Adoption Rituals & Holiday Celebrations

Check out some of Pact’s most timely and popular publications. For permission to reprint or repost, please contact Beth Hall at beth@pactadopt.org.

Union and Transition: A Ceremony of Entrustment

by Rebecca Weller 2010 Rituals to mark and heighten a child’s transition from family of birth to family of adoption can be personal and highly moving. Here are excerpts from the entrustment ceremony for my son Elijah. Using ritual and symbol to acknowledge and share...

read more

Understanding Adoption Stories: Candle Ceremony

updated 2024 Understanding Adoption Stories: Candle Ceremony Ritual can play an important role in helping children (and adults) address and express unspoken feelings. The folks at FAIR (Families Adopting in Response) developed a beautiful ritual for adopted children...

read more

Alternative Altars: Honoring the Loss in Adoption

Alternative Altars: Honoring the Loss in Adoption by Martha Rynberg 2011 Loss and grief are embedded in the experience of adoption. Often this loss is made invisible by the tremendous joy that new parents feel. This joy can mask the grief adoptive parents have...

read more