During the month of November, the children in Casa East learned about Diwali, a festive holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all over the world. Through our circle time discussions, we learned about customs and traditions and how Diwali is celebrated. Children in our class, who celebrate Diwali, shared how they celebrate the festive holiday with their families. In our classroom, we observed the holiday by decorating our classroom with lights as Diwali means ‘row of lights’ in Sanskrit. For art, the children created a Rangoli using colourful sand that was displayed at the entrance of our classroom.
Being inclusive and learning about the cultural aspects of religious celebrations instills a sense of community and unity in our children. It also teaches appreciation, rather than just tolerance, of our differences.
