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Christmas – Just One More Reason to Celebrate Our DiversityCultural and linguistic diversity is a feature of Australian life. We are one of the most diverse societies in the world. Children's services represent this in the diversity of cultures and religions of the children attending their centres. Regardless of the festival, celebration or holiday, all cultures and religions have special days. Children's services can help to build a unified society by sharing celebrations, religious events and holidays. A good place to start is to find out from parents what festivals and events are important to them. Every service will have children from different cultures and religions and it is essential to acknowledge their diversity to help children feel that they belong. You might find that some parents object to celebrating some of the festivals. One way to avoid upsetting anyone is to organise the celebrations at the end of the day so that those parents who do not want their children to participate, have the chance to pick their children up early or find another alternative A lot of attention has been given to whether it is appropriate to celebrate Christmas when we live in a multicultural society. Other questions arise about whether to celebrate Christmas if the centre is predominantly non Christian. The thing to keep in mind is that Christmas is not only a religious festival. It is a festive time when many people are on holidays; it is a time that brings people together and families together. It is the end of the year and the beginning of summer holidays. So there is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas. But it is really important to also value other celebrations with the same emphasis. The more we celebrate the richness of our diverse society the richer our lives will become. By not celebrating some religious or cultural events we deny our children the value of diversity.
Tips from the Resource CentreWhat you can do to celebrate Christmas and other festivities:1. Make a list of all celebrations and their dates that the children in your centre might celebrate.2. Keep parents informed of upcoming celebrations so that they can decide whether to allow their child to participate or not. Consult with them about what they want to celebrate and what is important to them. 3. You might find that of those families connected to the centre who do celebrate Christmas, there might be different ways that they celebrate it. Invite parents to share their unique traditions and cuisine with you. 4. Celebrate other festivals that coincide with the Christmas period. The Muslim Hajj or holy pilgrimage occurs this year between 25th - 30th November, the Winter Solstice is December 21, the Jewish celebration of Chanukah begins at sundown on December 11this year and the Scots celebrate Hogmanay on 31st December. 5. Encourage the children to embrace a positive attitude to diversity by learning Christmas songs in different languages. |
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