Religious and Cultural Festivals of the World
Here are some interesting activities teachers can do with students to teach them about the religious and cultural festivals of the world.
By Daniella Garran
Cultures all over the world dedicate festivals and holidays to celebrate the values they hold dear. It is especially important for educators to model sensitivity and open-mindedness when approaching any study of a particular culture and their religious activity. Many students may be learning about different beliefs and practices for the first time.
Begin by asking the class what holidays and/or festivals they celebrate as a family, and make a list of their responses on the board. Typical answers may include:
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Christmas
- New Year
Expand the discussion by asking pupils to brainstorm what we celebrate as a nation. Here are some ideas for answers that you might try to elicit:
- Thanksgiving
- Fourth of July
- Memorial Day
- Veterans' Day
Make a point of identifying holidays that are uniquely American. Then move on to other national holidays celebrated in other cultures. A good example is Boxing Day in Canada and Great Britain. Challenge your learners to differentiate between holidays, festivals, and celebrations. Ask them how they think religion factors into such observances.
Extend the Lesson
After a thorough class discussion, assign either a holiday, festival, celebration, or observance to research. Learners can conduct their research either individually or in small groups. You may choose to have them display their findings either on a poster, in a PowerPoint presentation, or orally. Another idea is to consider hosting a world festival for your class in which students present the country, holiday, or celebration they have studied. Encourage them to bring in traditional foods and games to expose the class to a celebration they may not have previously known about. Finally, if there are active cultural groups in your community, consider inviting community members in to share their traditions with your class in the form of ceremonies, dances, or songs.
Religious and Cultural Festivals of the World:
A World of Special Celebrations
This resource provides a framework for teachers looking to introduce pupils to a variety of cultural and religious festivals. After conducting independent or small group research, learners have the opportunity to present their findings in a variety of formats including an ABC book, a timeline, or a map.
Although this series of lessons about Hispanic culture is designed to span several months, educators can easily use the lessons individually. Scholars have the opportunity to learn about important Hispanic festivals such as the Day of the Dead, Las Posadas, and Independence Day. This series of lessons provides an excellent opportunity to collaborate with world history and/or art teachers.
Although this lesson is geared toward elementary learners, it can be easily adapted to meet the needs of middle or high school classrooms. Pupils learn about different winter holidays, some of which they will already be familiar with and others that were previously unknown. The class will discuss Christmas, Chanukah, Ramadan, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and New Year's Day. Although the lesson was created to study winter holidays and festivals, it can also be amended to suit the different seasons as well.