May Day 2013

An important part of the rhythm of our home is how we take the time to make special the seasonal holidays that mark the shifts in our natural world (like our summer solstice feast, for example). We love a good celebration around here, it's true. It doesn't have to be over-the-top, it doesn't have to involve gifts and crazy decorations and long guest lists, and they don't happen in replacement of other more mainstream holidays (meaning those more readily associated with a religious component).

Instead, we celebrate the more ancient (original, if you will) festivals as a way of learning the why behind what we do. It has also been a great way to stay firmly rooted in the present, with eyes wide open to every subtle shift and nuance in our days that- for instance- make one day Spring and the next Summer (see our May Day celebration last year).

It happens so organically, without much thought or effort, this seasonal celebrating; once it's part of the rhythm of your days, it's nothing extra at all. We are all subject to the effects of the seasons changing around us. We all must adapt to the weather warming, the hours of daylight increasing, the green things all around us growing... Instead of focusing on the things we'll have to do to overpower these changes and force our environments to conform to a constant we've made for ourselves, why not embrace those changes?

For our ancestors, being in tune with the seasonal subtleties of their environments was a matter of survival. These days, we have a greatly reduced need to stay in step with these forces- we have temperature control, permanent and reliable shelter, and access to food year-round.

However (as I've ranted before), I propose that an ancient part of us all still needs the connection to the Earth that was such a vital part of life for so long. In nurturing this connection, I believe we can find more peace, more calm, more wonder, and more time, and for us parents in particular that last one is a pretty good motivator, no?

So on that note, happy Flora, happy Beltane, happy Welpurgis Night, or happy May Day.

For some inspiration in incorporating seasonal celebrations and Waldorf-y goodness into your daily rhythm, this is a great article, and I'm loving this blog.