Learn about cultural and religious traditions that impact the world!

Festival of Lights

Registration runs from December 3 -  December 21, 2012!

Click here to register for Festivals of Lights.

Cost is $2.25/per child. This covers the cost of food, gas, staff, etc.

30-45 minute (increasing with age) sessions  held with individual classes. Up to 3 holidays addressed in each session. Teachers are asked to come to a consensus about holiday choices.

Schools may schedule between 2-6 sessions per day.

A minimum of 60 students total, per school, must participate in order to book presentations. Involve your peers, and reach out to teachers from other grade levels. Note: If multiple grade levels in your school are scheduling Road Shows, try to pick different holidays for each grade to help students learn about new holidays from year to year.

The program display will be set up in one central location (ex: library, auditorium, etc.).

Due to rising costs, we will travel the first 15 miles (from downtown Asheville) free of charge. For every mile thereafter, a $0.50/mile fee will be included.

Call or email Sarah Jane Casciato to schedule, or with any questions: 828-216-6152  reservations@diversityed.org

December 3 -  December 21, 2012 - $2.25/student

Festivals of Light Teacher Packets

• Chanukah in the Jewish Faith (K-7th grade)
  
• Ramadan in the Muslim Faith (K-5 and 7-8th grades)
  
• Kwanzaa in America (K-4 and 8th grade)
  
• Christmas/New Year in Russia (K-6th grade)
  
• Las Posadas in Mexico (K-5 and 8th grade)
  
• Moravian Lovefeast (4th and 8th grades)
  
• Christmas in England (6th grade)
  
• Christmas in Greece (6th grade)
  
• Inti Raymi in Peru/Winter Solstice (6th grade)
  
• Saint Lucia Day in Sweden (6th grade)
  
• Diwali in India (7th grade)
  
• The German Advent Season (7th grade)
  
• Chinese New Year (7th grade)

Learn more about Festivals of Lights holidays by visiting these websites:

Chanukah
Ramadan
Kwanzaa
Christmas/New Year in Russia
Las Posadas
Moravian Lovefeast
Christmas in Greece
Inti Raymi
St. Lucia Day
Diwali
The German Advent
Chinese New Year

The Festival of Lights Experience

1) When teaching about Chanukah with 6th graders I presented the Torah, the Jewish holy book. Opening the Torah (from right to left) and asking what students notice, nearly always gets the same response.  "It's backwards!"  I use this opportunity to explain that just because something is different from how you do it, does not mean it is wrong or backwards.  Just different.   I then like to explain that some of the oldest written languages like Sanskrit, Mandarin, Arabic and Hebrew are written right to left.  

2)  Las Posadas is a holiday with nine nights of neighborhood celebrations.  Typically, every night's party has an exciting game that some students are familiar with from birthday parties they might have been to.  With a group of 4th graders, I asked everyone to stand up, close their eyes, spin around three times, and then open them..(I held up the surprise over my head)... "It's a Pinata!" they scream in unison. I asked students what they thought pinatas were originally made of. I get all types of answers for this, "wood, straw, paper, animal skin, rubber"  The answer I wait for usually comes after a couple hints.  "mud, clay!" Yes!  "Why might this style have been replaced?" I asked.  More hands went up and eventually I heard, "because its dangerous". Right.  Today pinatas at Las Posadas parties are usually star shaped and made of cardboard and paper-mache. 

3) I was presenting Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights and needed a student volunteer to by my Sari model.  I chose my volunteer and had stretch out the long yellow fabric that was adorned with beads and embroidery.   The class ooo'd and aww'd and we stretched the fabric its nearly 20 feet.  I explained that Sari's are more or less one size fits all but that women would typically have several Sari's for different uses.  I dressed up my volunteer and held the little top that goes with the dress over her chest.  The students were entertained to see a two part outfit where one part was so tiny and the other so huge.  They also remarked it must be difficult to put it on everyday, after seeing the specific way it is worn.  "was it hard the first time you had to get dressed by yourself?"   I questioned. Many replied it was. "Well it has gotten much easier now that you do it everyday right?"  Again many replied that it was.  "Well if you lived in India and wore a Sari everyday it would get pretty easy to put on after a little practice." 

Then I asked the class "What parts of our volunteer are still showing?" The answered,  "her tummy, arms, face".  True!  "Many of you notice that in the United States that showing you belly is not appropriate in school or work.  In India showing your stomach is perfectly normal, whereas showing legs and shoulders is considered inappropriate. Their is a cultural reason for this style of dress. India is a place with more than one billion people, many of them living with very little. Many Indian women who have a little more meat on their bones, show their stomach to prove they can afford to eat well, thus advertising their social status."  I looked out at the small group of students now hushed with pensive gazes.  I knew I had got them thinking.

                                                                                                                                     ~Sarah Jane Casciato, Roadshow Coordinator