On December 20th, fourth graders at Love Creek Elementary spent the day learning about how different cultures celebrate the holidays. Each classroom had a designated country and the students were able to mingle with classmates while rotating through each room. The homeroom teachers each conducted various lessons and activities revolving around the holiday traditions of that country. In addition to the different activities in each room, students also had the chance to taste authentic food from that country, thanks to the donations of various restaurants from around the area.
There were a total of seven countries represented and included Italy, India, Mexico, China, Sweden, Israel and the United States. In Italy, students learned about the Italian Christmas customs of La Befana and The Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Frank and Louie’s donated Italian Wedding cookies. When learning about India students heard about Diwali – The Festival of Lights, and rangoli designs. Rehoboth based restaurant, Indigo, donated Indian rice and vegetables. In the Mexico room, students discussed Las Posadas, Three Kings Day, The Legend of the Poinsettias and the piñata. El Dorado donated Pico de Gallo for the students to try. During the lesson about China, students learned about the Chinese New Year and the lantern festival. Chinatown Buffet and Grill donated fried rice and lo-mein. The Swedish lesson was an interesting one where students heard about St. Lucias Day, which is similar to Christmas. The symbol is a straw goat, and in Sweden, Christmas Eve is also a very important day. At 3PM everyone watches Donald Duck, and instead of Santa Claus bringing gifts, Gnomes bring presents to the children.
A closer to home tradition for our students was celebrated while they learned about Israel. Students heard about Hanukkah-the miracle of light and about the menorah. They also played the dreidel game and Rosenfield’s Jewish Deli donated Challah bread for the students to eat. Last but certainly not least, students learned about Kwanzaa in the United States. Kwanzaa is a celebration of African culture and lasts seven days, starting on December 26. Kwanzaa does not replace any religious celebration, but everyday families practice one of the seven principles and on the last day there is a huge celebration.
All of our students and staff had a blast learning about these traditions from around the world. It was a day to celebrate both cultural differences and the holiday season!
