Holidays: a bridge into cultures

Holidays are a bridge into students’ cultures, local cultures, and global cultures. So, if the ultimate goal for teaching a World Language is to increase empathy and cultural competency, and to reduce bias, then exposing our students to a wide variety of holidays may invite their curiosity, appreciation, and respect.

All the presentations shared below have either been authored or proofread/reviewed by people who belong to the various cultures presented. Please make your own copy if you wish to edit them. I hope you and your students find these helpful!

Useful reminders:

  1. We are not necessarily experts, but we are open, respectful, and curious.
  2. We do not put students on the spot as representatives of their cultures unless they have specifically provided consent to lead or co-present.

If you see any typo or if you know of trusted presentations for more holidays or for a different level, please contact me to have them added to this list.

NOVICE LEARNERSINTERMEDIATE LEARNERS
DiwaliDiwali
(credit: Pav from fleavecmmed)
Hanukkah
Holi and Hola Mohalla
(credit: Natasha Faroogh, Shah Singh Family, Veronique Sumbu, and Roopali Chaudhary)
Kwanzaa (in progress)
Lunar New Year
Norooz
(credit: Khorshid Gharaee-Kermani
Natasha Faroogh)
Ramadan