4th Advent - Flowers of the Mountain

With a little look back at the 2nd Advent, we celebrate the rich soil of Ecole culture.

In the candle-lit Grossen Saal, we listened to an Advent story by Selma Lagerlöf.
It was read section by section in German and then in English. Everyone listened quietly.
Afterwards, we tuned in to the peace meditation in the Platz.
A simple song accompanied us: 
“When I breathe in I'll breathe in peace
When I breathe out I'll breathe out Love”.
While singing, we moved onto the Platz. Everyone took a candle and lit it on another candle.
We stood in a circle and silence fell. Wishes for peace were sent out into the world.
Giggling mingled with the silence... also an expression of this school's energy!

Who knows what was going on in the various participants and in the world during these moments.
One thing is certain: a ritual like this draws on the Ecole culture in the best sense of the word.

We were able to celebrate it with ease thanks to a culture in which it is a natural thing, 
....to meet as a community several times a week.
...to sing together.
...to engage in reflective topics during “Andacht”.
...to welcome invitations to try something new.
...to treat each other with kindness and respect.
...to celebrate together.
...

For 90 years, this nurturing ground for human flourishing has been cultivated at the Ecole d'Humanité - what a precious treasure!

We hope that many flowers will continue to bloom on the Hasliberg.
In 2025, we will continue to devote all our efforts to making this happen.

Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year!

P.S.: “The Legend of the Christmas Rose” by Selma Lagerlöf is another of the Ecole's long-standing Advent traditions. Perhaps you would like to listen (again) to Kathinka and Alain telling it in English and in German in the forest above the Ecole. Do you remember the scene of the bear and the bandit father in the overwhelming description of the Christmas garden (min. 40:50)? The story touches me with its deep meanings and richness in detail. Year after year, new aspects are revealed and other scenes remain with me. Wonderful food for thought...