Day 1: How to teach kids about the diverse holiday season

Today is day 1 of 25 Days of Learning! 

Through the next 25 days, we will be learning math, language, science, and even a few fun DIYs, all carrying the holiday theme and spirit. We would love it if you came back every day and checked on this section of the BYJU’S Learning Blog. Let’s make this advent season one of learning together. 

Do you wonder why schools introduce holidays you may not celebrate? When teachers and parents teach young children how different cultures and religions celebrate holidays, it helps them respect other cultures and expand their worldviews.

So how do you go about exposing your children to other beliefs and holidays? Using a hands-on approach is the best way for kids to understand and learn anything. 

2022, in particular, is serving us a holiday season unlike the year before. Families are coming together again, and traditions put on hold are resuming with great cheer! So this is a fantastic opportunity to teach children about the true meaning of the different holidays and open up the conversation to unfamiliar holidays celebrated by their friends at school.

Here are some December holidays and fun ways to introduce them to your kids.

Christmas

December 25th is about more than just Santa Claus. Teaching children the meaning behind Christmas takes them back to the holiday’s origins. And as all traditions go, several versions of this classic tale exist. 

Did you know that December 25th came to be Christmas only in the year 221? Emperor Sextus Julius Africanus instituted this date and made it the day of Christ's birth.  The festival has Roman roots celebrating the “birth of the Sun”; it incidentally became the “birth of the Son” as well.   

For something hands-on, you and your child can recreate the scene of the birth of Jesus. Re-enact a nativity scene with playmates or build a toy model. Introduce your children to Christmas carols that tell the story about the birth of Jesus— or take them caroling with their friends.

Hanukkah

The Festival of Lights is the eight-day Jewish celebration of the Maccabees and their fight for freedom. The dates for Hanukkah change every year, but it usually occurs between the end of November and the end of December. 

Take your children to a local temple where they can learn about the miracle celebrated throughout this holiday. Explain why the eight candles are about receiving a gift each day and how they represent the miracles the Maccabees experienced.

A craft we recommend is creating and coloring a Menorah with your children. And as you create it, you can talk through what each colored candle represents.
 

Kwanzaa

A holiday that honors African-American culture and ends with a large communal feast. We recommend having your children research Kwanzaa’s importance to the African-American culture by finding books and stories and speaking with people who celebrate the holiday. 

After researching and learning more about the holiday, create a Kwanzaa celebration. You can make Kwanzaa candles and celebrate with a feast, invite school friends and family, and have each guest bring a traditional food item.

New Year's Day

Talk about what your child associates with New Year's Eve. Maybe fireworks? Confetti? Is the ball dropping in Times Square? These are all things they might think about. Talk about some traditions in cultures different from your own and how for some people, the New Year is celebrated at a different time than you. 

After learning about different traditions, like how in Spain, quickly eating twelve grapes at midnight is meant to bring good luck, you could pick a new custom to incorporate into your New Year’s Eve tradition each year.

Remember, December isn’t the only month filled with new, exciting cultures, customs, and holidays to explore! Allowing your child to pick an extra holiday to learn about and celebrate, along with your family’s traditional rituals, will be a great learning experience for your kids — and you. Who can say no to more holiday celebrations?