At Detroit Waldorf School, festivals are golden opportunities to gather together and elevate an ordinary day to a moment of celebration – an important lesson we can take with us in the days, months and years ahead. What better way to start than on the first of a new month just as spring really begins? Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 1st and start a new family tradition with a backyard festival.
May Day is a festive and colorful celebration at many Waldorf schools around the world on the first day of May. School communities welcome spring with performances of poetry, song, music, and intricate Maypole dances. At Detroit Waldorf School, May Day traditions offer an opportunity for students to gather outdoors with teachers, parents, and grandparents to mark the arrival of warmer days, sunshine, and the joy of spring after a long Michigan winter.
This year, school closings prompted by the coronavirus pandemic are changing May Day. While it won’t be marked by the highly anticipated festive day of celebration on the Detroit Waldorf School campus, flowers will bloom quietly on the trees and in school gardens while celebrations unfold in the homes of Waldorf families throughout metro Detroit. ALL families are invited to join in the celebration too with these festive May Day activities.
- DIY Paper Flower Headband
- Bake Animal-Shaped Dinner Rolls
- Have a picnic outside with Waldorf Salad
- Make a paper cone-shaped basket and leave a note and some flowers on a neighbor’s door or fence post
- Sing songs about spring
- Tie ribbons to the top of an outdoor laundry post or tree and do a Maypole dance
- Read your favorite stories about spring
Thanks to Helena Mitchell from the Detroit Waldorf School for providing content for this article. Learn more about the school’s mission, programs, curriculum and camps on their website.