Why Festivals Matter

In honoring festivals, we honor the seasons which bring us back to what is essential. Celebrating festivals is about remembering that we are part of something larger, that the earth is always turning and in this turning, life moves in cycles. There is so much wisdom in the quiet rhythms of the natural world and for young children, these rhythms are foundational to building a lasting connection with the world around them. They nourish their inner life and deeply touch their soul. They teach reverence, gratitude, courage, and gratitude. For us, festivals invite us to pause and ground ourselves in the sacredness of everyday life. And yet, honoring the sacredness of everyday life often challenges us because we live at a time and in a culture of more. More activities. More stuff. More stress. 

In the Waldorf tradition, festivals remind us that less is more, that simplicity brings meaning and beauty. We feel this when we experience a lit candle on our dinner table, when we say a blessing to give thanks for the food we eat and when we enjoy a warm bowl of soup that has been made with love. These are a few simple sacred gestures that bring life to a festival. 

Children do not need more. What they need are meaningful, authentic experiences which, when we slow down, we are more able to offer them and ourselves. In doing so, they come to feel, and in time understand that there is something good and beautiful guiding life. That even in a world that might at times feel uncertain, they are held by something greater.

Let us remember that the seasons are not just background scenery and not just events on a calendar. They are one of the most profound and beautiful ways of connecting with the cycles of life and with ourselves. When we attune to the rhythms of the natural world and celebrate seasonal festivals, we not only mark the turning of the year, we also live through each year’s story of transformation, rest, growth, and renewal with greater awareness. 

Creating meaningful festivals helps us and our children feel grounded in time and place, wherever that place may be. It is then that they begin to understand nature’s cycles and the cycle of their family’s daily, yearly, and seasonal life. That there is a time to plant, a time to rest, a time to bloom, and a time to release what no longer serves us. These life experiences speak to a child’s inner life in a way that no amount of explanation ever could and it offers them a sense of belonging not only in their family, but also in the world. 

By Chinyelu Kunz
Joint Head of School