CELEBRATING
MULTI CULTURAL HOLIDAYS
Submitted by Dianne
We're doing a multi-cultural holiday theme with
our class of special needs 3-5 year olds. Here's what we're doing--divided
our bulletin board into 4 (Ramadan, Hanukka, Kawanzza, and Christmas)
spaces with appropriate border around each space. For Ramadan space,
we used green tempera to place hand prints randomly on white poster
board, then my littler ones finger painted a yellow crescent moon to
glue on top of hand prints.
For the Hanukkah space, we will made a menorah with our
handprints using yellow and blue paint.
For the Kwanzaa space, I cut out a large letter "K" out
of 9 X 12" black construction paper. We will glue individual (and small)
squares of red, green and black construction paper randomly all over the "K"
For Christmas space, we will do a handprint Christmas tree.
I really want any art work to reflect the child's
attempts not mine, so for the Ramadan art today, all the children
traced the crescent moon with a pencil (using a cardboard pattern),
then the ones who can use scissors cut the crescents out (and my
aide did a few for ones who can't use scissors yet) but then
they all used glue sticks to do the gluing. This sounds so
primary but I have little ones who don't have a clue out to use a
glue stick so just learning how to take it out, pump it up (and when
to stop :)) and how to use it, then turn the paper over and how to
put the glue stick back down onto the cover is as much the lesson
as the Ramadan lesson.
GERMAN HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS
German Christmas:
The Christmas season is the happiest holiday
for the German people. On the evening of December5, children clean
there shoes and set them in a special place (mostly in front of the
door). When the awake the next morning on
Sankt Nicholas day (Sankt, Nikolaus), the shoes where
filled with cookies, candy, nuts, mandarins, oranges and one special toy. The
advent wreath originated with the German Lutherans. On each of the four Sundays
before Christmas, one candle was lit in the wreath as the family joins in saying
prayers, readinga scripture and singing carols (* we even did this with the
children at school, every day before lunch, we got the advent wreath and lit the candle *)
Traditional holiday foods include "Pffeferkuchen" or "Gingerbread" and "Wheinachtsstollen" .
Also, each child will geta advents calendar. Starting
on Dec1 till Dec24.
Every day the child will open a door,or bad or what ever
you have and will find a suprise in there. That is a good counting method,
too.
*Extended Activities*
1) Christmas shoes: Draw shoes ona piece of paper. Fill
shoes with pictures cut from catalog or magazines. Pictures can include toys
and food
2) Gingerbread: Make Gingerbread following directions
on the packaged mix. Serve with whipped cream for snack
3) Advents calendar: Collect 24 toilet paper rolls, or
12 kitchen towels rolls.(cut in half). Get read tissue paper, some cutton balls,
strings, some of those eyes (don't know the name, but also could draw
eyes on it), cut out a circle a little bit bigger then the button of the roll.
Directions: roll the red tissue paper around the toilet
roll, and leave some extra on on end of the roll. Glue the paper circle on
the othe rend of the roll(now you have a buttom). Glue or draw eyes on the
roll, make a cute face. Over his lips glue some cotton balls, stuff the inside
with a few goodies for the kids, like hearshy kisses, gummibears, nuts... or
a little suprise). Tie the top together. Write or glue a big number on each
of the "Santa Claus", that way the children can look for the date I.e. today
is Dec4, lets look for Santa Claus#4. When all is done, it should look like
a Santa clause
Sylvester day (New years day)
On Sankt Sylvester day, celebrated on December
31. Germans sing songs of thanksgiving. Punch, is served with jelly
doughnuts. For fun, some doughnuts are filled with mustard( Oh what
a fun to see someone's face, biting into mustard,.....lol) Later that evening, family members
and friends have a ceremony, which consists of holding a lump of lead in a
spoon over a lamp, or fire place. When the lead melts, they dump it into cold
water. An adult is selected to be the foutrune teller who predicts the future
from the shape of the cooler lead. Today many families use wax instead. We
also sing songs, and have a big party. At 12 o'clock that night, we have a
big , I mean huge fire work. All the neighbors come up and tell you a happy
new year and almost every one starts the new year with a glass of sekt or Champaign.......Clean
up the next day is the pain...lol
Extended Activities:
>1) Jelly filled doughnuts: Thaw frozen sweet rolls dough.
