Around The World Holidays: Non Christian Celebrations

One of my favorite ways to introduce multicultural concepts in my classroom is through an introduction to different holidays during December. For, as Nancy Stewart makes clear in her song A Season For Singing, there is nothing more universal than celebration!

You can get more information and resources on Nancy's song page.

Another great resource at this time of year is Scholastic's 20 Holiday Adventures video (and it's only $5 too)! You can purchase it through this affiliate link.

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim celebration that occurs after Ramadan (a month of fasting and prayer). The date of Eid is determined by the crescent moon and occurs in the summer or fall.

Find more information on this song at Nancy's website.

Find more information on this song on Nancy's website.

While discussing Ramadan and Eid in our classroom, we make a crescent moon, learn vocabulary, and play a high frequency word game.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African American holiday that celebrates African American culture and heritage. The celebration begins on December 26 and lasts for seven days.

Go here to find the original page for this song at Nancy's website.

While learning about Kwanzaa we learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa, make a Kinara, and play a phonetic game with nonsense words.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated between November and January. The holiday celebrates a miracle that occurred in the Jewish temple when the menorah burned for eight nights even though there was only enough oil for one night.

You can get more information and resources for this wonderful song on Nancy's song page.