On Wednesday, December 5, during the school day, children in the grade school will walk the Winter Spiral of Light. Early-childhood students will walk at 3:30 p.m. in the Buttercup Room. EC parents are invited to attend and are asked to arrive no later than 3:20. Adults and alumni are invited to walk the Winter Spiral on Wednesday, December 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the early-childhood building. If you are planning to attend, please arrive by 4:20 p.m. It’s important to RSVP so we can make sure to have enough candles for everyone.
The winter spiral is a tradition celebrated in Waldorf schools around the world. The theme is nonsectarian and embraces all beliefs; we honor simply the light that each of us brings to the world, particularly when we share that light with others. We especially need this as the days grow shorter and the light wanes earlier and earlier each day.
Participants quietly enter a darkened room. As soft music plays, each receives an apple “candleholder” bearing a taper. A large spiral of evergreens waits on the floor, adorned with golden stars. In the center of the spiral a tree stump supports a lighted candle.
Each person walks, one by one, from the beginning of the spiral into the center and lights their candle from the central flame, then turns and walks back, setting their candle down on a golden star along the way.
One by one, each small flame lights up the whole room. When everyone has walked, they leave the room silently to bask in the inner image of the glowing spiral as they wait in the foyer of the early-childhood center for the delivery of their candleholders, which all are invited to take home.