Dear families with children! Perhaps you've already noticed the bright yellow posters in St Mary's and St Henry's with pictures of kids dressed up as saints, but don't yet understand Finnish and wondered what they are about? Well, here comes a short explanation - and an invitation for your family to the Children's All Saints party in the parish hall of St. Mary's (Mäntytie 2, Helsinki) on Saturday, November 2, from 4 to 6 pm (16 to 18 o'clock)! After a short prayer in the church, there will be funny games for the kids and an opportunity to chat and get to know other parents from both parishes. The most important thing: the kids should dress as their favorite saint or Bible character! Of course adults are allowed to dress up as well; I myself will, too, because I still love costume parties although I'm already very, very old. | Click on the image to go to St Mary's website RSVP, please! |
If you have decided to come, please tell me the number of kids you're bringing (see the RSVP box above), so that I can prepare enough candy presents for them. Please also bring a little food for a common buffet table to share with the others (the parish will provide juice, tea and coffee, and of course the candy). There will also be a kind of lottery game, called "St Anthony's Lost and Found", where kids pull out some item from a big box. If you want your children to participate, please also bring one little item per child - something small enough to fit into a kid's hand, nothing expensive. It might be a little toy or a bar of chocolate or a pretty pen or something like that. If you need inspiration, there's a very cheap shop, Tiger, in Kamppi where you can find nice little stuff for one euro. If you have teenagers, you could also ask them if they would consider helping out with the kids or at the coffee table. Here are some ideas for saints, and for cheap but awesome costumes some American parents (from whom we "borrowed" the idea for this party ) made for their children. Remember, not all saints were monks and nuns, there also are Indians, doctors, knights, soldiers, kings, empresses, queens, princesses, Romans, Africans, Asians... Have fun choosing! | 1) Lists of Saints for inspiration: a) in alphabetical order: http://www.catholic.org/saints/ b) by fame: http://www.catholic.org/saints/popular.php c) women: http://www.catholic.org/saints/female.php d) Africans: http://www.catholic.org/saints/black.php 2) Ideas on how to make costumes - easy, cheap and pretty, with pictures and instructions: a) Ideas for girls (by category: nuns, royals, country girls ect): http://catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-girls/ b) Ideas for boys: http://catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-boys/ c) Ideas for groups of siblings: http://catholicicing.com/group-costumes-ideas-for-all-saints-day-saints-who-go-together/ d) More good ideas for boys and girls: http://showerofroses.blogspot.fi/2008/10/saintly-costumes.html e) Pictures of boy costumes: http://www.catholicinspired.com/search/label/All%20Saints%20Day%20Boy%20Costumes f) Pictures of girl costumes: http://www.catholicinspired.com/search/label/All%20Saints%20Day%20Girl%20Costumes I very much hope to see as many of you as possible at the party! God bless you, Laura |