In the Southern Hemisphere, the festival of Advent and Christmastide takes place in the heart of Summer, when nature has fully unfolded, and everything is in abundance. The school is teeming with flowers, greenery and fruits, and the days grow steadily longer. This is a time for our children to play in the rays of the sun, and splash in the puddles after the rain. Summer is a season of prosperity, delight, and ease.

In Waldorf schools, the rhythm of the seasons is embraced through the celebration of festivals, which lift us out of our daily stresses and invite us to tune into the beautiful cycles of nature. Advent marks the start of the Christmastide, and spans the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Although Christmas is inherently a Christian festival, many traditions celebrate the return of light around this time of year through Diwali, Hanukkah, and Solstice festivities. It truly is a Season of Light.

Advent is a time of expectation and anticipation, leading up to the joy and wonder that engulfs us on Christmas Day.  During Advent, we are invited to deepen our relationship with Mother Earth, in exploring the beauty of the four kingdoms of the natural world – minerals, plants, beasts, and human beings – as we light each weekly advent candle. We are reminded of our purpose within the universe as individuals and as a community.

In commemoration of this festival, our children attend a reverent spiral ceremony, where they each walk to the centre of a spiral path, light their candle at the heart of the spiral, and then place their candle along the path as they walk back out. The festival begins in darkness and ends with a brightly lit path, symbolizing the inward journey we take during this time in order to find our light, and share it with those around us.

As we reach the close of the year, we tend to find ourselves in a mad rush – wrapping up at work, preparing for trips, writing final examinations, buying gifts. It is also easy to get lost in the consumerism and superficiality of the world at this time. And suddenly, Advent and Christmas have passed us by, and it is the start of another year. Instead, let us endeavour to set aside some time to breathe out, journey inwards, and reflect, so that when it arrives, we may embrace the New Year with a sense of renewed strength, gratitude, and a light to guide us on our way.