15 Ways to Celebrate Multiculturalism During The Holidays

As the parents of bilingual and bicultural children, and as a teacher wanting to expose children to many cultures and ways of living, I am often looking for opportunities and activities to share with my kiddos. The holidays are a wonderful time to not only celebrate and enjoy our own traditions, but a great time to explore and celebrate multiculturalism. It’s my way of letting my kids know that it’s important to know your roots and celebrate who you are, but it’s also important to know and respects the roots and celebrations of others.

Activities to celebrate multiculturalism during the holidays. 

1.    Writing letters.

Writing letters to friends and family wishing them happy holidays and talking about the celebrations your family partakes in. In my family, we write a letter in English to Santa and in Spanish to “El Niño Jesus.” We do this activity every year, in order to celebrate traditions from the U.S. and from Venezuela. It’s also great language practice! 

2.   Serving at a homeless shelter.

One of the greatest benefits of being bilingual and bicultural is that it gives children the ability to be more empathetic. It helps them to get along with others. Serving at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter can help open up a child’s eyes to the plight of others and teach them to serve. It will also help them encounter people who they might not encounter otherwise. 

3.    Wrapping up books and opening one each day.

I started doing this a few years ago. I would find a book for each day, wrap it up, and we put them under our tree. We would then open one each day and read it. You can buy books or borrow them from your local library. Additionally, you could even use books that you already own! We did mostly books in Spanish and books that had different traditions from around the world. You can apply this activity to any of your celebrations, because it’s so flexible! 

4.    Learning about other cultural and religious traditions.

We learn about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, 3 Kings Day and even Boxing Day! 

5.    Watching New Year’s celebrations around the world.

I love showing my kids how New Years is celebrated around the world and thanks to the magic of the internet, you can even see live events throughout New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. 

6.    Learning a recipe from a different country.

We love cooking in our home and we always choose one or two recipes from around the world to try during the holiday break. Food is a fun and very educational way in which you can celebrate multiculturalism.  

7.    Putting on a play.

This tradition started when I was a little girl. My cousins and I would write and put on a play for our entire family on Christmas Eve. Now, my kids and their cousins put on a show almost every Friday night. They cover different stories or events from around the world. The kids can even write their own stories and pick their own songs and cover any topic they wish!

8.    Learning a song.

Music is a great way to teach children about different cultures in an easy way. Picking a song in a different language (or your target language) and play it for the kids. Look up the words and meaning and before long, the kids will be singing right along with you! 

9.    Watching cartoons and playing games in the target language.

There’s nothing like relaxing during holiday mornings and being able to watch some cartoons or play some games. If you limit their screen time and make it in their target language, it can be extremely beneficial! So, go ahead and let them relax a little during the holidays without feeling guilty. 

10. Collect toys to donate, choose to sponsor a child, or support a cause together!

Doing the research, collecting the money and being part of the donation process will be extremely educational to your children. 

11. Get crafty!

Make a holiday decoration that you’ve never made before. Pinterest is a great place to find multicultural ideas and even if it happens to be more of a “Pinterest Fail” the process is what’s most important! 

12. Find a pen pal from somewhere around the world!

Letting your kids exchange letters with children from somewhere else around the globe will be an unforgettable learning experience. 

13. Celebrate multiculturalism by attending a cultural or religious ceremony that is unfamiliar to you.

Learning about how others celebrate can bring people together! 

14. Organize a potluck!

Bring your friends together from across different cultures and traditions and have them share a special meal. Invite everyone to share their traditions with each other.

15. Have children draw or write about their experiences with different traditions.

It’s a great way for them to synthesize everything they have experienced during this special time. 

These are just a few of the activities I like to share with my kids. We don’t always get to all of them, but if we can partake in at least a few, I take it as a success! The point is not to create more stress, but to have fun while learning the value of diversity and acceptance. 

How about you? How do you celebrate multiculturalism during the holidays?