only exists when we are all together.
Celebration as
To make celebration truly all of this, we must prepare well in advance. Like any community activity, this moment succeeds only when organized with care.
This does not mean our chief worry should be doing, doing, doing—efficiency destroys the gratuity of celebration—nor should we suppress spontaneity. On the contrary: by thinking ahead about what tools will let everyone express themselves, and what prompts we can offer to spontaneity, we simply make room for the explosion of joy.
It is about choosing gestures that show we are a community, knowing that it is always the presence of the youngest that will carry along even the most reserved and the saddest.
Preparation itself, I believe, is already part of the celebration: everyone can help by rehearsing skits or making decorations, learning new songs, dreaming up games or dances.
It becomes another chance to know each other, to gather in homes, and to live through the whole month in anticipation of the main event. Everyone will feel responsible for what we are celebrating—because celebration is the expression of our joy—and it will be easier for us all to feel united.
Of course, someone needs to coordinate the different contributions so that the role of animator does not fall to just one person.
Music, in my view, has enormous power. With it we can
- sing
- keep rhythm
- dance
- play an instrument… and also speak and play
And we can combine all these together:
- songs with hand clapping for rhythm
- dances with singing
- games with musical cues…
As for games—in pairs, in teams, with individual representatives—the simplest ones are the best. The basic rules stay the same, but the variations are endless. There are recognition games, hiding games, races, and more. If imagination needs a push, we can adapt games everyone already knows: four corners, hot and cold, dodgeball, hidden ring…
Theater offers endless possibilities: short scenes, mime, puppets.
The scripts can be invented or improvised (that's the most fun!), or made by adapting plays, literature, old commercials, fairy tales, songs…
Finally, it is important to space out the different parts of the celebration, alternating movement and rest, songs and scenes.
Here is one example of how a celebration might flow:
- greetings (essential—we meet new friends, reconnect, exchange news and greetings, sometimes just with a hand on the shoulder)
- songs and dances in a circle (to warm hearts)
- skits or games (with songs in between)
- snack time (so important! It is a sign of sharing, a necessary recharge, a moment to let loose and talk)
- closing songs and dances
The best way to express and live our joy together must be found—found together—keeping in mind that the search itself is the celebration.
Fabio Sbattella