Carrying Light into the Darkness My daughter attended a Waldorf school eight years before we started homeschooling. Her first November in school we were introduced to the Lantern Walk Festival that is a tradition in many Waldorf schools. Being a Jewish girl from California, I knew nothing of this celebration. So I, like a child, was able to experience the wonder with her for the first time.
I was new to the Pacific Northwest at the time and was not yet accustomed to our long, dark winters. I have to admit, I was struggling with the gloom of fall and was anxiously awaiting the next season. My daughter's very wise teacher explained to the parents the purpose of the Lantern Walk and the symbolism of it. But it wasn't until I actually participated that I understood the power of carrying your own light into a dark night. I helped my daughter fashion a small lantern made from a jar and some colored paper. Then we headed off to the park where our friends were casting streams of spells from their handmade lanterns' light. My daughter was scared at first, after all, she was only four years old and had never been out in the dark without the safety of her father or me holding her. We lit her lantern and bravely she ventured off following the older children in reverent silence. On the way home that night, I couldn't help but notice a change in my daughter. She seemed older, wiser all of a sudden. Her confidence had grown and expanded on that dark walk. As for me, it was a lesson in bravery and self-reliance. I, too could carry the light of strength and inner love through any darkness that life may bring. Even if we don't see it in them, our children have been living through one of the darkest times in our history. Each of them carry the ability to bring gifts of love, generosity, kindness, creativity, and change into the next period of our world. This November consider sharing this tradition with your children. Make some beautiful lanterns and venture off into the dark night carrying your own light. Here are some lantern making craft ideas: https://austinwaldorf.org/parent-corner/a-balloon-lantern-how-to/ https://homesongblog.com/autumn/on-martinmas-lantern-making/ For more information about the meaning of the Lantern Walk Festival see: https://waldorfinspiredlearning.com/the-lantern-festival-overview/ -As always for more lessons and homeschooling ideas, go to Blossom Learning.
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