The diversity in many classrooms provides a starting point for children to begin to understand and value the distinct cultures of the world.
What better way to do that than to feature a winter unit on Light Festivals from around the world?
St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden: According to folk tradition, December 13 follows the longest night of the year in Sweden.
St Lucia is honoured this day with a wreath of candles.
The oldest girl in the family is declared St Lucia and on this day. She will wear white robe with a red sash and a wreath with candles on her head.
‘The St Lucia’ of the family serves everyone a special bun called Lussekatter.
Schools celebrate with a St Lucia choir. All the girls dress up as St Lucia and the boys are ‘Star Boys.’
Christmas Candles: The Christian tradition of light during the Christmas season is demonstrated by the Advent Candles which are lit each of four consecutive Sundays before Christmas Day. Additionally, some families burn a Yule log. This tradition goes back pre-Christian celebrations during Winter Solstice.
Pere Noel brings toys to children in a sack. As he comes, he calls out ‘tralala, tralala, bouli, bouli, boulah.’
Families go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. After church, everyone eats a huge dinner called ‘Le Reveillon’ (of goose, turkey, chicken or beef; a fish dish, cheese, bread, wine, and fruit). Many families serve ‘Buche de Noel,’ a sponge cake decorated like a Yule log. Some families burn a real log in the fireplace.
Festivities in France: French families think mistletoe (a plant) is also lucky and hang it in various locations of their home.
Kissing under the mistletoe was prevalent during the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. Mistletoe was believed to have the power of bestowing fertility and the dung from which the mistletoe was thought to arise was also said to have life-giving power.
Hanukkah for Jews: The Jewish Festival of Lights is celebrated all over the world. In 165 BC, the Maccabees and Syrians fought a great battle.
The Jews won and when they went to their temple, they found that the Syrians had allowed their sacred light to go out. They only had oil for one day.
The miracle of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted eight days until a messenger could return with more. There are nine candles in the menorah, one of which is used to light the other candles and the other eight stands for the eight days that the oil kept burning.
St Martin’s Day, Holland: Saint Martin’s Day (also known as Sint Maarten) is marked in Holland on November 11 and is considered to be the most popular of All Saints Day.
Children carry lanterns and go from house to house singing songs. People give them candy and other treats.
Assigned as ‘Martin of Tours,’ he lived in the 4th century.
Martin started out as a Roman soldier, was baptised and became a monk.
In view of his exemplary life, he was appointed Bishop of Tours against his will.
The goose, animal symbol of St Martin, is a common meal on St. Martin’s Day.
Legend has it that geese betrayed him with their gabbling when he tried to hide in a stall as he was to be appointed bishop.
Martin was a good and kind man. On a winter night, he was returning home when a snow storm struck. Feeling sorry for a homeless man on the way, she gave him half of the clock he was wearing.
He later cane to be renowned as a saint for his kindness to strangers.
Loi Krathong in Thailand: This holiday ((Loy-Kruh-Thong) is celebrated in Thailand in November each year. ‘Loy,’ which means to float and ‘Krathong,’ denotes a lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, three joss-sticks, some flowers and coins.
The festival starts at night when there is a full moon in the sky. People carry their Krathongs to the nearby rivers. After lighting candles and making a wish, they place the Krathongs on the water and let them drift away.
It is believed that the Krathongs carry away bad luck. It is the time to be joyful and happy as the sufferings are floated away.
Festival of Light in Egypt: Many Christians in Egypt belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church and celebrate Christmas on January 6 and 7, decorating Churches with special lamps and candles.
Copts also give candles to the poor. They represent the candles Joseph used to protect Mary with when Jesus was born.
There are four weeks of Advent during which a candle is lit each week. In Egypt, Advent lasts 45 days and people fast. They do not eat any meat, poultry or dairy products.
Everyone buys new clothes to wear to the Christmas Eve church service.
The event in Philippines: The festival of lights is marked by the sight of ‘parol’ or star Lanterns in the Philippines, the only Christian country in Asia.
Nine days before Christmas, a special mass is celebrated where the story of the birth of Jesus in re-enacted, as parol is displayed and fireworks displayed.
Strolling musicians play handmade banjos in the streets. This is an important feature in the Philippines.
The Chinese Tree of Lights: Christians in China celebrate Christmas by lighting their houses with paper lanterns.
The ‘Trees of Light’ are decorated with paper chains, flowers and lanterns.
Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call ‘Dun Che Lao Ren’ (Dwyn-Chuh-Lau-Oh-Run) meaning ‘The Old Man of Christmas.’
But the main winter festival is the Chinese New Year in January. This is when children receive new clothing, eat fancy meals, get new toys and enjoy fireworks.
Judie Haynes is content editor, everythingESL.net’ and an ESL (English as Second Language) teacher based in New Jersey, US. The above article, which appeared in our November 1, 2004 issue, has been reproduced with modifications with her permission.
