In recent years we began celebrating the feast days of our children’s “name saints,” that is, the saints after whom they are named.

Any family tradition is important for creating a sense of family identity and building a family history.  However, this tradition is particularly special: we not only honor the lives of these holy heroes; we also celebrate the lives of our children.  We demonstrate to them the prized place they hold in God’s family. I hope as the children learn about their patron saints that they’ll be inspired by their lives and comforted by their protection.

For our celebrations this year, I’m planning separate family teas for each feast day, and we’ll study the lives of the relevant saints.  I confess I didn’t know the feast days of the children’s patron saints when I named them at birth.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered all of them have August feast days!

• Aug 3: St. Lydia
• Aug 8: St. Dominic
• Aug  11: St. Claire
• Aug 31:  St. Aidan

I’ve found inspiration about Liturgical Teas on Alice Gunther’s wonderful blog. Alice has such a gift for helping us understand the importance of friendship and creating beautiful gatherings for people we love.