{"id":3732,"date":"2018-02-09T13:18:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T17:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.explorica.ca\/blog\/?p=3732"},"modified":"2018-02-09T13:18:03","modified_gmt":"2018-02-09T17:18:03","slug":"celebrating-holidays-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.explorica.ca\/blog\/celebrating-holidays-classroom","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating holidays in the classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you teach a language or just want to share more of the world with your students, talking about and celebrating holidays from other countries is a great way to do so without having to leave the classroom. Mark your calendars and learn more about the days below.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mardis Gras<\/b><\/a>\u2014Tuesday, February 13<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Elias Tapley<\/p><\/div>\n

Mardis Gras, or Fat Tuesday, begins after Three Kings Day\u2014the holiday commemorating the visit of the Magi\u2014and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardis Gras is famous for its Carnival celebrations, especially in <\/span>New Orleans<\/span><\/a>, where it has been celebrated since 1837. <\/span>
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Image: Getty<\/p><\/div>\n

Since then, the holiday has grown to become a main attraction for the city\u2014in fact, the city\u2019s population doubles in the five days before Ash Wednesday, when tourists flood in to enjoy the parades, wearing costumes, masks, and beads. And while the city has become synonymous with the celebration, many other cities with French origins celebrate the holiday, such as Pensacola, Florida.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senior International Program Specialist and former French teacher Elias Tapley has tips for bringing Mardis Gras to your classroom:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of cooking with my French students (cr\u00eapes, cordon bleu, etc.) so we made <\/span>Galette des Rois<\/span><\/a> or King Cake for the period of time that starts with Epiphany on January 6 and ends with Mardi Gras in February. It is a puff pastry filled with almond butter cream that traditionally has a tiny baby Jesus figurine hiding inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents would learn about the cultural significance and customs in France and Francophone countries surrounding Epiphany, Mardi Gras, and the period in between that is called Carnivale. I introduced them to vocabulary related to these holidays and the recipe for the Galette des Rois along with other typical cuisine. Students would then present on what they learned\u2014and eat cake they baked\u2014during a winter multicultural night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tet (Vietnamese New Year)<\/b><\/a>\u2014Friday, February 16<\/b><\/h2>\n

Tet, short for Tet Nguyen Dan, is the Vietnamese New Year. It\u2019s celebrated on a different date each year\u2014it goes by the lunar calendar, based on the first night of the first moon after the sun enters Aquarius. <\/span><\/p>\n

Tet is a large and significant celebration in Vietnam, and is considered an opportunity for renewal and rebirth. People celebrate by sweeping up (for a fresh start) and visiting relatives. On New Years\u2019 day, they fill the streets and make as much noise as possible with firecrackers and drums, to ward off evil spirits.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Emily celebrating Tet with her students in Vietnam<\/p><\/div>\n

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Emily Kanakis<\/p><\/div>\n

Tet is special because it is the date of everyone\u2019s birthday\u2014in Vietnam, newborn babies turn one on Tet, regardless of the date of the year they were born. Children are given red envelopes with \u201c<\/span>Lucky Money<\/span><\/a>\u201d to celebrate. <\/span><\/p>\n

International Program Specialist and former teacher in Vietnam Emily Kanakis has tips on how to celebrate Tet in your classroom:<\/span><\/p>\n