Exploring Holiday Cultural Traditions

by David Benson, Educational Technology Consultant ()

Ah, the holiday season is upon us again. The shopping rush is on, unless you?re the type who shops early or by catalogue or Internet, and the month of December is starting out as usual: hectic, full and just not filled with enough days to accomplish all that needs to be done.

But in many ways, December is truly a remarkable month. It?s right around this time of year when many holidays seem to converge to create a cornucopia of cultural celebrations. Ramadan has just come to an end and Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa are all set to begin. Regardless of what some of us might feel about events in the world, there are some grand and fantastic cultures all around us.

Why not take some time, do a little cultural investigation yourself and get your classes involved? That?s what?s great about being a teacher: We have the power to mold minds and change opinions. I found a few great sites to look at and I?m passing them along to you. As always, I hope this month is a good one and your holiday celebrations are all you hope them to be.

A Few Holiday Sites on the Internet

Holidays on the Net (select the link Our Celebrations) www.holidays.net

Earth Calendar www.earthcalendar.net

Yahooligans! yahooligans.yahoo.com/Around_the_World/Holidays

KIDPROJ?s Multi-Cultural Calendar www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC

Holidays Around the World for K-12