Of all the cultural traditions initiated by Trungpa Rinpoche, perhaps none have been observed with more enthusiasm and consistency than Children’s Day. Sangha children and their parents have been decorating shrines and anticipating Children’s Day morning since the late 1970s. Chögyam Trungpa himself arranged the first shrine at the Kalapa Court in Boulder in 1978. Since then, shrines have been set up and taken down year after year in homes and centres all over the world.
The Halifax Shambhala Centre hosted a sensational candlelight ceremony last night, December 20th, 2025, the eve of the winter solstice, also known as Children’s Day. The shrine room was overflowing with cheerful children of all ages (newborns to octogenarians) delighting in the presence of the Queen and King, and special guested: Tiger, Lion, Garuda, and Dragon. There was joyful dancing, singing, and stores. A jolly good time was had by all.
Thank you to Wendy Layton who started this tradition in Halifax well over 20 years ago. It gets better every year.
