On December 3rd, the eve of the Feast of Great Martyr Barbara and Righteous John of Damascus, our parish hosted St. Barbara’s Festival for children.
The evening began with a short Vespers service dedicated to the saints, during which the children actively participated by reading some of the prayers.
Following the service, the children of our parish’s Sunday School performed a play about the life and martyrdom of St. Barbara. The performance was wonderful and educational. Our young actors did an incredible job bringing her story to life!
As is traditional for this feast, children came dressed in their favorite costumes, commemorating how St. Barbara disguised herself to hide from her father after confessing Christian faith. During our Costume Parade, each child had the opportunity to explain their costume to the audience and received a small gift.
In keeping with another beautiful tradition, the children—supervised by our dedicated volunteers—planted seeds of wheat. This act remembers how the wheat field miraculously concealed St. Barbara as she fled from the soldiers pursuing her.
The celebration continued with games. Multiple rounds of Pass the Parcel brought much excitement, and the evening culminated in a massive game of Musical Chairs with 25 children participating.
The festival concluded with a blessing and the sharing of traditional festive sweet treats.
We extend our gratitude to St. George’s Activities Group for organizing the event, the Sunday School teachers for preparing the wonderful play, and all the volunteers who helped on the spot.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special celebration. We hope your children had a blessed and joyful time honoring St. Barbara.
May St. Barbara and St. John of Damascus intercede for all of us. Happy Feast!