Autumnal Equinox/Mabon Celebration

Yesterday we met with two other families to learn about the autumnal equinox and Mabon, a celebration which celebrates the fall harvest. I tweaked the plans a bit, and I think I can safely say, we all had a grand time.

National Geographic has a nice little video about the equinox, and after viewing it, we talked about how some people think it's possible to stand an egg on its end during the vernal (spring) equinox. We decided to see if we could do it on the autumnal equinox (or actually a day early).


After awhile, and one or two seconds of success, we made a base of salt for each egg, then gently blew the salt away until the eggs were standing on end for quite some time. Of course, the nearly-invisible salt sticking to the ridges on the surface of the egg contributed greatly to the stability of the eggs, but we still called this a success.





We then talked about how different cultures celebrate the harvest during the time of year, and I pointed out our display, which has many colors and symbols of the autumn season.










I shared the story of Demeter and Persephone, after which we watched this clip on youtube:




After the clip, the children made apple candles with the assistance of the other moms...










...while I prepared the feast (also with the assistance of the other moms).


Roasted chicken, bread, butternut squash, sunflower kernels, mixed nuts, cantelouope, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and apple crisp










After our meal, the kids ran off some energy, then we gathered again to talk about another myth with similar themes to Mabon (balance, death and rebirth), this time the Celtic myth of the Green Man. After viewing some images, the children (and one of the moms) used fresh leaves to create their own versions of the Green Man.








Gallery of the Green Man