Place individual balls of dough on a cookie sheet. Flatten each ball into a
rectangular that is 1/4" thick. Place jelly on center or rectangular. Fold
rectangular in half. Pinch open sides together. Doughnuts can be deep fried
(Thats how they where best...yumm)or backed on greased cookie sheet for 10-15
min. at 375F.
2) Fortune telling: Adult drops one spoon of wax into
cold water, and child tells you what the shape of the wax look like. Glue wax
to a piece of paper with child's interpretation written on the paper. Repeat
for each child in the group......
Celebration of Lights around the World
Following submitted by Peg
In almost every culture lights, symbolizing
love and hope, are a special element of celebrations. Some of the
morew familiar sources of holiday lights include: Christmas lights,
Advent candles, Hanukkah menorahs and the Kwanza kinara.
Floating Diwali Lamps
Each year in late Oct. or early Nov., many of the people
of India celebrat Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The people hope that their
light display will attract the attention of the goddess Lakshmi, whose visits
bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
On Diwali, children sometimes light little lamps and
float them in river or lakes. (Lamps that stay lit for a long time are thought
to bring good luck).
Materials: egg caarton, string, and yellow tape
Cut egg carton into single cups.
Cut string into 2 inch strips
Tape the string to the bottom of one egg carton cup for
pretend wick.
Attach small peice of yellow tape to top of string as
pretend flame.
Fill a tub and let children float the Diwali lamps. Remember
the wicks in the candles arew NOT to be lit
Diwali -Festival of Lights
Submitted by Haley
Divali (sometimes spelled Diwali) is the Indian
Festival of Lights. It is celebrated in late October to November.
During this holiday people in India place small oil lamps called
diyas on the windows in rows to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, the
goddess of wealth hoping for good fortune for the next year. It is
also a celebration Krishna, an avatar of Vinshu. Theirs lots of fireworks,
bright lights, and sweets. People buy in clothes and children play
games like "Pin the light on the Diya."
Chant: 5 Divali Lamps (Diyas)
Written by Haley Drake
5 little lamps sitting in a row
The first one said, "I'm starting to glow."
The second one said, "Let's chase away the
dark."
The third one said, "I'm happy as a lark!"
The fourth one said, "Divali so much fun."
The fifth one said, "I'm bright as the sun!"
Bang! went the firecracker, down went the sparks
and the 5 little lamps glowed in the dark.
We also played "Pin the light on Diya." I
simply made an image of a diya lamp using construction paper,
and played a version of "Pin the tale on the Donkey" with flames.
I also purchased sweets from a local Indian
grocery, and had them for snack, which the kids really loved!
You could also talk about in some parts of India
they make rice designs outside their homes, and have the children
make rice designs, or draw using sidewalk chalk.
Lucia Day, a Swedish Celebration
Each Dec. 13 the people of Sweden celebrate
Lucia Day in honor of Lucy the Saint of Light, who brings brightness
at the darkest time of year. Early in the morning the oldest daughtwer
dresses in a white robe with a red sash to play Lucy. On her head
she wears a crown of evergreens topped with lighted candles. Then
accompanied by her brothers and sisiters, she brings breaksfast to
all the adult members of the family who are still in bed. (This sounds
like a holiday we need to be celebrating in my house!!!).
Lucia Crowns
Materials: paper plates, green crepe paper, white birthday
candles (with wicks cut off)
Cut the centers out of the paper plates and have children
glue short strips of green crpepe papaer "evergreens" on top of the rim. When
glue has dried poke 5 or 6 small holes in each crown and let children stick
birthday candles (with wicks cut off) onto the holes. (This is for decoration
only and the candles should not be lit |
