One of the clauses is:
"Find out about a festival or celebration involving light or candles such as Hanukah, Diwali, Loy Krathrong or Advent. Make something for that festival, eg. a diva (small clay lamp) or a special candle"
Here is some information on a much wider range of festivals linked with light which could maybe be used for this clause. They are arranged more or less in date order through the year.
(translation: Jashn-e: festival of, Sadeh: hundred)
When: Dec / Jan
What: Sadeh is a mid-winter celebration in Iran. Two different religious groups celebrate it, and they fix the date differently so it can be in December or January. It includes preparing a large bonfire and is therefore also known as Adur-Jashan (Feast of fire). The bonfire is meant to drive back the winter and encourage the heat and light of summer. Everyone in the community is expected to bring a branch for the bonfire:
'A branch, a branch...!
Whoever gives a branch,
May God grant his wish!
Whoever does not give a branch,
May God not grant his wish!'
The fire burns all night, and in the morning a woman from each household takes a burning piece of wood from the fire and uses it to set a fire in her own home, the idea being to spread the blessing made by the fire.
More info: http://www.farsinet.com/norooz/sadeh.html
When: Jan / Feb (depending on the lunar calendar. In 2002 this was 27 Feb, in 2003 it will be 16 Feb)
What: The lantern festival has been part of Chinese New Year celebrations for about 2000 years. It is usually held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar and marks the end of New Year festivities. The lanterns often show animals & birds, a particularly popular choice is the animal of the new “zodiac” year. For 2002 this is the horse. Other traditions include trying to solve the riddles which are sometimes written on the lanterns, and eating tang yuan, a kind of rice dumpling. Releasing the lanterns with a flame inside causes them to lift into the air – this originated as a way for travellers to let those at home know they were safe and hadn’t been waylaid by bandits.
More info: http://www.asia2000.org.nz/about/events/lantern/background.shtml
http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/festival_c/glue_e/glue.htm
When: 2 Feb this year (2002)
What: At Candlemass Catholics have a tradition of blessing all of the candles which will be used in the following year. Originally in the Christian side it was the first day after the birth of Jesus that Mary was allowed into the temple (women were considered unclean for 40 days after the birth of a son, and for 60 days after the birth of a daughter!). So on this day she went to the temple & “presented” the baby Jesus and candles are lit to represent the light of Jesus over the world. On the Pagan side it is the middle of winter, with a promise that spring is coming.
Customs:
* torchlit procession around the fields to ensure good crops for next year (old Pagan)
* lighting & blessing of candles (Christian)
(from http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/CandlemasCustomsLore.html )
The half of winter's yet to come, and more,
If Candlemass day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule"
More info:
Note: searching for Candlemass generally finds pagan sites, Candlemas may find Christian ones too.
http://sucs.swan.ac.uk/~pagan/imbolc.html (Pagan)
http://www.st.john.care4free.net/icons.htm (Christian)
When: early February
What: Nobody is meant to sleep on New Year’s Eve so the lights are left on all night. The idea of this is to meet the new year with wide, bright eyes! The next day bamboo sticks are burnt to scare off any demons - they would run away from the sound of the exploding bamboo knots. Also bamboo strainers called bokjori are hung on the walls (also to frighten away demons). Another tradition is that children bow deeply to their elders to demonstrate respect. "Say hay boke-mahn he pah du say oh!" or "please receive many New year's blessings" is a typical greeting.
More info:
http://www.clickasia.co.kr/about/h0101.htm
http://english.tour2korea.com/site/data/html_dir/2002/02/09/20020209000001.html
When: March
What: On the eve of Holi, bonfires are lit and people dance round them, or walk around the bonfire seven times, pray and invoke the blessings of Agnidev. When the fire lies down, water is splashed on the embers and the ash from the extinguished fire is applied on the forehead by everyone. The next day is the “Festival of Colours” when the biggest tradition is to throw coloured water over your friends and neighbours! People may go to the temple where the priest lights arti or diva lamps. The flames are a reminder that God is present. Passing your hand over the flame, then passing the lamp over your head is meant to make you feel closer to God.
More info:
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/manorlh/hinduism/holi.html
http://www.bawarchi.com/festivals/holi.html
http://www.andhratoday.com/holi.htm
When: 20 March 2002 (spring equinox)
What: Spring starts on the Spring equinox (March 20 in 2002), which is the beginning of the new year, Nav Ruz, for the Zarathushti population throughout the world as well as other people in some Arabic countries.
Traditionally a table is covered with different items representing various things. For example a mirror reflects the past while showing the future, candles represent light, energy, and the giving of warmth to others.
More info:
http://www.vohuman.org/Articles/The%20Dawn%20of%20a%20New%20Year.htm
http://www.zamwi.org/Events/navruz.html
When: 1 May
What: Beltane and Mayday were historically the same event – the first day of summer. In Saxon times villagers bearing torches would hold processions up to the top of hills where they would set fire to wooden wheels which they would roll down into the fields. A Beltaine fire should be lit with the heat of the sun, or with friction, not with candles, flames or tinder.
More info:
http://www.msen.com/~robh/slg/slugg23.html
http://www.oocities.org/CapitolHill/5202/mayday.htm
http://www.wiccaweb.com/sabbats_overview.php
In the Greek Orthodox church on Easter Sunday at midnight all the lights are extinguished in the church. The priest walks to one of the congregation and lights their candle, this person passes the light to someone else’s candle and by stages the church is filled with light. The light is a symbol of the resurrection. People kiss and say “Christ is risen, truly he is risen”.
