One by one, first grade students at Acmetonia Elementary School grabbed their “passport” and “suitcase” — a manilla envelope and folders — as they prepared to globe trot to learn how Christmas and other holidays are celebrated around the world.
While they won’t leave their school, they get a look at cultures and traditions from a handful of different countries under the direction of teacher Janis Taliana.
“It’s educational,” Taliana said of her Holidays Around the World lessons, which she’s been doing for more than a dozen years. “We’re similar, yet different, but we can respect that and honor that.”
Taliana said studying holidays around the world is important because it allows students to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, appreciate diversity, build respect for various traditions and recognize commonalities among people across the globe.
Ultimately, it fosters a sense of global citizenship by learning about the different ways other communities celebrate significant events in their lives, she said. The lessons are most prevalent in the United States, where numerous different holidays and traditions are celebrated, she said.
“I try to expose them, we’re not just a country that has Santa Claus or a nativity scene,” Taliana said. “There’s other people that honor Christianity all around the world.”
Students learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and how Christmas is celebrated in other countries. During the lesson on Germany, students made a Christmas tree ornament because the tradition of decorating Christmas trees is thought to have originated in Germany.
Taliana read students a book on La Befana who, in Italian folklore, is an old, kind witch similar to Santa Claus who flies on a broomstick from house to house leaving presents on Jan 6.
Student Mason Meier, 6, said he enjoyed making Christmas cards, which was part of the England lesson. It’s believed that the first Christmas greeting card was sent in England in the 1600s.
“I like coloring them and making notes,” Mason said.
