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Michaelmas: Celebrating Bravery, Resilience, and Goodness

Writer's picture: Lilian SimõesLilian Simões

Waldorf Schools around the world celebrate the Michaelmas festival on September 29th, a tradition rooted in medieval harvest festivals; symbolizing the harvest of seasons and Archangel Michael, a figure revered across various cultures. In Waldorf education, Michaelmas holds significant educational and spiritual importance.


Cultural and Seasonal Significance 

Michaelmas serves as a harvest festival aligned with the Northern Hemisphere's fall equinox, celebrating nature’s transition and the Earth’s harvest. It brings together students and teachers in a shared appreciation of seasonal changes, promoting gratitude for the earth's abundance.



Mythical and Spiritual Symbolism

A key feature of Michaelmas is the story of Archangel Michael and the Dragon. The Michael represents courage, strength, and the resilience needed to overcome life’s challenges. The Dragon symbolizes the inner struggles and external obstacles that people must conquer. The story emphasizes the triumph of goodness and inner fortitude over adversity, which ties into the festival's larger themes of personal growth and moral courage.


Crafts and Artistry

 The children engage in various creative activities linked to Michaelmas. Crafting dragon puppets, fashioning lanterns, challenges games, theatrical presentations, music that allow children to connect with the festival's themes through artistic expression.


Character Cultivation

Michaelmas celebrations have been emphasizing virtues such as bravery, resilience, and the courage to confront fears, it imparts valuable life skills. This aspect of the festival provides important aspects in the circle time, storytelling, and verses that promote not just "academic" but seeds of inner growth in the children's soul.



Blossom Garden's Michaelmas for Young Children



In the wake of the challenges encountered at the start of 2020, Blossom introduced Michaelmas celebrations to young children. Typically, Michaelmas is introduced in kindergarten or First Grade, traditionally the students celebrate throughout high school. The legend of Michael bestows four gifts: strength, courage, willpower, and a connection to the stars and iron that fortify the human heart. 

At Blossom Garden , a Waldorf home- program, Michaelmas has been adapted for younger children, with a focus on gentle, age-appropriate activities. The traditional tale of Michael has symbols of strength and benevolence—such as the Blacksmith and the Harvest Apple—take center stage.


The Blacksmith, a symbol of strength and benevolence, tirelessly wields his hammer, representing the will to perform good deeds. Iron, associated with stars, underscores the celestial connection.


The Apple Harvest, a key element of the festival, carries a hidden symbol: slicing an apple horizontally reveals a star at its core, representing the stars and goodness connected to the heavens, though this is kept a secret from the children for use in the storytelling.


While this adult explanation may not align with children's comprehension and consciousness. The Parents are encouraged to support the process by listening without prompting intellectual discussions, allowing these values to grow naturally in the children’s souls.  If they bring up the subject, they  just listen to them. 

The intention behind this festival at Blossom is to plant seeds of empowerment, strength, courage, and resilience in young hearts, nurturing future human beings who are inspired to do good in the world.




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