October 26, 2018
Located at Indian Hills Park (at the school in case of inclement weather)
Time: TBA
Join us for a harvest potluck at the ‘forest’ to celebrate autumn, followed by our annual Lantern Walk.
You will find your child’s lantern in their classroom and take it outside.
Teachers will sing one song and say our lantern verse.
Once all lanterns are lit, you may enter the luminaria path with your family singing our lantern songs. We ask that children stay with their parents and remain as quiet as possible while singing our lantern songs.
You will be able to complete the loop as many times as you wish. Feel free to leave when you are ready.
It is our hope that the reverent atmosphere we create together will stay with you as you journey home.
Lantern Walk is our festival of Martinmas which celebrates St. Martin of Tours (316-397 AD). One story of St. Martin is that of meeting a poor beggar at the city gate, who was shivering in the cold. Martin drew his sword and cut his own cloak in two and gave one half to the beggar. Martin’s half cloak brought hope and comfort to the beggar. His compassionate gesture may warm us also, and protect us from wintry despair. We carry lanterns as a symbol of the small light we can shine into the dark world. From All Year Round: Christian Calendar of Celebrations (Festivals and the Seasons)
In the Waldorf tradition and here at River Song we celebrate this festival to recognize and honor the truth and beauty that lives in each one of us. The lanterns remind us that we can carry our own light into the darkest times (seasonally or spiritually). Our truth, our unique purpose, is ever there to guide us and to be found by others. Or, as our teachers have so beautifully expressed, “We come together to find strength in our recognition of each person’s light, to find strength by truly seeing others. We find strength in seeing how brightly we can light the way when we come together as a community.” In other words, through Lantern Walk, we teach our children (and remind ourselves) of our own unique light that not only lights our own way, but can be a beacon for anyone else who can see it.
The songs we sing during the lantern walk can be found here (see words below)
Lantern Verse:
Candle in my lantern, glowing warm and bright, guide me through the darkness fill my heart with light.
Song 1:
I go with my little lantern, my lantern goes with me
In heaven the stars are shining , on earth are shining we
The cock does crow, the cat meows , Ay –ee –oh
La bimba, la babma, la boom, boom, boom!
Song 2:
Glimmer lantern glimmer, little stars a shimmer,
over meadow, moor, and dale,
Flitter, flutter elfin veil, pee-witt, pee-witt, tick-a-tick-a tick, rou –cou, rou-cou