| Colors
Based on a Native American Legend Materials needed for each person involved with the ceremony: Suggested: Once upon a time the colors of the world started a quarrel, all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite. RED shouted out: "I am the ruler of all of you -- I am blood -- life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy." ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet: "I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangos, and pawpaws. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you." YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun." GREEN said: "Clearly, I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees, leaves - without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority." BLUE interrupted: "You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, all of you would be nothing." INDIGO spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me, all of you become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace." VIOLET rose to her full height. She was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of loyalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me - they listen and obey." And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly, there was a startling flash of bright lightning...thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing closer to one another for comfort. In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak: "You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me." Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands. The rain continued: "From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The rainbow is a sign of friendship and hope for tomorrow." And so, whenever the rain washes the world, look up... and as the rainbow appears in the sky, let us all remember our friendships new and old... and that tomorrow is always a new day." I learned this ceremony at Chaparral Girl Scout Council leader training. We stood in a circle and were handed the thin strips of leather. As different people read the different colors, we were given the same color pony bead and put it on our leather strip in order. When the last person was reading from "And so the colors went on boasting..." we took our finished strip and tied it around the wrist of the person to our right. The beads were put on in the same order as the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. It was a very touching ceremony and I remember it to this day and keep my bracelet in my purse. Theresa Rose |