Candles in the Wind—Celebrating Shabbat on the Beach

I have a tradition with my family that every 6-8 weeks we celebrate “Shabbat on the beach.” I find that it really allows us to connect with the essence of Shabbat- celebrating the wonder of creation. I have seen God’s shadow at the beach; He whispers to us in the crash of the waves and the rush of the wind and she paints a priceless masterpiece with each sunset. It doesn’t take much to do Shabbat on the beach. Just pack a picnic dinner, but remember to bring along the wine/ grape juice, challah and candles. I will share my tried and true secret for keeping those candles lit on the beach.
Dig a whole about 1 ½ to 2 feet down
Place tin foil in the hole, making a special indentation with your thumb at the bottom for your candles. Leave enough foil on the top to make a wind guard
Place your candles a the bottom of your hole
Light away
Make sure you bless your children (see my previous post)

Here’s a great link for more details on celebrating Shabbat

http://urj.org/shabbat/blessings/

Let me know if you have any other ideas for making Shabbat special in your lives.