Holidays

HOLIDAYS AND THEIR CELEBRATIONS: we introduce holidays from different cultures to the children to help them understand their meanings and how they are celebrated. At school we have many opportunities to provide meaningful holiday experiences by incorporating them in the daily classroom work of music, literature, history, language and art. This is the perfect way to increase the children’s appreciation of other cultures as well as their own.

April Fools Day – April 1^st: What is April Fools Day and how did it begin? Well, that is a very good question. The origin of this holiday is rather uncertain. However, the common belief holds that during the reformation of the calendar the date for the New Year was moved from April 1st to January 1st. During that time in history there was no television and no radio so word spread slowly. There were also those who chose to simply ignore the change and those who merely forgot. These people were considered "fools" and invitations to non-existent parties and other practical jokes were played on them. "All Fools' Day" is practiced in many parts of the world with practical jokes and sending people on a fool's errand. Another thought is that the origin began with the celebrations of the Spring Equinox. While some believe it has to do the a Roman festival known as Hilaria, the end of the Celtic new year.

Passover (Israel): Passover (Pesach) begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Passover are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery.

Easter – April 16^th: Easter is a time of springtime festivals. In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity. Scholars believe the name Easter is thought to come from the Scandinavian "Ostra" and the Teutonic "Ostern" or "Eastre," both Goddesses of mythology signifying spring and fertility whose festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox. Traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts.

Holi Festival (India) - April 25^th Holika, commonly called Holi is a spring festival celebrated at the approach of the spring season, during the 3 or 4 days preceding the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. This is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals, with people marking the end of winter by cleaning the house and the surroundings, of dirt and evil.

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APRIL HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS AND THEIR CELEBRATIONS: we introduce holidays from different cultures to the children to help them understand their meanings and how they are celebrated. At school we have many opportunities to provide meaningful holiday experiences by incorporating them in the daily classroom work of music, literature, history, language and art. This is the perfect way to increase the children’s appreciation of other cultures as well as their own. April Fools Day – April 1^st: What is April Fools Day and how did it begin? Well, that is a very good question. The origin of this holiday is rather uncertain. However, the common belief holds that during the reformation of the calendar the date for the New Year was moved from April 1st to January 1st. During that time in history there was no television and no radio so word spread slowly. There were also those who chose to simply ignore the change and those who merely forgot. These people were considered "fools" and invitations to non-existent parties and other practical jokes were played on them. "All Fools' Day" is practiced in many parts of the world with practical jokes and sending people on a fool's errand. Another thought is that the origin began with the celebrations of the Spring Equinox. While some believe it has to do the a Roman festival known as Hilaria, the end of the Celtic new year. Passover (Israel): Passover (Pesach) begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Passover are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. Easter – April 16^th: Easter is a time of springtime festivals. In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity. Scholars believe the name Easter is thought to come from the Scandinavian "Ostra" and the Teutonic "Ostern" or "Eastre," both Goddesses of mythology signifying spring and fertility whose festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox. Traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. Holi Festival (India) - April 25^th Holika, commonly called Holi is a spring festival celebrated at the approach of the spring season, during the 3 or 4 days preceding the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. This is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals, with people marking the end of winter by cleaning the house and the surroundings, of dirt and evil. Back to main page