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Multicultural Holidays

Each week, the Education World Great Sites for Teaching About ... page highlights Web sites to help educators work timely themes into their lessons. This week's sites are among the best on the Web for teaching about multicultural holidays.

1. Chinese New Year
   http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/
   CHINA/chinese_new_year.html
   Few holidays catch the imagination of children the way Chinese Lunar New Year does. This site discusses the traditions associated with the celebration and highlights foods, decorations, and superstitions regarding the day. All are guaranteed to spice up your classroom studies. Did you know ... ? Many Chinese people regard meeting a person in his or her bedroom on Chinese New Year unlucky. Even sick people leave their beds for the day!

2. Cinco de Mayo
   http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm
   Cinco de Mayo celebrates the ousting of French troops from Mexico -- French troops who were actually very interested in causing problems in the United States! It is not a May Day celebration at all, as some people mistakenly think. The site offers a great overview of this May holiday and supplies a slew of links to help you dig deeper for your classroom studies.

3. The Day of the Dead
   http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/index_kids.html
   Part of the Mexico for Kids site, this page discusses the Mexican tradition of honoring deceased relatives on November 2. There are directions for making a holiday altar in the home and traditional Mexican sugar skulls to decorate the altar. After they visit Mexico for Kids, your students will want to return again and again to learn more about our neighbors to the south!

4. Holidays and Celebrations from Around the Worlds
   http://www.rice.edu/projects/topics/holidays/festivals.htm
   People of various cultures who study English as a second language explain holidays from around the world. Links to related holidays and neighboring countries help make connections across cultures as children read and learn. This is a great site for research projects on world holidays!

5. Jewish Holidays
   http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/JewishHolidays.asp
   Maintained by the Jewish Children's Learning Network, this site offers background on Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Pesach, Shavuot, Purim, and Tu B'Shvat. Holidays are explained through traditions, blessings, and vocabulary native to Jewish people. Each holiday is presented in a format that can be shared from elementary ages on up!

6. Multicultural Holidays
   http://familyculture.com/holidays.htm
   From FamilyCulture, this page offers a twelve-month calendar of multicultural holidays that leads users to a wealth of cultural resources. For example, underFeb, chooseTet. You'll find background, additional links to Vietnamese New Year resources, information about related holidays, and more. Pages for some holidays include lesson plans, ideas for activities, and craft instructions. Whether you're building a unit on multicultural holidays or looking for a few simple ideas to mark a specific holiday, this site may very likely have what you're looking for.

7. Kwanzaa
   http://www.afroam.org/children/fun/kwanzaa/kwanzaa.html
   Kwanzaa, a modern celebration of black culture, is largely American, but Some Europeans also observe the holiday. This site presents background, traditions, the seven principles, and activities that help students cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the richness of African American culture. Be sure to check out the Kwanzaa words and the recipe for benne cakes!

8. Mardi Gras
   http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/
   ARTICLES/0100/01160704_A.html
   Compton's Encyclopedia presents this thorough discussion of Mardi Gras and its significance in the Roman Catholic tradition of Latin America. There are additional links to information about Mardi Gras, Carnival, and other pageants and parades that are popular across cultures.Festivals and Holidays: Mardi Gras and Other Festivals includes a calendar of holidays around the world.

9. Ramadan
   http://www.veg.on.ca/newsletr/janfeb96/Islam_recipes.html
   Ramadan, which occurs this year from November 27 to December 26, marks the period in the seventh century when the founder of Islam, the Prophet Mohammed, received the holy words of the Koran from Allah. This Web site explains the background and tradition of this most holy observance of the Islamic year and provides three great recipes to prepare and share with your students: jary (vegetarian soup), demjeddera (lentil and rice dish), and spiced potatoes and cauliflower.

10. St. Patrick's Day Fun
    http://www.bonus.com/bonus/list/st_patricks.html?referrer=KG16
    Every March, many people indulge themselves in being a little Irish, whether they can trace ancestry to the Emerald Isle or not. Bonus.com offers a great collection of information and activities for St. Patrick's Day, including songs, leprechaun chasing, games, and an interactive quiz. Your students will work safely inside the exclusive NetScooter window, which prevents them from traveling anywhere offsite!

Walter McKenzie
Education World®
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Holidays Around the World: A Festival of Lessons! Multicultural Holidays