multicultural education

1. Winter
Holidays

2. Christmas
• A celebration of the
birth of Jesus Christ.
•http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/index.htm

3. The feast commemorates Abraham's
willingness to follow God's command
to sacrifice his son Ishmael and
Ishmael's consent to being sacrificed.
Eid Al Adha
At the very moment that Abraham
raised the knife, Allah tells him to
The Feast of
stop -- they had passed the test -- and
to replace Ishmael with a sacrificial
Sacrifice
ram.
Before the festival, the faithful acquire
new clothing and visit with family and
friends.
At dawn on the day of Eid, Muslims
recite the traditional declaration of
faith, the Takbir, followed by the pre-
sunrise communal prayer, Salat al-
Eid.
Worshipers then greet friends with the
traditional Arabic salutation of Eid
Mubarak (“Have a blessed Eid”) and
exchange gifts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/eid-al-adha-2012-photos-muslim-feast-of-sacrifice_n_2024516.html#slide=1690829

4. • The eight-day Jewish
Hanukkah
celebration known as
Hanukkah or Chanukah
commemorates the
rededication during the
second century B.C. of
the Second Temple in
Jerusalem. Hanukkah,
which means
"dedication." In 2012 it
starts on December 8 and
ends on December 16.
• Often called the Festival
of Lights, the holiday is
celebrated with the
lighting of the menorah,
traditional “fried” foods,
games and gifts.
VIDEO: http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah/videos#history-of-hanukkah
http://www.history.com/to

5. • Kwanzaa is a 7 day festival celebrating
the African American people, their
THE FESTIVAL culture and their history. It is a time of
celebration, community gathering, and
OF reflection. A time of endings and
beginnings. Kwanzaa begins on
KWANZAA December 26th, the day after
Christmas, and continues until New
Years Day, January 1st.
•
Each evening a family member, usually
the youngest child, lights candles in a
special candleholder (kinara) and
discusses one of the seven principles of
Kwanzaa. The candles symbolize the
seven basic values of African American
family life that are unity, self-
determination, collective work and
responsibility, cooperative economics,
purpose, creativity, and faith . On the
sixth day, which falls on New Years Eve,
family and friends get together to enjoy
a large feast and to celebrate their
http://www.sababuland.com/shule/kwanzaa/symbols.html history, culture, and the upcoming new
VIDEO: http://www.history.com/topics/kwanzaa-history/videos#history-of-kwanzaa year.

6. • Diwali is a five day Hindu festival.Diwali means "rows of
lighted lamps" The Festival of Lights. Diwali always
falls in the months of October or November
• During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned and
windows are opened to welcome Laksmi, goddess of
wealth. Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to
Diwali
Laksmi. Gifts are exchanged and festive meals are Hindu Holiday of Lights
prepared during Diwali. The celebration means as much
to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.
• The festival begins with Dhanteras, a day set aside to
worship Laksmi. Wealth is not viewed as a corruptive
power. A wealthy person is considered to have been
rewarded for good deeds of a past life.
• Second day Kali, the goddess of Strength. This day
focuses on abolishing laziness and evil.
• Third day, lamps are lighted and shine brightly in every
home. The lamp symbolizes knowledge and encourages
reflection upon the purpose of each day in the festival.
The goal is to remember the purpose throughout the
year.
• The fourth day old business accounts are settled and
new books are opened. The books are worshipped in a
special ceremony and participants are encouraged to http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/dday.htm
remove anger, hate, and jealousy from their lives.
• On the final day (Balipratipada) of the festival, Bali, an
ancient Indian king, is recalled. The focus is to see the
good in others, including enemies..

