Blackberries For Michaelmas

Today we celebrated Michaelmas. Michaelmas is always celebrated on September 29th, and is in part a day to honor the harvest, as well as as day to focus on courage and inner strength. Legend says that this is the day that Saint Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven. Traditionally, in Waldorf circles, this day is all about facing your fears, being courageous and defeating the dragon (whatever your dragon may be). Often times the story of Saint George and the Dragon is told (or for older kids the story of Lucifer being cast out of heaven). We participated in our first Michaelmas celebration a few years back but have not celebrated this festival much since. This year felt like the right time to re-introduce Michaelmas into our festival celebrations and so we've been talking about it and preparing for it for a little bit. In my searching for ways to celebrate Michaelmas I came across an old tradition that says that Michaelmas Day is the last day that one should pick and eat blackberries. I found recipes for blackberries and cream and a sweet coloring page on Activity Village (which truly is the best place for coloring sheets) and knew then that we must do something with blackberries on this festival day. Our day started and ended with blackberries (coloring pages this morning and dessert this evening) and in the middle we gathered with other Waldorf homeschoolers to eat dragon bread, hear stories, sing songs and play games. I am so glad that we re-introduced this festival this year. It was a glorious Michaelmas Day all around, and we're looking forward to continuing these traditions for years to come! xo

"Brave and true I will be, 

Each good deed sets me free. 

Each kind word makes me strong.
I will fight for right,
I will conquer the wrong."

-Traditional Waldorf verse