Primary II Blog: The Montessori Birthday Celebration

The Montessori birthday celebration, referred to as the “Celebration of Life,” is one of the most moving traditions we come together for in our classroom and school community.  Parents are encouraged to attend this special event honoring their child, typically beginning when the child enters the Primary classroom.  The child who is being honored is tasked with the responsibility of setting up the months of the year around a candle (which represents the sun).  The child is encircled by her parents, teachers and friends as she begins her journey (walk) around the sun while holding a globe.  Each orbit around the sun represents 365 days, 12 months, or one year of that child’s life.  As we say the months of the year together, this ritual is a reminder that on a deeper level, the child is experiencing time and place, geography and even history.  The children listen intently as Mom and Dad show photos of their child and discuss major events and milestones that have occurred since the child entered the world.

Unique to a Montessori classroom, the mixed ages allow children to reflect on what they were like at three years old and envision what they will be like when they turn six years old.  Often, a child who was shy her first year, evolves into a confident second and third year student who proudly orbits the sun and even begins to interject her parents and tell her own story.  It is a time for the child to reminisce on her life, to engage in public speaking, and to be celebrated by friends and united by love.  The most beautiful aspect surrounding this occasion is the emphasis on being connected to the planet and share the miracle of human existence.

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.”
-Maria Montessori