2020 Michaelmas Festival Reflections
The festival of Michaelmas falls just after the autumnal equinox. Beginning in the sixth century, when surviving the northern winters was a very real challenge, many people celebrated the courage of St. Michael, who overcame dark forces with his sword of light. Michaelmas is a celebration of strength and courage, of facing dragons both internal and external. The festival encourages children to believe in their ability to overcome hard things and find new resolve for the tasks ahead. It is a time to ponder our own inner dragons and to cultivate the courage and strength necessary for self-development.
The eighth grade students kicked off this year’s Michaelmas Games by flying hand-made kites, a gesture symbolic of our human striving toward our higher selves. View Photos. This year’s Michaelmas celebration was modified for safe distancing in Covid-19, but the spirit and gesture of this symbolic festival were still very present. The pageant and games, usually celebrated as two distinct activities on the same day, were combined in a fun, safe and engaging way. Students, wearing face coverings, gathered in their pods around the athletic field behind the school. There were Michaelmas songs sung masked and safely distanced; a recitation and then the games commenced.
As the villagers, in each class pod, took their turns racing through the swirl of challenges to recover their precious, stolen jewels, the angels and dragons used safely altered methods for protecting and tagging respectively. Watching the first grade class lining up and racing across the field reminds us all of challenges that may appear incredibly daunting. And the looks of victory on the faces of the students when they made it safely home, having had their achievements witnessed by their peers, illustrates the very core teaching of this festival. Showing that this is, at its core, a festival of courage. View Photos
