What’s a pastor’s kids doing at the Solstice Parade? Having the time of their lives!

My kids, ages 3 and five, are laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs. They are seated on either end of a giant see-saw, one of them embraced by a man in drag, the other seated with a fellow wearing a leather vest and holding a wine bottle in one hand. In addition to being flung up and down through the air on an enormous piece of wood, the entire see-saw is on huge wheels and two FAC folks are whipping the thing around in circles. It’s a playground experiment in centrifugal force – supersized!

This certainly isn’t the childhood I grew up with! In my parent’s staid Lutheran church the most exciting event was sneaking out from youth group to go toilet papering. So why are my kids – pastor’s kids—at the Solstice Parade with nudists and neo-pagans? Because it’s an absolutely stellar place for kids to learn about community, creativity, and celebration. FAC artists and organizers are terrific teachers, and I’m eager to have my kids learn from their artful, communal examples.

Our girls have been in the Solstice parade since before they could walk its length. We’ve danced behind a drum team; pulled a 30 foot litter bug; and collected recycling from thousands of parade goers. The kids were surrounded by nudist on bicycles, drag queens with parasols, and an enormous inflatable “Dick” Cheney. All of this adult play doesn’t faze them one bit. It’s all just part of a great community party – a celebration of the return of the light. They get it, all the way down to their toes. They know what it means to celebrate the positive energy brought about by the return of the sun, and by the light-filled Solstice community. Are there challenges for kids? Sure. There’s lots of stuff that’s ‘no touch’ in the workshop, and some things are a bit of a trick to explain in age-appropriate language. But FAC’s no violence guidelines keeps the parade accessible to these young members of our large community, and most things can be well explained by thoughtful, open-minded parents. Take everything with an easy spirit and the Solstice Parade is a great place for the young and the young of heart. From a kid’s-eye view the workshop is as fascinating as Willie Wonka’s factory, and the parade itself is a trip to Oz.
Kids are used to coloring outside the lines — anything unfamiliar is something their supple minds easily make space for.

The day after our first Solstice Parade in 2001, I had a preaching gig and my then five-year-old went to Sunday School. After class she showed me a picture she’d drawn. “This is David mama – and this is Goliath with his ugly penis.” Goliath was a crayola replica of the 6-plus foot man who had been marching beside us along the parade route—naked save for blue body paint and some semi-strategically placed silver stars. Rather than being confused or frightened by the man (who’s um, “star” must have been at eye-level for the kiddo) our daughter simply contextualized her experience. The tallest man you’ve ever seen painted blue—hmm—must be a giant. No big whoop.

At the Solstice workshop I’ve looked up to find our older daughter learning sign language from a non-hearing woman who was folding peace cranes; discovered the younger one hanging paper mache gummy bears; and found both of them holed up with other age-mates underneath a life-sized wooly mammoth. What a great set of memories! What a great place to be a kid! Oh, and the song she was learning to sign? The more we get together the happier we’ll be. All I can say is, Amen! Bring on the light!

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Rachelle Mee-Chapman is an urban abbess at Monkfish Abbey, a generous soulcare community in Wallingford. This year her kids will be helping her out as a workshop mom and joining the parade with whatever ensemble will have ‘em. This is their fourth year in the Solstice parade.