Reply To: How do you ensure your holiday celebrations are culturally responsive?

[Andrew Haaheim]

I love that idea, Carrie! There are a couple of questions that I asked myself in the spirit of being culturally responsive during holidays (“The Holidays,” or any holiday), and like Dr. Hollie and his 2 Cents, I have questions and no answers:

– What are the important ideas of the holiday/celebration from a cultural lens? This could provide a link to the rings of culture. What is the balance of authenticity of cultural elements vs. equity and inclusion? (Example: I used to teach “snowflake science” around the holidays to avoid promoting one religious holiday over others, but the outcome was devoid of culture or holiday tie-ins)

– Does participation or engagement require students assimilate or adopt a different worldview (do they have to change who they are)? The goal may be to provide avenues for education, participation and celebration without implying the correctness of beliefs, implicitly or explicitly.

– Big picture, is equality applied to different groups and their holidays, or is there a bias/preference for one group?

…and LASTLY, how can this celebration or holiday be facilitated for students in a culturally responsive way? I’m thinking of activities that engage students in discussions with questions that are open-ended, subjective, and personal to students. I’m also thinking of ways to share space, promote student voice, and give ownership and agency back to students (so many of my teachers just made holiday celebrations a Christmas or “Holiday” movie, or sage-on-a-stage sit-and-gets).

Great question!!!