Frontier Dreams: Michaelmas {homeschool edition} 2014

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Michaelmas {homeschool edition} 2014

Michaelmas nature table

nature finds

Brave and True

Michaelmas nature table

Michaelmas apples

Michaelmas nature table

Our Michaelmas nature table

Michaelmas transparency - my 1st try

My first try at a window transparency.

This year's Michaelmas celebration consisted of traditions new, old, and variations of both:

making dragon bread

K's dragon bread with cranberries and almonds

K's dragon bread

Silly C with her dragon

dragon head

We made our dragon bread. This year we decided to try the pumpkin dragon bread in Baking Bread with Children and it was our most delicious yet. We may stick with this version!

St. Michael wet on wet watercolor painting

Wet on wet watercolor painting of St. Michael fighting the dragon

dyed our capes with tumeric

dyeing silk capes with turmeric (nice handwork lesson with natural dyes there)

K's dragon candle

My children took over creating the dragon candle

Michaelmas pageant (shy C)

And perhaps my most favorite part of the day - the Michaelmas pageant. K was in charge of putting it all together. She created the whole thing along with the help of little sister C. I had no part in it. They really blew me away with all they did. C wore her princess crown, Little L already had the dragon accessories and was kind enough to allow his big sister to use his sword and shield.

singing in the pageant

They opened the pageant with "St. Michael's Harvest Song" that we used to sing at PWS. You can see a sweet video of another Waldorf homeschooled boy singing it here.

The dragon came out wreaking havoc and destroying everything in its path. Then the dragon forgot where the stage was and decided to fly all around the land instead. I was grateful for his flight, for his path proved a much better backdrop than the original stage/our house.

chasing the dragon

St. Michael defends the princess

St. Michael defends the princess from the dragon

the battle continues

The fierce battle rages on. Both dragon and St. Michael are tired and worn down.

the princess prays for St. Michael

Then St. Michael rests underneath an apple tree while the princess prays for him. When he rises the next day he is stronger than ever and ready to finish the battle.

the dragon is near his end

The dragon now fears St. Michael and tries to flee but he just can not.

St. Michael defeats the dragon

St. Michael defeats the dragon and peace is restored.

dragon belly

the cast!

Defeating my inner dragon seems to be harder than usual this year as I yearn for our life back in Oregon, especially with this being our first Michaelmas away from there, but my children reminded me just how fortunate I am and how much I have to be grateful for. I really don't know what I would do without them.
I hope you all had a wonderful Michaelmas and that you are able to conquer your own dragons!

You can learn more about the Michaelmas festival and see some of our past celebrations here (I thought I had earlier ones, too, but I guess not):
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013

Comments (25)

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jumbleberryjam 58p · 548 weeks ago

Inspired!! :-)

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knt2gthr 48p · 548 weeks ago

This is amazing! What a fabulous day and such great memories.

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greenfreaks 68p · 548 weeks ago

that is just wonderful. <3

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Simone · 548 weeks ago

So so beautiful, Nicole!! I really admire you for what you are doing!

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Zauberflink · 548 weeks ago

Thanks you for sharing this special day and your beautiful pictures!

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Sigurlaug Elín · 548 weeks ago

Oh, they are adorable! Thank you for sharing photos of their pageant, they really made me smile :)
We don't celebrate Michaelmas in Iceland, well, not traditionally, though I know they do in the Waldorf schools here. I think we might just have to look into it, this looks like fun.

1 reply · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

It's not a traditional holiday in America, either (which might explain the weird looks we get), but it's become such a part of our family traditions that we just can't let it go!

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justsimplymolly 42p · 548 weeks ago

I've been meaning to ask - when K was in waldorf school was it tricky to find a balance in celebrating these festivals since they're a religious holiday for you? The official waldorf stance on things like Michaelmas and Martinmas seems to be very humanist and I was curious if it's hard to strike a balance when it's actually part of your religious observances and you believe these are more than clever stories to teach a lesson?

2 replies · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

Ah yes Molly, indeed. I love that you brought that up! I think the short answer would be that because of Waldorf education bringing me back to my faith, I pretty much just "let it go" in school knowing that K knew the deeper meanings behind the feast days and the Saints themselves. We would then celebrate them at home, so she knew it through our faith and not just school...if that makes sense. She would even talk to her classmates about Saint Michael and Saint Martin - Especially Saint Martin (and the beggar being Christ.) I almost feel like those festivals at school were an opportunity for her to be able to be more open about her faith, something that can be difficult in Portland.

