Throughout the year, school administrators have a lot on their plates. Amid a seemingly endless series of demands – each begging to be prioritized – it can be easy to minimize the importance of honoring holidays, viewing them as frills or distractions from meatier academic goals. But we know from our own experience that holidays matter. Many of us can think back to when we were young and recall the special aura holidays had for us. Back then when the weather turned cold and we headed into December, the focus quickly turned to Christmas. Yet in our multicultural society, winter is a time for a host of celebrations and observances that, too often are ignored completely or only briefly and halfheartedly acknowledged.
Deepening our cultural sensitivity is an ongoing process, and it begins with recognizing our inherent and often unseen biases. Thus, as the winter holidays approach, it’s vitally important for educators to remember that not all students celebrate the same holidays. While many families celebrate Christmas, others celebrate different holidays, and still others don’t observe winter holidays at all. Our society’s monthlong focus on Christmas can leave many young people feeling isolated and left out. And even among those who do celebrate Christmas, some also observe other traditions that are important and meaningful for them and their families. Because winter is a time when many cultures in the U.S. and around the world find reasons to gather and celebrate, this season presents a wonderful opportunity for appreciating and understanding cultural differences throughout the school community.
The Far-Reaching Benefits of Inclusivity
Working to ensure that all students are acknowledged and respected for who they are is both a moral imperative and a core part of educators’ mandate. Efforts to ensure young people of different cultures and backgrounds feel welcome and respected are integral to creating a sense of belonging among all our students.
And increasingly, we’re learning that feeling included, welcomed, and safe at school is linked with higher levels of achievement and success. In other words, if we want all our students to succeed academically, making sure they feel included is an important step. There’s now a substantial body of research that highlights the benefits students experience when they feel a sense of community and belonging. In a report called A Crisis of Student Belonging, the authors summed up the current research: “Belonging in schools is highly predictive of positive educational and personal outcomes, including academic success, attendance, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment.” In short, fostering inclusivity in our schools can help lead to better life outcomes for our students.
There are countless ways educators can help students of all ages feel a sense of belonging and worth within the school community. One way is by recognizing the value of their cultural inheritances, particularly when they may not be those of the more dominant culture. This is what makes recognizing holidays such a rich opportunity.
In addition to helping students feel included – and tapping into a sense of pride in their culture – sharing a variety of holiday traditions presents all students with invaluable learning experiences, exposing them to practices and traditions beyond those they already know. By expanding their awareness of cultures around the world, we are helping to cultivate a more open and accepting worldview that will serve them throughout life.
Widening our lens and taking a more inclusive approach to holidays can be meaningful not only for students but also for school staff, many of whom themselves may come from a variety of rich traditions. Thus, embracing inclusivity around holidays is a way to foster a more harmonious and respectful school community for everyone, students and staff alike.
Putting the Emphasis on Cultural Differences Rather than Religion
When it comes to public education, schools and religion don’t mix. The U.S. Department of Education makes this fact clear: “Although public schools may teach about religious holidays, including their religious aspects, and may celebrate the secular aspects of holidays, schools may not observe holidays as religious events or promote such observance by students.” Therefore, the goal for educators must be to ensure that young people learn about the many diverse holidays different people celebrate without actually celebrating them in our schools. In this way, schools can honor cultural diversity without endorsing any particular set of beliefs, which might lead students or their families to feel uncomfortable, offended, or disrespected.
Several organizations, including the First Amendment Center, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association collaborated to create a guide for educators called “Finding Common Ground.” Among their guidelines, they offer these suggestions:
- Have an approach that is academic and not devotional.
- Focus on the awareness of religions rather than acceptance of any one religion.
- Sponsor study about religion, not the practice of religion.
- Expose students to a diversity of religious views and do not impose any particular view.
- Educate about all religions — do not promote or denigrate any religion.
- Inform students about various beliefs, rather than conform students to any particular belief.
When it comes to winter holidays, some but not all have religious significance. Hanukkah is based in Judaism, and Christmas is based in Christianity, although for many the cultural aspects outweigh the religious underpinnings. Diwali – technically not a winter holiday because it occurs in late October or early November – has its basis in Hinduism. Other winter holidays, however, are entirely cultural and secular. Kwanzaa, which spans the last week of December, celebrates African American culture. Lunar New Year, which is also referred to as Chinese New Year and is celebrated by billions of people worldwide, marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar. And Winter Solstice, which falls on December 21, marks the shortest day of the year.
When exploring any of these holidays with students, educators should make it a point to discuss them with respect, curiosity, and interest – and without suggesting any particular holiday is more important or valuable than any other.
A Commitment to Inclusiveness All Year Long
A culturally responsive approach to the holiday season begins with district leaders’ commitment to inclusive education as a whole – not only during the holiday season but all year long. It’s up to administrators to lead the way by making cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness a top priority, implementing policies that promote respect for diversity and an atmosphere that welcomes everyone – and then ensuring that staff, students, and families understand that appreciation for diversity is a foundational value of the school community.
Providing training, professional development and ongoing support can be helpful here. Thoughtful trainings can help teachers, administrators, and other staff uproot their unconscious biases and enable them to be their best selves for every student. In addition, administration should support to teachers and staff to help them integrate cultural awareness into their teaching and interactions with students.
A Few Tips
While individual schools and teachers will decide how best to present material on holidays based on the students they teach, below are some ideas to consider, both during the winter holidays and throughout the year.
- Create a holiday calendar that highlights major cultural holidays and display it prominently in your school to raise awareness of the wide variety of traditions that exist both in your community and around the world. You might include those holidays that are celebrated by various members of your school community, such as those already discussed as well as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, the two major holidays of Islam.
- Organize school-wide assemblies or other events that showcase different cultural traditions. Ask students and staff members to share their own holiday customs. Allowing students to take on the role of expert as they share their traditions can give them a wonderful confidence boost. This is particularly meaningful for students who might otherwise perceive their cultural and religious observances as “different” or outside the norm. You might also consider inviting community or cultural leaders to speak about different holiday traditions and their significance.
- Incorporate holidays into subject-matter activities. With younger students, craft projects can be a way to explore the meanings of various holiday symbols. With older students, you might explore holidays through the lens of history or social studies, comparing cultures or helping students situate holidays against a larger cultural context. A focus on the winter solstice and its festivals can lead to an exploration of the relationship of the sun to the earth. In addition, with younger children, many holidays can be discussed through a lens of social-emotional learning.
- Plan inclusive holiday celebrations that reflect the diversity of your student body. A single winter celebration can easily include customs from a wide range of traditions. As with any of these activities, be mindful that some students may not identify with any tradition at all. Inclusiveness means ensuring these students feel included as well.
Our schools are the educational home to a diverse body of students. Honoring each of their cultural inheritances has tremendous benefit for everyone, students and staff alike. When inclusivity is a district priority, all students and all cultures are welcomed, appreciated, and valued, and students of all backgrounds are recognized as important members of the school community.
