Whitsun at Willowsong

On Wednesday 27 May, our Willowsong community paused together to celebrate Whitsun.

Whitsun falls fifty days after Easter, and for us here in Aotearoa, in the southern hemisphere, its timing carries a particular kind of meaning. As the days shorten and the nights draw in around us, Whitsun asks us to notice the light each of us carries within — and, just as importantly, the light we give to one another.

"The gift of the light we thankfully take, But it shall not be alone for our sake; The more we give light, the one to the other, It shines and goes on a-glowing still further; 'Till every spark by friends set aflame, And every heart the joy shall proclaim."

It's a festival about connection — to each other as a community, and to the natural world around us. In the rhythm of a Steiner kindergarten, festivals like Whitsun aren't fixed points on a calendar to observe out of habit; they're part of an ongoing cycle, each one connected to the next, and to our own lives as they unfold through the seasons. Rudolf Steiner spoke of Whitsun as a festival of working together in freedom — each person bringing their own voice, and finding unity in that difference rather than in spite of it. It's a fitting idea for a kindergarten community made up of so many different families, all finding their own way toward something shared.

In a few weeks' time, we'll look to the sky again for Matariki — the reappearance of the star cluster that marks the Māori new year, a time of rest, remembrance, and setting intentions for the season ahead. There's a lovely thread between the two festivals: could the new beginnings Matariki asks us to imagine be seeded by the light we kindle together at Whitsun?

Thank you to everyone who joined us to mark the day, and to Sharon, whose reflection on Whitsun and Matariki inspired much of this piece.

Ngā mihi maioha,

Willowsong Kindergarten