5 Ideas for Exploring the Calendar of Observances

Don't put students on the spot as the "expert" on their own heritage or culture just because they belong to the group being highlighted; instead, rely on books, media, and community guest speakers for accurate information, and always give students the option to opt out of any related activity with a reasonable alternative. 

Remember that people within the same heritage group experience and express their culture differently and be careful not to reduce a heritage month to the "three Fs" (festivals, fashion, and food), stereotypical images or clip art, or one-dimensional portrayals; also avoid treating the highlighted culture as "special" or "exotic" while treating other cultures as the default or "normal" one.

Connect observances to broader human themes and values (such as resilience, contribution, identity, or community) so students see the commonalities across groups rather than viewing each observance as an isolated, unrelated unit. 

In public schools, keep observance activities educational rather than devotional; if an observance and tradition include religious elements, teach about them neutrally and don't favor one religion (or religion over non-religion) or invite religious leaders to lead observances. 

Don't limit cultural learning to just the observances already on the school calendar; use heritage months as a springboard to expose students to a broader range of cultures and identities represented (and not represented) in your classroom throughout the year. 

Engaging students in research about the Calendar of Observances not only builds critical media literacy and analysis skills, but it also allows students to dive deeper into holidays, observances and traditions featured in the Calendar. Students can learn about a holiday that is new to them, one that is currently taking place and/or dive deeper into a holiday that they know and love. Research allows young people to feel ownership over their learning, and to engage more deeply with the topic.

• Elementary: Read students books about different holidays and observances from the Calendar of Observances. Ask students to draw a picture to represent the holiday/observance that stood out to them from their learning, OR Read books about different observances, holidays and festivals. After reading each individual book, have students draw a picture to depict what they learned about the observance. Compile all of the pages from students into a book that you can refer to throughout the year. 
• Secondary: Have students choose (or the educator assigns) a holiday or observance to research from the Calendar of Observances. Direct students to research the history and origins of the holiday, observance or tradition, show celebrates it and why, how it is celebrated, and why it is meaningful. Have students present their observance through a PowerPoint, speech or short essay. 

There are so many holidays, festivals and observances in the world that no calendar will ever be able to include every single one of them. But the inclusion of holidays, festivals and observances is a signifier of their importance to the community and also allows the young people who observe them accommodations for academic responsibilities. Consider exploring a calendar—whether that is your school, district or community calendar OR ADL’s Calendar of Observances and consider discuss with students: what is missing? And what message does that omission send to the community? 

• Elementary: Have students pick a missing observance and draw a picture and/or write a short explanation of why it matters. Consider sharing the final product with school leadership or turning them into a class poster. 
• Secondary: Direct students to write a persuasive letter or short essay that: states a clear position on why the holiday/observance should be included, cite evidence, address the counterargument and close with the specific ask of acknowledging/including the holiday/observance. 

Books offer glimpses into different cultures, time periods, histories and experiences. They can offer an entry point for all levels of learners into traditions, holidays and observances by allowing students to step into the shoes of those who are different from them. From picture books to novels to nonfiction texts, books offer students the opportunity to explore the Calendar of Observance in more depth and learn more deeply about different holidays, traditions and observances. (Consider the genre of literature and be sure to discuss with students—i.e. nonfiction (memoir, essay, biography) v. fiction/historical fiction, and liberties taken with true history therein). 

• Elementary: Throughout the year, read students books about holidays from the Calendar of Observances and engage in discussion about learning, OR have students participate in a jigsaw by reading in small groups an assigned book about a specific observance and then sharing their learning with the class or creating a poster/presentation. 
  • Books for this activity might include: An Invitation to Passover by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen (Passover, Ages 5-8); Binny's Diwali by Thrity Umrigar (Diwali, Ages 4-8); Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte (Lunar New Year, Ages 4-8); Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper (Juneteenth, Ages 6-9); Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi (Ramadan, Ages 5-8); Nathan Blows out the Hanukkah Candles by Nicole Katzman and Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Hanukkah, Ages 4-8); Our Day of the Dead Celebration by Ana Aranda (The Day of the Dead, Ages 3-7). 
• Secondary: Throughout the year, integrate books about different observances and holidays into the curriculum, OR have students read assigned an assigned book about a specific observance and then share their learning with their classmates through a presentation or poster/gallery walk. 
  • Books for this activity might include: The Magical Imperfect by Chris Baron (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, middle grade novel in verse); Nayra and the Djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata (Ramadan, graphic novel, ages 10+); New York to Mumbai by Shikha Narula (Diwali, YA novella); The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (Luna New Year, middle grade). 

When students learn about new cultures, traditions and observances, or when students have the time to reflect upon their own culture, traditions and observances, allowing time for personal reflection can make that learning so much more impactful. These reflections can be shared or kept as a journal, displayed around the school or shared with the larger community, but allowing time to reflect and process can give students the opportunity to digest the learning and make deeper considerations. 

• Elementary: Through illustrations or writing, allow students to journal about a holiday or observance that they learned about; consider doing this throughout the year or allowing students to write about different holidays to create a class-wide book of celebrations. 
• Secondary: After learning about the Calendar of Observances, allow students time for personal reflections through journaling. Provide prompts like: Choose one observance from the calendar that you didn't know about before. What is it, who celebrates it, and why does it matter to the people who observe it?; Do you personally celebrate or observe any of the days on this calendar? Describe what that observance means to you, your family, or your community.; Pick two observances from different cultures or religions on the calendar. What similarities do you notice between them, even though they come from different traditions?; OR Why do you think it's valuable for people to learn about observances outside of their own background or beliefs? How might that knowledge change how you treat others?

After learning about and exploring the Calendar of Observances, engaging young people in class-wide or small group discussions can help them process and connect to the learning. Discussions can allow young people to think through big ideas, process new information and formulate additional questions.  

• Elementary: Discussion questions might include: 
  • What is one holiday or observance on this calendar that you already celebrate, and what do you and your family do to celebrate it? What would you want people to know who are just learning about it? 
  • If you could ask a classmate one question about a holiday they celebrate that you don't, what would you ask? 
  • How do you think it would feel if no one in your class knew about or asked about a holiday that's important to you? 
  • What are some ways we can be respectful and curious when we learn about a holiday that is new to us? 
• Secondary: Discussion questions might include: 
  • Choose an observance on the calendar that is unfamiliar to you. What steps would you take to learn more about it respectfully and accurately? 
  • Why might a calendar of observances include religious, cultural, and historical events side by side? What does this suggest about how identity and community are formed? 
  • How can schools and workplaces balance recognizing diverse observances with the practical challenges of scheduling (tests, deadlines, events)? 
  • How does learning about the observances of others help combat stereotypes or assumptions we might hold, even unintentionally?