Our Year In Festivals
Celebrating the rhythm of the year
Festivals are a deeply rooted part of our philosophy and school year. Seasonal festivals are held across the year, holding an annual rhythm and bringing children and their families together to sing and perform, or to enjoy quiet moments of contemplation.
Our festivals are learning opportunities. Children study the origins of the festivals and their connection to different our history, different cultures, and the natural world. Across the year children also learn about various religious festivals and remembrances.
Along with festivals, children look forward to key milestones and events that they have seen celebrated by their peers that have gone before them. Every end of term is closed with a festival with performances of music, songs, poems and plays from every class.
Why Festivals Matter
More than celebrations
In a Steiner school, festivals are woven into the life of the school rather than added as special occasions.
Each festival marks a moment in the changing year. As the seasons shift, children experience them through songs, crafts, food, lanterns, performances, nature walks and shared traditions. The focus is not on perfection or performance, but on participation and creating meaningful memories together.
As children grow, these celebrations deepen naturally, offering new experiences and understanding at every stage of school life.
Bringing light and hope to all seasons
🍂 Autumn
With deep gratitude for the fecundity of the earth, after the harvest we carry light into the darkness of the fallow season, celebrating kindness and compassion.
Children learn about the compassion and generosity of St Martin. They make beautiful lanterns and in the evening, every class and their families gather to take part in a lantern walk, followed by the sharing of food around a fire.
❄ Winter
Honouring the inner light we all bring into the world, the Advent Spiral is a festival of awe and quiet contemplation.
Gathered around a spiral made from evergreens, we sing traditional carols. One by one, children walk quietly to the centre of the spiral where they light a candle and place it gently along the path on their way out. Slowly the whole spiral is illuminated in gentle candlelight.
🌱 Spring
At the last turn of the winter, as the snowdrops start to peep, Candlemas reminds us that the light of Spring returns gradually and change begins subtly.
At this nurturing and reflective festival, the community gathers in the early morning to light earth candles and sing together. A shared meal follows, prepared and hosted by our teachers as a gift to our community.
☀ Summer
Fuelled by the fiery light and energy of the sun at its zenith, it is time to let go of what is holding us back and take a leap into a new way of being.
Roused on by hearty song and rhythmic drumming, children pass one by one through a flowery arch and with great joy and confidence take a leap over fiery hot coals, dug into the earth. This is a truly unique and inspirational event.
-
Michaelmas is our harvest festival. We collect food donations for local food banks, make jam and soup with the fruit and vegetables harvested at our school allotment, and prepare our outdoor spaces for the Winter months ahead.
-
Rosh Hashana is one of the Jewish festivals we observe in school. We are guided in celebration by Jewish colleagues and families. We share honey and apples and carry out kind deeds.
-
At Diwali we listen to the story of Rama and Sita, children make clay divas to take home. We all share traditional food, decorate the school with Rangoli patterns and listen to Indian music performed by teachers/parents and pupils.
-
Another festival of light in the Autumn season, at Martinmas we share stories and songs celebrating the kindness and compassion of St Martin. Children make lanterns and in the evening, every class and their families take part in a lantern walk, followed by the sharing of food around a fire.
-
Our Advent Fair is a whole community effort. Visitors enjoy a beautiful Grotto, hand crafted by dedicated volunteers. Entertainments include Choirs, music from our talented folk band, puppets shows and stories, all alongside food, drinks and many incredible stall holders.
-
Our Advent Spiral is one of our most contemplative and moving festivals in the year. Our community gathers around a huge spiral made from gathered greenery and sings traditional carols. One at a time, children walk quietly into the centre of the spiral where they light a candle and place it gently along the path on their way out. Slowly the whole spiral twinkles in soft light.
-
This festival marks the halfway point between the equinoxes as we start to see the earth waking up from its long Winter rest and the first snowdrops peep through the ground. The days begin to lengthen as the earth starts to warm up so this festival’s message is of a ‘light to lighten the world’, reflected with earth candles and a communal shared breakfast.
-
We celebrate Eid as one of the most important Islamic festivals in the year. We share stories in a special assembly and make star and moon biscuits to share as an act of charity and giving.
-
Another wonderful celebration of community, our Spring Fair is all about the Maypole. The community gather and dance around the Maypole, helped along by the cheerful tunes played by our Merry Maypole band. Children can hunt for fairies, make their own fairy garden and play outdoor games. With food and drinks and many beautiful stalls, our Spring Fair is a truly magical event.
-
With the fiery sun at its zenith we celebrate by wearing bright oranges and reds. This festival is all about changing perspectives, taking on board new ways of thinking. Often that means letting go of something old, things that may be holding you back, so that you can step forward into something new. This teaching is symbolised as children take a leap, how hot embers into the second half of the school year. Roused on by hearty song and rhythmic drumming, this is a truly inspirational event.
Some of the festivals we celebrate
Come and celebrate with us
We welcome you to join our Advent and Spring Fairs
Our Year In Festivals
☆
Our Year In Festivals ☆
Twice a year we come together as a whole community to throw open our doors to over 2000 people. At our Spring Fair we invite you to dance the Maypole, hunt for fairies and stock your garden from our plant sale. At our Advent Fair, a magical mystery tour awaits you in our amazing Grotto, make your own festive wreath and buy festive gifts for loved ones. Both of our fairs host a range of stallholders and food outlets and are renowned as some of the largest and best family events in York.
A Community Celebration
Many of our festivals bring together pupils, parents, grandparents, staff and friends of the school.
Whether gathering around a bonfire, carrying lanterns through the evening, enjoying music together or sharing seasonal food, these moments help strengthen the sense of community that lies at the heart of York Steiner School.
For many families, these become treasured traditions that mark each passing year.
General Enquiries
Have a question about our festivals?
Our festivals bring the whole school community together throughout the changing seasons. If you would like to know more, we would love to hear from you.