On the evening of Saturday, December 3rd, a large group of children and parents gathered together to celebrate the beginning of Advent with stories, crafts, and our beautiful spiral of light in North Hall.  We began our evening in the parlor and were treated to a wonderful drama performed by several of our children about the real Saint Nicholas before we headed downstairs to the darkened and quiet North Hall to wait for our turn in the spiral.  Year after year I never tire of the serenity and beauty of our Advent Spiral, where one by one, each child and adult gets his or her own turn to walk slowly to the center of the spiral, light a candle, and carefully place it around the evergreen pathway.  The quiet anticipation, the conscious slowing of our bodies, and the gentle glowing and growing light of the candles create a mesmerizing and meditative space for everyone.  Such a beautiful start to this season of waiting!  A variety of St. Nicholas-inspired crafts, delicious snacks, and a quiet room for reading Christmas books rounded out our evening together.  Please enjoy the many pictures!