Okay, trying to wrap that up into a short answer made it rather odd and full of rambling but I hope it makes some sense.

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justsimplymolly 42p · 547 weeks ago

Thank you!

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Nadja · 548 weeks ago

Beautiful! The knit outfit for your little dragon turned out so well! Love that last shot with L. inspecting his tummy!

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Dana · 548 weeks ago

Thanks for putting a smile on my face. Your family is lovely and I love all the Nature table decorations, especially the lovely pile of found items from outside. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
God bless you,
Dana

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Frédérique · 548 weeks ago

So inspiring! Thanks for sharing! Where do you purchase your silks? Thanks so much!

1 reply · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

Thanks! I actually got them from a friend who happened to have 3 white silks she didn't need. But I have ordered from Dharma Trading in the past.

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hands follow heart · 548 weeks ago

Lovely posting. I'm delighted to see my book in use. Thanks for sharing.
Warren

1 reply · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

Thank you for your incredible books! We still read Dragon Baked Bread every Michaelmas, too. ;)

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melody · 548 weeks ago

How wonderful! Some of our dragon bread this year turned out rather, uhm, interesting looking...

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anneasplin 1p · 548 weeks ago

I am dying over the last pic with your son playing with his bellybutton! I also love the veil your littles have for dress up. I am going to have to go to the fabric store this weekend. :) This was our first year celebrating Michaelmas and it will definitely be a yearly tradition for us. The local Waldorf school hosts festival celebrations that they open to the public and my daughter and I went to it and had a great time (she is in a waldorf preschool co-op and then I think we will homeschool for a few years) I am looking forward to Martinmas next month!

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Stacey · 548 weeks ago

What a wonderful celebration! I love the seasonal colors, the nature table, the dragon bread - and your transparency came out beautifully! The pageant is too sweet for words. I love the look on little C's face while she is praying! And little L is as an adorable (I mean ferocious) dragon as I thought he would be! That bellybutton photo is hilarious. How nice that K put the pageant together. I am sure it is really hard being away from your beloved school community, but I'm sure it is a silver lining to see the joy in this family celebration. : )

1 reply · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

Ha! He was rolling the feather he found up in his shirt. He keeps us laughing, that's for sure!
"I am sure it is really hard being away from your beloved school community, but I'm sure it is a silver lining to see the joy in this family celebration."
Yes! You put my feelings into words <3

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Yael · 548 weeks ago

Very inspiring! I always love seeing your Michaelmas posts! Would you be willing to share where that beautiful wooden leaf board is from? Thank you!

1 reply · active 547 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 547 weeks ago

Thank you! We got it from Nova Natural a few years ago. it looks like they no longer sell it but it was made in Germany and by the same company that made this bowl - http://www.novanatural.com/heart-bowl.html

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boatbaby2 85p · 548 weeks ago

That belly button photo! He is awesome.

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Rain · 547 weeks ago

Beautiful celebration. Can I ask what book that dragon bread comes from? And which type of silk you buy from Dharma Trading?

Thanks!

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julianamama 13p · 547 weeks ago

So I LOVE seeing your Michaelmas celebration (and am so impressed at how many beautiful things you did for it!) but I have always been so confused about this Waldorf tradition of St. Michael (and totally admit to some provincialism as I only know saint stories from my own Eastern tradition, and have not looked into other traditions). Where does the story of him slaying a dragon come from? St. George is the dragonslayer, and I don't know of any tradition of the Archangel slaying a dragon. Just curious if you know any backstory to this.

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Thank you for joining me here. My name is Nicole Spring AKA wife, Waldorf homeschooling Mama to four sweet little ones, homemaker of the radical kind, knitter, cook, seamstress, student of life as well as my children, crafter, girl of all trades... and always with a camera in hand to document our days so we may look back at these glorious yet exhausting times.

I enjoy hearing from you and would love it so much if you wouldn't mind taking the time to leave a comment. They mean so much to me (honestly, they make my day!). I appreciate not only seeing all that you have to say but also being blessed to get to know you better. If you ask a question please check back here for my response. I try my hardest to respond quickly. Thank you so much!!