I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope having them all in one place is helpful to you, too!
(And remember, just start with one or two special days a month! Keep it simple!)
And I pinned all of the following resources on a February Liturgical Year board on pinterest for your convenience!
OK, without further ado: Links for Liturgical Living in February
February 1st: St. Brigid of Ireland
Books:
Ideas for celebrating:
- A Simple Meal for St. Brigid’s Day: Carrots for Michaelmas
- Grain-Free Irish Soda Bread: Elana’s Pantry
- The Feast of St. Brigid: Two Os Plus More
- Feast of St. Brigid: Surviving Our Blessings
- How to Make a St. Brigid’s Cross: Fish Eaters
- St. Brigid’s Feast Day, Literature, Crafts, and a Recipe: Campfires and Cleats
And check out this gorgeous St. Brigid print by Audrey Eclectic!
February 2nd: The Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas)
- Liturgical Living: Candlemas: Carrots for Michaelmas
- Candlemas Candle Craft: JOY{filled}family
- Candlemas and St. Blaise: Two Os Plus More
- Candlemas: Fr. Z
February 3rd: St. Blaise
- St. Blaise Cookies: Shower of Roses
February 5th: St. Agatha
- St. Agatha: Catholic Culture
- St. Agatha Rolls: Catholic Cuisine
February 6th: St. Paul Miki and Companions
- Make Simple Sushi (You can find Daniel’s recipe in our new cookbook, More Feasts!)
February 8th: St. Josephine Bahkita
- African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bahkita: Catholic Cuisine
February 10th: St. Scholastica
- St. Scholastica, virgin: Catholic Culture
Books:
February 11th: Our Lady of Lourdes
- A (Blue) French Meal for Our Lady of Lourdes: Catholic Cuisine
February 14th: St. Valentine
- St. Valentine: The Martyr Not the Roses: Two Os Plus More
- REAL Valentines: This Ain’t the Lyceum (Sure to make you laugh!)
Books:
February 17th: Mardi Gras
Food/Activities for Celebrating:
- Gluten Free King Cake: Celiac Family (my kids are allergic to gluten, so here’s a GF version!)
- Make a tradition New Orleans Sazerac (we share our recipe in our liturgical year cookbook Feast!)
- Make a Cajun dinner of Shrimp Remoulade. (Recipe here.)
February 18th: Ash Wednesday
Food/Activities for Observing:
- Lenten Grass: Observing Lent with Children: Kitchen Parade
Lent
- Preparing for Lent: Planning and Resources: Carrots for Michaelmas
- Getting Ready for Lent (video in the Knot Bad series): A Knotted Life
- Printable Lenten Calendar for Kids: Catholic Icing
- Stations of the Cross Eggs for Catholic Kids: Catholic Icing
- Stations of the Cross Box for Kids: A Knotted Life
- Walking Through Lent with Small Children: Two Os Plus More
- 66 Things to Give Up or Take Up for Lent: Catholic All Year
- 100 Things to Do for Lent: His Pierced Hands
- A Meaningful Lent (The Monstrously Long Post): Karen Edmisten
- Bury the Alleluia and Other Last Minute Lent Resources: Carrots for Michaelmas
- Great Books for Lent: Fountains of Home
February 21st: St. Peter Damian
- St. Peter Damian, bishop and doctor: Catholic Culture
February 22nd: The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle
- Make Candy Chairs at Catholic All Year
Food for thought:
- Black Metal, the Chair of St. Peter, and the Upside Down Cross: Daniel Bearman
Books:
Peter, Apostle of Jesus by Boris Grebille
Some links above are Amazon affiliate links.
Feel free to share more resources in the comments!
Want to learn more about the liturgical seasons and how to celebrate the Christian Year and saints days with real food recipes? Check out our cookbook Feast! Real Food, Reflections, and Simple Living for the Christian Year.
Haley
Round up of talented folk here:)
https://sites.google.com/site/faithfilleddays/february
https://sites.google.com/site/faithfilleddays/lent
Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Love this. Thank you so much for doing these each month! I know it’s a lot of work… Now I need to get in gear! Also, I love your tablecloth
Thanks! It’s our Lent tablecloth 😉
So many great resources. Thank you!
😉
Thank you so much!! We are taking baby steps into celebrating the liturgical year (just celebrated our first saint day ever yesterday – St. John Bosco!). It’s so helpful to have these resources laid out ahead of time to help with planning.
I am SO glad it’s helpful, Kate! <3
Isn’t Tomie DePaola the best? I have no little kids, but I read his books anyway 🙂 Thank you for doing this for everyone. February is a little month, but full of things! I cannot wait for the French food for Our Lady of Lourdes and the sushi for St. Paul Miki!
He is just our favorite of favorites! I’m so sad I didn’t read him as a child. But I’m making up for lost time now 😉
Yay, I look forward to this every month! Thanks for going to the trouble to do it!
You’re welcome, Shannon!
Thanks for these! Happy belated feast of St. Brigid (patroness of my motherland!)
The Starving Inspired
Happy belated feast to you, Iris!
Thank you for taking the time to compile these resources! I’m often underwhelmed by the amount of Lent books and devotionals out there for families, so it’s helpful to see what has worked for you.
Also, we love that book of Saint Valentine.
Absolutely! We’re still figuring out what works for us. I have some new resources from Holy Heroes for this year that I’m excited about sharing, too!
What a great compilation of Lenten resources! I though I might pass along this link to the celebration of the Great Fast (Lent) from an Eastern Catholic perspective for those who might be interested in “breathing with both lungs, East & West” (as St. John Paul II called Catholics to do).
https://melkite.org/faith/faith-worship/holy-week-traditions
I highly recommend attending a Lenten Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts if there is an Eastern / Greek / Byzantine Catholic parish near you. This is an ancient, moving & penitential service which includes the chanting of the Psalms & the beautiful Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian. God bless!
Wonderful suggestions, Patricia!
Hey, I looked through the links (and maybe I missed something) but I still haven’t found kid friendly books/stories for Lent. Any suggestions? Thanks!!
Thanks for these great resources. I have one question…what’s up with the Sazerac beverage for Mardi Gras?! I’m totally intimidated by it! I recall going on a hunt for absinthe during college after watching Moulin Rouge…we never found it and I was under the impression it wasn’t legal in the US (or maybe just Ohio). Are there different types? Where does one buy this?
wait..that was definitely not just one question ;).
I love your monthly resources! Thanks for sharing! My husband and I try so hard each month to really celebrate the feasts and fast where we need, but life is so hectic right now. I really appreciate you making these resources available. I thought I’d share one Lenten resource on fasting, a really great ministry here in Boston: https://ourmilkandhoney.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/live-the-fast/
I just listened to your podcast at fountains of carrots about Lent, such a great listen for Sunday night dishes, heading into the week of Ash Wednesday! Thank you!
Oh yay! So glad you liked it 🙂