Annual May Day Celebration at Fire Mountain School

The Fire Mountain School held its annual May Day celebration on Sunday, May 5th. Events included face painting and flower crowns, a raffle, music and singing; highlighted by a May Pole dance performed by the students. The event was well-attended by current and former students, parents, teachers, staff and supporters of the non-profit private school.

Founded in 1983 in the community of Falcon Cove, between Arch Cape and Manzanita, Fire Mountain School is located amidst two acres of coastal rainforest.

Believing in the power of child-led learning and emphasizing communication, collaboration, cooperation and commitment, Fire Mountain School offers Pre-K through 5th grade students an education rooted in nature, while celebrating community connections and fostering stewardship of the land. Fire Mountain School is currently enrolling new students for the 2024-2025 school year (visit firemountainschool.org for more information)

May Day, and dancing around a May Pole, can be traced to the ancient Celtic and Gaelic traditions of the British Isles; celebrated as the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.

People would “bring in the May” by gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral hoops and hair garlands, and crowning a May king and queen.