Oct is one particular of my favored months of the 12 months! Here in the Deep South, we are in uncharacteristic chilly snap the place temperatures plummeted from the 70s (F) to in the 30’s (F). Normally at this time of yr, we are just gearing up for cooler weather conditions, the leaves on the trees switching colours and crunching beneath our toes, and preparations for Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Working day are underway!
How will you celebrate this thirty day period in your homeschool?
The Eve of Samhain of the Celtic people became All Hallows’ Eve. This utilized to be the beginning of the New Year in the Celtic calendar, and it was a sacred time. This night was a blurring of space and time. Terrific regard was paid in Pagan and earlier cultures to the dead – together with the giving of foods, fireplace, “soul cakes”. This persists in lots of cultures today, or at minimum the strategy of non secular link with prayers for the deceased. We ponder the relationship of living to dying. How do we die to ourselves, to anything wonderful than ourselves in a tradition rife with selfishness and lack of community? How do we uncover a ideal partnership to death in a earth wherever violence in rife?
One particular factor that arrives to thoughts is to hook up to the Earth, the wisdom of these with braveness to deal with demise. Maybe this is the time to imagine about bringing “the light” inside as the times improve lengthier, darker and colder. “Jack O’ Lanterns” and other types of lanterns are preferred this time of 12 months, as are crafts and cooking and baking surrounding the Tumble Harvest.
Focusing on what the animals and plants are undertaking this time of 12 months in song, verse and tale is natural, and to contain the position of people tiny beings, the gnomes and the dwarves, who enable have lanterns and carry the small animals to Mom Earth. There are also several fantastic prospects to inform tales about the leaves switching and falling off the trees and the seeds heading to rest for Wintertime.
This would be a great time to change your Nature Table to show all the elegance of autumn and the drawing toward winter. You could use a simple autumn wreath or dried flowers and dried seed pods or bunches of oats or wheat. A big platter of gourds or squashes can also be attractive.
Listed here is a hyperlink to a Waldorf publication from 1978 describing a Halloween festival of lantern lights and the sharing of harvest food items: (you will have to scroll down): http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Clearing%20House/Spring%201978b.pdf
Potentially this will spark some suggestions for your personal festivities! This is a superb time for festivities like aged fashioned juggling tips, cards tips or other online games. Some game titles to consider about are outlined on webpages 153 – 154 of the ebook “All Year Round” by Drutt, Fynes-Clinton, and Rowling if you have that guide on your shelf!
Specifically subsequent All Hallows Eve is All Saints Day, a day to honor saintly persons and to look forward to the future festivals of saints these as Martinmas on November 11 and Saint Nicholas on December 6th. Then, on November 2, All Souls Day, was an prospect to bear in mind deceased household customers and mates. People would pray to those people who experienced passed on to talk to for blessings. Usually food was left out right away for the viewing spirits of this time ( soul cakes are traditional!).
Content planning, and several blessings to you all.
Carrie