We started the day learning about Hanukkah with Francesca Wolf and grandma, the presentation included reading "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel" and each student received a gold coin! Anna McCrafferty presented about Christmas in Australia, the class was showed how they build sand people instead of building snowmen and learned that kangaroos drive Santa's sleigh. The students loved wearing paper crowns and enjoyed snacking on the lamington bread! To end our Christmas Around the World presentations, Erin Hillstorm taught the students a little about Christmas in Japan and Hawaii. Christmas in Japan is more like Valentines Day as couples go out for a romantic dinner. KFC is a popular meal on Christmas in Japan! In Hawaii, a luau is a Christmas tradition, Santa is usually shown in beach attire and travels in a canoe! All the students loved to wear the lei that was gifted to them!
We at Montessori of Frankfort enjoyed our holiday celebrations in class teaching our children about the holidays of other cultures which help them to see that no matter what differences we all may have, we really do have a lot in common. When teachers and parents teach their children about different holiday traditions and cultures, they help them develop empathy and understanding for others. It teaches them that it's okay to be different. We may not all celebrate holidays the same way, but we all have commonalities such as family, love, and respect for one another. Children do notice differences and often times ask questions. We asked volunteer parents to visit our classrooms and share different cultures by showing them pictures, tasting different foods and answering questions regarding different countries and their celebrations. Needless to say, it was a great learning experience for our children and they all had a wonderful time.
