We all have our favourite parts of all that is Waldorf, and for me, the festivals are high on the list.
I mean, who doesn’t love the opportunity to gather as family and community, share stories, make simple-yet-beautiful art and crafts, enjoy food and singing, and take a moment to pause and notice the beauty of the changing seasons?
Festivals are central to all that is Waldorf education, and bring reverence, meaning, and a sense of rhythm to the changing year. They offer children a deep connection to nature, community, opportunities to cultivate reverence and a sense for beauty and goodness, and link to something greater than themselves. Rudolf Steiner described festivals as a way to link the human being to the universe, and this is something that is helpful to hold for ourselves as we consider the festivals and what they’re really about:
“Festivals are meant to link the human soul with all that lives and weaves in the great universe.”
Here is the Southern Hemisphere we’ve had to grapple with some of the more traditional Waldorf festivals not sitting quite right for us. The intentions are there – things like courage in Autumn, and holding inner light in Winter, but they don’t necessarily align to the celebrations of Michaelmas or Christmas as they do in the Northern Hemisphere. This has begged the (very timely) question of ‘what is the deeper intention of these festivals, in our 21st century context?’ For many, the more Christian alignment of the traditional festivals doesn’t quite sit right, either. That’s not to say that the roots of the festivals is ‘wrong’, but it gives us good reason to delve a little deeper into what really is behind the festivals, and how we can meaningfully bring them to life for our children (and ourselves), here and now.
There are plenty of readings and opinions out there about what the festivals should look like, but I think a helpful starting point for us all is to pause and reflect on how it makes sense to bring them to life for ourselves, our children, and our communities.
So, here are three of my favourite tips for beginning to think about festivals in a slightly different way:
- Don’t try and celebrate EVERY festival! Pick 3-5 that align with your values, beliefs, and context, and do them deeply and well.
- Connect your festival celebrations to the seasons. This allows for flexibility in celebration dates, and makes space for everyone to feel included – festivals can be an amazing space for community connection, and isn’t that something we all need now more than ever?
- Prepare the space: inwardly (develop an inner connection to the impulse of the festival and what it’s tasking us with at this time), and outwardly (by bring the festival to life in your home/classroom with simple, natural decorations, and a meaningful festival day celebration).
Festivals are dear to my heart, and something I’ve been asked time and time again to create a resource to support. So, I’ve been working on just that – and you’re the first to have access! If you want to have a ready-to-use guide for every seasonal festival—with clickable links to stories, crafts, food, and activities, all in one place, then I’ve got something to help you!
It’s the Seasonal Festivals Quick-Start Pack for festivals made simple—quick, practical guides to bring rhythm and meaning to your year.
This Seasonal Festivals Quick-Start Pack give you everything you need—key themes, stories, crafts, recipes, and a simple festival rhythm template—so you can bring Waldorf-inspired festivals to life without stress or hours of prep. Whether you’re a parent at home, homeschool, co-op, or in a classroom, you’ll have ready-to-use inspiration at your fingertips to create joyful, seasonal traditions with ease.
You get all this for ONLY $7:
✅ An overview of the four main seasonal festivals (Spring, Autumn, Winter, and Advent), plus Whitsun and St John’s Tide
✅ Suggested timings and adaptions for both hemispheres
✅ Suggested Waldorf-inspired stories, songs, recipes, and group activities for each seasonal festival
✅ Four ready-to-use craft activities with full instructions aligned to the seasonal festivals
✅ Festival Preparation Checklists for each festival to ensure you have everything prepared and ready for the festival and lead-up
✅ A short overview of two ‘extra’ festivals: Whitsun and St John’s Tide, including the impulse, a story suggestion, and an aligned craft activity