7. Chinese New
• Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the
first day of the new year and ends on the full moon
15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called
Year
the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night
with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns
in a parade.
• The Chinese New Year falls on a different date
each year. 2013: Sunday, February 10-YEAR OF
THE SNAKE
• New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated
as a family affair, a time of reunion and
thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally
highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor
of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and
the family ancestors.
• The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all
the rituals, united the living members with those
who had passed away. Departed relatives are
remembered with great respect because they were
responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune
and glory of the family.
• Bodhi Day: December 8 in commemoration of the
enlightenment of the Buddha http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-new-year/videos#history-of-the-holidays-chinese-new-year

8. •
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/winter-holidays-around-the-world.html

9. Christmas
• Christmas is celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
• Christmas in the United States brings together many
customs from other countries and cultures. Around
the world, family members help to decorate the tree
and home with bright lights, wreaths, candles, holly,
mistletoe, and ornaments. On Christmas Eve, many
people go to church. Also on Christmas Eve, Santa
comes from the North Pole in a sleigh to deliver gifts;
in Hawaii, it is said he arrives by boat; in Australia, the
jolly man arrives on water skis; and in Ghana, he
comes out of the jungle.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/winter-celebrations/
• Mexico celebrates with Posadas and pinatas
http://ly.glenview34.org/teachers/wilson/webquest/holiday-webquest.html#
lp. In Peru, children place food on their slippers for the
camels that bring the wise men to baby Jesus.
– MORE INFORMATION AT
• http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/index.htm
• http://www.soon.org.uk/en/articles/christmas/around-the-world.html
• http://www.allthingschristmas.com/northpole/aroundworld.html
•http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/index.htm

10. Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar’s
last month, Dhu al-Hijjah. Eid al-Adha falls within the
annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj.
Determining the exact date of Eid al-Adha, is a point of
contention and some wait for an official
announcement from the authorities in Mecca.
Eid Al Adha
In 2012 it was celebrated on October 26 in the USA.
The festival commemorates Abraham's willingness to follow
The Feast of
God's command to sacrifice his son Ishmael and
Ishmael's consent to being sacrificed. At the very
moment that Abraham raised the knife, Allah tells him to
Sacrifice
stop -- they had passed the test -- and to replace Ishmael
with a sacrificial ram. In the Quran, Abraham is
rewarded for his faith with a second son, Isaac. Today, it
is is marked by slaughtering animals to feed the poor.
Coming at the end of the Hajj, a journey of dedication
and purification, Eid al-Adha
is understood as an opportunity for second chances.
Before the festival, the faithful acquire new clothing and visit
with family and friends. At dawn on the day of Eid,
Muslims recite the traditional declaration of faith, the
Takbir, followed by the pre-sunrise communal prayer,
Salat al-Eid, which is also said on Eid al-Fitr. Worshipers
then greet friends with the traditional Arabic salutation
of Eid Mubarak (“Have a blessed Eid”) and exchange
gifts.
In a symbolic act, Muslims who can afford it
slaughter a cow, goat, sheep or camel, keeping a portion
to feed themselves and distributing the rest to friends,
family and the needy. Those who can't afford it,
buy meat from a Halal butcher to distribute. Giving out
this meat, in addition to the morning prayers, is
considered an essential component of Eid al-Adha.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/eid-al-adha-2012-photos-muslim-feast-of-sacrifice_n_2024516.html#slide=1690829

11. • The eight-day Jewish celebration known as
Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the
Hanukkah
rededication during the second century B.C.
of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where
according to legend Jews had risen up
against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in
the Maccabean Revolt.
• Hanukkah, which means "dedication" in
Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the
Hebrew calendar and usually falls in
November or December. In 2012 it starts
on December 8 and ends on December16.
• Often called the Festival of Lights, the
holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the
menorah, traditional “fried” foods, games
and gifts. http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah
• Lighting the hanukkiyah: Every year it is customary to commemorate the
miracle of the Hanukkah oil by lighting candles on a hanukkiyah. The hanukkiyah is lit
every night for eight nights. Learn more about the hanukkiyah in: What Is a
Hanukkiyah? | How to Light the Hanukkah Menorah |
Hanukkah Candle Lighting Blessings.
• Spinning the dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game is spinning the dreidel, which is a
four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side. Read The Hanukkah
Dreidel to learn more about the dreidel, the meaning of the letters and how to play
the game. Gelt, which are chocolate coins covered with tin foil, are part of this game.
VIDEO: http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah/videos#history-of-hanukkah • Eating fried foods: Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional
to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are
pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served
with applesauce. Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) are jelly-filled donuts that are fried
and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating. Learn more about
Hanukkah food traditions: Hanukkah Food Traditions | What Is a Latke?
• Hanukkah Traditions for Kids
– http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm

