Michaelmas is not just a day; it is a season that extends from September 29, the Feast of St. Michael, to October 31, All Hallows Eve. It is a time for celebrating deeds of strength and courage, for facing dragons, external and internal. It is a time for harvest, a time for work, a time for storing away that which we need for the cold dark months to come.

Michaelmas has been celebrated at Alan Howard Waldorf School in many ways. The common themes have been facing challenges and preparing for the winter. It has become traditional for grades one to four to prepare and present St. George and the Dragon. Another tradition is the serving of dragon bread prepared by the parents of grade five. The eating of dragon bread symbolizes both the overcoming of the dragon and the assimilation into our own beings the wisdom and power of the natural world.