This Year's Michaelmas Celebration

My computer suddenly started working again today, I guess it defeated it's inner dragon, too.

Michaelmas is one of my favorite celebrations of the year. This year may very well be my favorite yet. We were so lucky to have our dear friend Tiffeni to celebrate it with back in Virginia the past few years but this was the first year we celebrated it with a school community. Our past Michaelmas celebrations can be seen here and here.

We have been singing this song all month:

At the end of summer on hot August nights,
Micha-el sends falling stars showing strength and light.
In the late night hours you fall,
showering your bright light on all.
Falling stars, falling stars, shoot across the sky,
Falling stars, falling stars, bring to earth your light.
Falling stars, falling stars, shoot across the sky,
Falling stars, falling stars, bring to earth your might.

Between K's class and our at home activities we have been preparing for it for most of September. We decided for our celebration at home this year we would make felted falling stars.

The girls wet felted the balls with white wool and then blue on their craft day last week. This was a great project to teach patience and build anticipation since you have to do it in parts several days in advance.
On handwork day K did a little bit of needlefelting with a cookie cutter to make a large star on her ball.


K's work

I added some more felted stars on both the balls and then sewed on the streamers.




Micha-el's falling stars

I wrapped them in yellow playcloths and placed them at their table for them to find at breakfast this morning. I also decorated their table with our Michaelmas candle we worked on the day before and some other decorations. I really wanted to make it a special and exciting way to begin their day. They were thrilled!



We then went to school to continue our festivities.
In our parent/child class C and I dyed cloths with marigold petals and hung them to dry.



K's class dyed cloth as well, earlier in the month and their teachers made them into flags. They also did wet on wet painting last week and made crowns out of their paintings. Both items were given to the children today.


K making silly faces

We went outside and watched the older children put on their Michaelmas play. The smaller children (Kindergarten and younger) watched from the safety of Walnut Hill as they are not ready to experience it all just yet.
I actually shed a few tears watching the play. After years of longing to be part of a Waldorf school community we are finally here.






Checking out the slayed dragon afterwards

After the play one of the classes went around and gave apples to everyone, much to our delight!


Yum!

I hope you had a beautiful day today! Happy Michaelmas everyone!!

This Year's Michaelmas Celebration