12. • Kwanzaa is a 7 day festival celebrating the
African American people, their culture and their
THE FESTIVAL history. It is a time of celebration, community
gathering, and reflection. A time of endings and
beginnings. Kwanzaa begins on December 26th,
OF the day after Christmas, and continues until New
Years Day, January 1st.
KWANZAA •
Each evening a family member, usually the
youngest child, lights candles in a special
candleholder (kinara) and discusses one of the
seven principles of Kwanzaa. The candles
symbolize the seven basic values of African
American family life that are unity, self-
determination, collective work and responsibility,
cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and
faith . On the sixth day, which falls on New
Years Eve, family and friends get together to
enjoy a large feast and to celebrate their history,
culture, and the upcoming new year.
• The holiday of Kwanzaa was created by Dr.
Maulana Karenga in 1966, during the period of
US history in which African Americans were
involved in struggles for their civil rights. This
was the period of Martin Luther King, the Civil
Rights movement, and Black Power. In fact the
name he gave to the holiday, "Kwanzaa," comes
from the Kiswahili phrase for "first fruit" -
VIDEO: http://www.history.com/topics/kwanzaa-history/videos#history-of-kwanzaa matunda ya kwanza. (Kiswahili, or Swahili, is the
largest spoken language on the African continent
and thus the language of Kwanzaa).
• http://www.holidays.net/kwanzaa/story.htm

13. • Diwali is a five day Hindu festival which occurs on the
fifteenth day of Kartika. Diwali means "rows of lighted
lamps" and the celebration is often referred to as the
Festival of Lights. During this time, homes are
Diwali
thoroughly cleaned and windows are opened to
welcome Laksmi, goddess of wealth. Candles and
lamps are lit as a greeting to Laksmi. Gifts are
exchanged and festive meals are prepared during
Diwali. The celebration means as much to Hindus as Hindu Holiday of Lights
Christmas does to Christians.
• Because there are many regions in India, there are
many manifestations of the Diwali festival. In at least
one area, the festival begins with Dhanteras, a day set
aside to worship Laksmi. In the Indian culture, wealth is
not viewed as a corruptive power. Instead, a wealthy
person is considered to have been rewarded for good
deeds of a past life.
• On the second day Kali, the goddess of Strength, is
worshipped. This day also focuses on abolishing
laziness and evil.
• On the third day (the last day of the year in the lunar
calendar), lamps are lighted and shine brightly in every
home. The lamp symbolizes knowledge and encourages
reflection upon the purpose of each day in the festival.
The goal is to remember the purpose throughout the
year.
• The fourth day of Diwali falls on the first day of the lunar
New Year. At this time, old business accounts are
settled and new books are opened. The books are
worshipped in a special ceremony and participants are
encouraged to remove anger, hate, and jealousy from
their lives.
• On the final day (Balipratipada) of the festival, Bali, an http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/dday.htm
ancient Indian king, is recalled. Bali destroyed the
centuries old philosophies of the society. However, in
addition to this, he is remembered for being a generous
person. Thus, the focus of this day is to see the good in
others, including enemies.
• Because there is no one universally accepted Hindu

14. • Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day
of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The
15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival,
which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children
carrying lanterns in a parade.
Chinese New
Year
• The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and
solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order
to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an
extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-
yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap
year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese
New Year falls on a different date each year. 2013:
Sunday, February 10-YEAR OF THE SNAKE
• New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a
family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The
celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious
ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the
household and the family ancestors.
• The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals,
united the living members with those who had passed
away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect
because they were responsible for laying the foundations for
the fortune and glory of the family.
• The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New
Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family
banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the
living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great
community. The communal feast called "surrounding the
stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past
and present generations.
http://www.history.com/topics/chinese-new-year/videos#history-of-the-holidays-chinese-new-year

15. Resources
• Lesson Plan and rubric • MULTICULTURAL
• http://ly EDUCATION
.glenview34.org/teachers/
• http://www.giftcards.com/mu
wilson/webquest/holiday-
webquest.html
• Fit holiday foods for kids
http://fit.webmd.com/kids/food/article/holiday-foods