Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

May Day is celebrated in countries all over the world in festivals that draw their origins in the ancient pre-Christian fertility rites practiced by the Romans honoring the Spring Goddess, Flora. The elements of the modern May Day festival take their root in Medieval times and include music, games, parades, dancing and of course, the ubiquitous maypole. Traditionally festooned with bright Spring flowers and strung with colorful ribbons, participants each take a ribbon and in a choreographed pattern weave them around and down as they dance or skip around the pole.

This year, the students at Ak Lu'um Waldorf School erected their own maypole to celebrate May Day in Mexico. The children were all dressed in white, the girls wearing crowns of flowers, the boys colorful sashes. As their teachers sang and played simple traditional tunes, the children skipped in and out creating a hypnotic pattern as the ribbons wove their way down the pole. The Maypole Dance was a yearly tradition at my school and this brought back fond memories of my teachers and classmates back in New York.

The remainder of the day was dedicated to all kinds of games and contests. Egg and spoon races, bobbing for apples, three-legged and sack races all pitted parent against child, bringing fits of laughter from participants and spectators alike! Having worked up a good appetite, we all tucked in to a delicious lunch with favorite dishes contributed by parents.

As always, the teachers and administrators at Ak Lu'um Waldorf School put their heart and soul into organizing a wonderful family day for all the members of the school community. You couldn't help but be proud of all the work that had been done and the progress made over the past few years. The campus gets better year after year. The livestock and gardens are thriving, as are our children in this very special place.

Ak Lu’um International School is a not for profit Waldorf Initiative founded in 2006 in the jungle close to Playa del Carmen. The school’s mission is to educate, promote sustainability, develop ecological awareness and encourage children from 2 to 12 to reconnect with our earth. Students at Ak Lu’um learn with their minds, hearts and hands. The curriculum is academically challenging and meaningful with many opportunities for hands-on learning and artistic development. Ak Lu’um welcomes children with special needs and seeks to integrate them fully, giving all children an opportunity to better know, understand and love their fellow human beings. The community at Ak Lu’um International School is bilingual (English-Spanish) and culturally rich with over 10 nationalities represented by staff and pupils.