Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent printables

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.   Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent printables

Printable Lenten Almsgiving, Prayer, Fasting Activity

Catholics entered lent on Ash Wednesday. During this season, we fast, pray and give alms (extra tithing). Here's a way to do all three in one activity. Parents and homeschoolers, you might try this. Printable lenten calendar, prayer guide, family activities, coloring pages included.   Three in One Lent Almsgiving, Prayer, Fasting Activity

Free Printable Catholic Lenten Activities

The Catholic Lenten season will soon be upon us. In lent, we practice gospel virtues: prayer, fasting, almsgiving. We seek to draw near God, by imitating Christ's suffering. Those acts in turn help us grow stronger. Here are lenten sacrifice activities for children.   Lenten Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Activities for Children

Free Printable St Valentines Day Lessons

Valentines Day is a feast day in the Catholic church to honor a Roman priest who performed marriages against an edict by the emperor. Valentine was martyred. Here are free printable lesson plans on the history of Valentines Day from a Catholic perspective. Catholic Saint Valentine Lesson Plans, Activities

Free Printable Advent Calendars, Religious and Secular

Advent is a penitential season that starts four weeks before Christmas in Catholic and Orthodox-christian churches. As in lent (before Easter) we pray, fast and give alms to prepare our hearts for the "coming" (advent) of Christ (from the Latin "adveniat regnum"--coming of Christ's kingdom.) The first Sunday of Advent in 2013 is December 1. Here are printable advent calendars for kids. Free Printable Advent Calendar Crafts for Kids

Free Printable Saints and Animals Crafts for Feast of St. Francis

October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in Catholic tradition. Francis is known for many things but best known as the patron saint of animals. Many people participate in the Blessing of the Pets on his feast day. I remember when our oldest was 5, at St. Mary's in Spring Lake (before I decided to home school). I missed bringing our cat Oliver for the pet blessing and she was heart-broken (sure some horrible fate would befall him). So Sister told me to bring him in for his own blessing. Here are free animals and saints coloring pages to celebrateFree Printable Saints, Animals Crafts for Feast of St. Francis

Free Printable Imbolc Activities, Wiccan Sabbat Crafts

The pagan holiday of Imbolc is celebrated on February 1-2 (depending on year). It's a Gaelic druidic holiday, called St. Brighid's Day, and honors the coming of spring. Much is known about Christian and national holidays. Many Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu celebrations are familiar. The holidays that are least known (also some of the world's oldest) are pagan or wiccan. I don't practice Wicca, but as a homeschool parent and teacher, I explore different cultures. If you're a pagan parent or homeschooler or you're teaching world religions, here are free printable Wiccan crafts, coloring pages and resources for holidays (or sabbats). Imbolc Printables

Free Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls for Feast Days, Holidays

I've been blogging since 2008. I write a lot about holidays and it's inspiring to see that the holidays that draw the most reader are Catholic feast days. Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Days of Obligation--those are the biggees. I enjoy looking for free printable coloring pages, but my real passion lies in finding homeschooling and religious education free printables. I remember my early teaching days and late homeschooling career, sans computer. I must have made thousands of lesson plans. Alas, I am woefully inept as an artist, so the lesson plans that required drawing skills...lacked. With the Internet, we've printable lesson plans, coloring pages, cut and paste crafts, games and activities. Just in time for Valentines Day, here are Saints Feast Day Paper Dolls, Printables

Free Diwali Recipes to Print

Here is a compilation of best Diwali recipes. Other religions that observe Diwali, also called Divali and Deepavali are Jainism and Sikhism. All those who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, insist that the festival isn't complete without the feasting, especially with sweets or 'Mithai', so here are sources of Diwali recipes. I'm not Indian, nor do I practice the Hindu faith, but reading about these mouth-watering confections and foods makes me wish to visit Bali and maybe get invited to participate in a Diwali festival.  Recipes to Celebrate Hindu Diwali

Free Printable Jewish Sukkot Resources for Parents, Home Schoolers, Educators

Jewish families are celebrating the Sukkot holiday. This "festival of tabernacles" goes until sundown Wednesday. In Jewish tradition, children are involved in religious activities. Here are resources for parents, home-school families and educators to explore Sukkot with children. These materials help children understand the traditional significance behind the building of the sukkah.  Sukkot Resources for Parents, Home-Schoolers, Educators

Free Printable Feast of the Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Coloring Pages and Activities

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is honored on several different Catholic Christian holidays throughout the year. December 8, the Feast Immaculate Conception, January 1, Solemnity of Mary and August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here are free printable coloring pages of Our Lady in her different titles and roles.

