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Throughout the calendar around the world there are many reasons to celebrate. The WWW offers a variety of resources to help you make the most of your studies of other cultures. For general holiday info across the globe consider:

• The Multi-Cultural Calendar http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/calendar-index.html
• Holidays on the Net http://www.holidays.net/ and
• The Worldwide Holiday & Festival Site http://www.holidayfestival.com/

For treatment of more specific holidays, read on below. Thanks to Derek Allen and (as always) Jerry Blumengarten for their recommendations for this topic!

• Chinese New Year - http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html
  Few holidays catch the imagination of children like Chinese Lunar New Year. Here is a sight which not only discusses the traditions associated with this celebration, it offers foods, decorations and superstitions of the day which are guaranteed to spice up your classroom studies! Did you know it is unlucky to meet someone in their bedroom on Chinese New Year, so even the sick get dressed and make their way to the living room for the day?
• Cinco de Mayo - http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm
  Cinco de Mayo is actually a holiday celebrating the ousting of French troops from Mexico –French troops which were actually very interested in causing problems here in the United States! So this is really not a May Day celebration at all, as some people mistakenly think. This site gives a great overview of this May holiday and then adds in a slew of links to help you dig deeper for your class studies.
• The Day of the Dead - http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/index_kids.html
  Part of the Mexico for Kids site, this page discusses the tradition of honoring deceased Mexican relatives on November 2nd. There are directions on how to make a holiday altar in your home, how to make delicate paper cut out designs, and the tradition of Cempasúchil Marigold) flowers. Once you’ve whetted their appetites with this unique Mexican holiday, return again and again to study more about Mexico at Mexico for Kids!
• Diwali - http://home.freeuk.com/elloughton13/dday.htm
  The Snaith Primary School in Great Britain has developed this wonderful website, which includes a look at the celebration of Diwali in the Indian city of Jaipur. This festival of lights is one of the most important in India, occurring between October and November each year. Popularly regarded as the celebration of the god Ram over his nemesis Raven, it holds the tradition that the goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity) visits every house at night. This page offers various views of the celebration and the traditions behind it. Be sure to check out other features at this awesome school site at http://home.freeuk.com/elloughton13/index.htm!
• Festivals.com - http://www.festivals.com/
  Search by keyword or use the clickable map to look up some 33,000+ celebrations contained herein. For example, did you know that as of yesterday they are celebrating the Kalasha Winter Solstice Festival in Pakistan? Or that the Drambuie World Ice Golf Championship will be held April 04, 2001 - April 10, 2001 in Uummannaq, Greenland? This site is a great starting point for looking up events across cultures; not so much depth here, but a good place to begin.
• Holidays and Celebrations from Around the World - http://www.rice.edu/projects/topics/holidays/festivals.htm
  Here is an eclectic collection of holidays from around the world, explained by children in their respective cultures with great photographs. The links to related holidays and neighboring countries helps to make connections across cultures as children read and learn. This is a great site for research projects on world holidays!
• Jewish Holidays - http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/jewishholidays.asp
  Brought to you by the Jewish Children’s Learning Network, this site offers background on Shabbat, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukah, Pesach, Shavuot, Purim and Tu B’Shvat. Holidays are explained through traditions, blessings and vocabulary native to the Jewish people. Each holiday is presented in a format which can be shared from elementary ages on up!
• Kids Web Japan - http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/
  This is a great collection of information and interactive activities on Japanese culture, including folk tales and traditional art activities like origami, ikebana, shodo and yabusame and kyudo. Shockwave technology allows you to not only learn these different art forms but to actually try your hand at them online!
• Kwanzaa - http://www.afroam.org/children/fun/kwanzaa/kwanzaa.html
  This modern celebration of black culture is largely American but it also has a following in Europe. This site presents background, traditions, the seven principles and activities which all help bring a greater understanding and appreciation of the richness of Afro-American culture. Be sure to check out the recipe for Benne Cakes and the Kwanzaa words!
• Mardi Gras - http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/ARTICLES/0100/01160704_A.html
  Compton’s Encyclopedia presents this thorough discussion of the Mardi Gras feast and its significance in the Catholic tradition of Latin America. There’s a nice shot of the Mardi Gras iris parade at the beginning of the article (just click on the thumb nail) which is tastefully covered. There are further links on Mardi Gras, Carnival, and other pageants and parades which are popular across cultures.
• Ramadan - http://www.veg.on.ca/newsletr/janfeb96/Islam_recipes.html
  This Muslim holy day marks the celebration of Mohamed receiving the words of God and placing them in the Koran. This website nicely explains the background and tradition of this most holy feast of the year and provides great recipes to prepare and share with your students like Jary (vegetarian soup) and Demjeddera (lentil and rice).
• St. Patrick’s Day Fun - http://www.bonus.com/bonus/list/st_patricks.html?referrer=KG16
  Every March we indulge ourselves in being a little Irish, whether our ancestry is actually traced to the Emerald Isle. Here Bonus.com offers a great collection of information and activities in St. Patty’s Day, including songs, leprechaun chasing, games and an interactive quiz. Your students will work safely inside the exclusive NetScooter window which prevents them from traveling anywhere offsite!
  

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We will now take a holiday break until the first Saturday in the new year.
January 6, 2001 topic: "Virtual Timelines"

Please send in URL's of high quality sites which may be of interest to our readers to walter@surfaquarium.com! Also, I'm always looking for new topic ideas and input!

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