Waldorf School of New Orleans will celebrate several exciting events this month during this Season of Light. Many festivals and celebrations around the world take place in the month of December. The observances vary, but many share a common theme of light and what the light represents to the world, be it the light of a candle, a star, or a fire.
This past Monday, students walked the Solstice Spiral. To celebrate the Solstice, an Advent spiral was made out of beautiful, fragrant greenery left over from the Christmas trees. Candles lit the room. Students heard a story and then walked one by one, silently through the spiral. They each carried an object from nature to leave behind on the greenery.
During this Advent season, many of the classrooms will have Advent wreaths. The classes will sing or say a verse each morning as the candles are lit.
December 7th: Saint Nicholas Day Celebration Every year St. Nick sprints through our halls, knocking on doors and surprising children by leaving behind a basket of small gifts and a note for each class. We look forward to his stealthy visit again this year!
December 10th: Hanukkah Assembly A parent will share stories and traditions from this wonderful holiday to the whole school.
December 17th: Shepherds' Play is a long-standing tradition in Waldorf schools around the world! The cast comprises parents, grandparents, teachers, and staff will perform during the day for the students, and in the evening, for the community at large.
Stay tuned for the exact date for our Yule Celebration. Last year, Ms. Anais began a lovely tradition of creating a school-made soup to share with those who are less fortunate in our community. Each student will bring a vegetable or some herbs to chop up and share in the soup. The soup will cook slowly all day over a well-tended fire as the different classes come out and share in the creation of the soup. The day symbolizes how this season is truly a gift of giving.
As you can see, we offer many ways to celebrate this universal Season of Light. It is heartwarming to know that we are celebrating so many of these traditions right alongside so many of our fellow Waldorf schools around the world. And most importantly, we look forward to sharing it with both our students and our community.