May and October are dedicated to her as well. Catholics believe that Mary has appeared at different times in history. Some of the better-known apparitions are at Fatima in Portugal; Lourdes, France; Medjugorie , Bosnia-Herzegovina; Mexico City as "Our Lady of Guadalupe:" " Our Lady of Knock " in Ireland and " Our Lady of Czestochowa ," in Poland. There are Marion devotions depending upon the apparition, too. Here are Blessed Virgin Mary Coloring Pages and Activities 

Free Printable Ramadan, Eid Activities, Islamic Faith Instruction for Children

In the Muslim tradition and calendar, Ramadan is a holy season dedicated to spiritual activities, fasting and prayer. Ramadan typically coincides with the western month of August. The month of Ramadan ends with Eid-ul-Fitr (often shortened to Eid or "lesser Eid"). This is a three-day period following the sawm (fast). For 2012, Ramadan begins on July 20 and ends with Eid around Aug. 18 (or when the crescent moon appears). Here are free printable lessons on Islam and particularly Ramadan, for Muslim children and children of other faiths. Look here for resources-- Ramadan, Eid Activities and Islamic Faith Instruction for Children 

Free Printable Lenten Lessons and Activities

Lent begins each year with the Imposition of the Ashes on Ash Wednesday, which in the western calendar for 2008 will begin very early on February 6. Lent begins a 40 day journey of fasting, acts of mercy and spiritual pilgrimage. We try to live, in our poor humble human way, in solidarity with Our Lord as he fasted in the desert for 40 days and made his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A Roman cross, torture and crucifixion awaited Him. But so did the glory of Easter, the Resurrection. Lent is a season for intense and deep personal and spiritual reflection.
Here are several well researched websites in line with the Magisterium (the teachings of the Holy Roman Church), the Holy See (seat of Peter) and the catechism. I try to make sure that all Catholic materials have the Nil Obstat and Imprimatur (these are seals of approval from the bishops and of the church that this material does not deviate in any way from Catholic doctrine). Here are lessons to explore Lent:  Free Printable Lenten Lessons and Activities 

Free Printable Passover lesson plans and activities for families

Passover, or Pesach, is a seven-day Jewish holiday observance. It generally falls in April in the western calendar. In 2012, Passover will be celebrated beginning at sundown Saturday, April 6 and lasting through Friday, April 14. On the Hebrew lunisolar calendar (which is based on both moon phases and solar cycles), Passover is celebrated on Nissan 15-22. Here are resources for Jewish kids and parents to explore and celebrate Passover more fully. These activities can help non-Jewish families understand and experience Hebrew traditions, too. Read more at Jewish Passover lessons and activities for families

Free Printable Jewish Purim Activities

The Hebrew celebration of Purim begins at sundown sometime around March or April. 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 executed. Here are activities, lessons and crafts for this sacred Jewish holiday. Read more at Free Printable Jewish Purim Activities

Free Printable Lent and Catholic Easter Coloring Pages

For Catholics and Christians, Easter is about more than just bunnies and candy. Easter is about the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here are free printable stations of the cross, rosary, saints and Easter bible story coloring pages. The Catholic and Orthodox churches, and some protestant Christian churches, observe the season of Lent for forty days before Easter. Lent "follows" Jesus's during forty days of fasting in the desert when He was tempted by Satan. in preparation for His sacrifice on the cross. During Lent, we pray, fast and do acts of mercy, almsgiving and penance to imitate Jesus. We follow the "Way of the Cross" or Stations of the Cross and pray the rosary. Read more at Free Printable Lent and Catholic Easter Coloring Pages

Free Printable Rosh HaShanah Activities - September 29, 2011

Free Printable Rosh HaShanah Activities Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year and will be celebrated on September 29, 2011 of the western calendar. Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Awe, precedes Yom Kippur in the Jewish Tishrei. Here are printable activities for Rosh HaShanah. Rosh HaShanah is the first of the two Jewish high holy day. It falls on the approximate date when Moses led the Hebrews out of bondage from Egypt. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is the second highest holy day in the Jewish calendar. These days are a time for reconciliation and repentance. Referred to by Hebrew people as The Days of Awe, the sacredness of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are roughly equivalent to the importance of Easter in the Christian Gregorian calendar. Read more

Free Printable Ramadan Activities and Islamic Faith Instruction for Children

In the Muslim tradition and calendar, Ramadan is a holy season dedicated to spiritual activities, fasting and prayer. Ramadan typically coincides with the western month of August. The month of Ramadan ends with Eid-ul-Fitr (often shortened to Eid or 'lesser Eid'). This is a three-day period following the sawm (fast). For 2011, Ramadan begins on Aug. 1 and ends with Eid around Aug. 30 (or when the crescent moon appears). Here are free printable lessons on Islam and particularly Ramadan, for Muslim children and children of other faiths. Read more 

Free Printable Activities for Jewish Pesach - Passover

Mazel Tov! Activities to Celebrate Queen Esther and Purim This article was written about free printable Purim activities, but the websites linked are all Hebrew websites and include activities for Pesach - Passover. Coloring pages, crafts, lessons. prayers, devotions, Parsha readings and resources for Jews and gentiles. Great for teachers, parents and home school. Read more

Mazel Tov! Activities to Celebrate Queen Esther and Purim

Purim celebrates Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai's victory over Haman. Haman had plotted with King Ahasuerus to kill the Hebrews living in Persia. Queen Esther obeyed G-d and saved her people. Here are resources to explore this Jewish holiday and Bible story. Activities to Celebrate Queen Esther and Purim