Each person takes home their candle, being careful to keep it alight. There it is used to set fire to crosses above the door, representing the light of Christ’s resurrection. This is meant to bless the house and everyone in it. Traditionally a fire is lit in the churchyard to burn Judas, who betrayed Jesus.
More info: http://www.aeolos.com/main/main.asp?gid=257
In Germany bonfires are lit at Easter. This is either symbolising the sun, or collecting all the Christmas trees and burning them to remove all traces of winter (depends who you believe). http://www.german-easter-holiday.com/
http://www.aristotle.net/easter/world/germany.html
When: 26 May in 2002
What: This "Festival of Lights" is one of the most important dates in the Buddhist calendar. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha (which all happened on the same date, years apart). The really devout meditate for 24 hours and fast, but the rest of the population listen to monks reading from holy books and cover their homes with lanterns with lights inside.
More info:
http://www.festivals.com/search/display_eventdetails.cfm?EID=LKNAT36736
http://www.ourlanka.com/photo/fest.shtml
When: 24 June 2002
What: A Christian festival, for John the Baptist (the day of his birth). The Christian church replaced pagan celebrations of the summer
Celebrated around the world:
Portugese settlements in Malaysia: Catholics light rows of candles in front of their houses.
Spain: bonfires which people jump over.
Portugal: launch big paper balloons with fire inside, that go very, very high and then burn up! Also firework displays.
Quebec: St John is the patron Saint of Quebec, so celebrations there are huge.
More info:
http://www.canadafirst.net/our_heritage/solstice/
http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/affiliate/klia/index.cfm?mnu=9
When: June - August
What: A local Japanese summer ritual of light. Lanterns are dedicated to shrines. In English “Rokugatsudo” means “June lantern”.
More info: http://svc.ana.co.jp/eng/guides/anasjapan/kagoshima/1.html
When: mainly June to August
What: Launching of cohetes, homemade skyrockets, is a tradition in Mexico going back centuries when the noise was considered to scare away the devil and vanish all evil. They are used for every festival, funeral and public gathering.
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/cdietz/cdcohetes.html
Make "rockets" from film cannisters
When: 1st August 2002
More info:
http://www.shirakami.or.jp/~kouiki/kanko3/nkotana.htm (picture)
http://www.festivals.com/search/display_eventdetails.cfm?EID=JPAKS50949
When: 17 August 2002
What: Another Japanese lantern festival, held in Tatsuoka. Hundreds of colorful lanterns are floated down the Tenryu river, followed by a firework display.
More info:
http://www.festivals.com/search/display_eventdetails.cfm?EID=JPAKS50949
When: 1-30 September 2002
What: This festival is sometimes known as the Lantern Festival as one of the traditions is for children to make and display brightly lit lanterns.
More info: http://www.newasia-singapore.com/
When: November
What:
Held at a shrine held by the Japanese to be the landing place of the Gods when they came down to Earth. It’s on the slopes of an active volcano! After various ceremonies and lots of drumming (with taiko drums), wooden towers are set on fire. This is either as a beacon for if the Gods want to return, or to ask them to stay away – nobody seems sure which!
More info:
http://svc.ana.co.jp/eng/guides/anasjapan/kagoshima/2.html
Make a volcano ice cream sundae
Make an erupting volcano (a messy outdoor activity)
When: The full moon night of the twelfth lunar month (usually in mid-November)
What: Celebrated in Thailand. Translated, loy krathong means a floating cup, usually made from banana leaves. A candle is put inside the leaf cup which is then floated on the river as an offering to Mae Khongka, or "Mother of the Waters". During October and November most rivers and canals in the central region of Thailand are flooded so this festival marks or asks for the end of the destructive floods. People also let off fireworks at this festival.
More info:
http://www.thaiembassy.or.jp/test2/event/loykrathong/history/e-history.htm
http://www.welcome-to.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/lk-1999.htm
http://asiarecipe.com/thailoi.html
http://www.nctimes.com/news/2001/20011209/63857.html (FAQs site)
A Jewish festival, held in December. There is loads of information about Hannukah on the web, I'll leave you to look it up yourself.
Diwali (Deepavali, Divali)
literal translation: “row of lights”
A Hindu festival held in December. Again there is loads of information on the web.
Instructions for making a Diwali diva lamp from clay
The story of Diwali
When: 13 December
What: Celebrated in Sweden. In the old Swedish calendar, the 13th was the longest night of the year. The lengend says that during a famine, a white-clad St. Lucia (the lady of light) appeared on a lake bringing food and ushering in warmer and brighter days. Now the youngest girl of the family wears white robes and a headress of lit candles and takes food to friends and neighbours.
More info: http://news.mpr.org/features/199812/15_robertsont_santalucia-m/
When: 21st December
What: In Iran this is celebrated as Shab e Cheleh, or the Yalda Festival with fires burning all night. More info at Persian Outpost and at Iranian history. Solstice has also been widely celebrated in the northern hemisphere as people "call back the sun", although in the UK it's mainly pagans who still do so. Click here for more info.
When: December
What: of course this is a festival linked with light - just think of all those lights on the Christmas tree! Also in other parts of the world there are other "light" customs, for example in the Philipines there is a "parade of stars" on Christmas eve. This is named for the elaborate star lanterns or parols, which people make from paper. Make your own parol to hang in your window or over your natvity scene .