Winter is a season of celebration across the globe, with holidays reflecting diverse traditions, beliefs, and cultures. Picture books are a powerful tool to introduce children to these celebrations in an engaging, accessible way. They open windows to new cultures and strengthen the idea of community, empathy, and shared humanity.
Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar (2020)
Although Diwali is typically celebrated in late autumn, its significance as a festival of lights resonates deeply with other winter celebrations. In Shubh Diwali!, Chitra Soundar introduces readers to a family preparing for Diwali with vibrant illustrations and lyrical text, offering insights into traditions like decorating with rangoli, lighting diyas, and sharing sweets.
Diwali Art and Light Exploration
- Rangoli Creation: Provide students with templates of rangoli designs to color or create with materials like colored sand, flower petals, or chalk on black paper. Discuss how art and design can be used to express gratitude and joy.
- Comparing Lights: Discuss how light plays a central role in Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Ask students to write about what light symbolizes in their lives, sharing their reflections with the class.
Oskar and Klaus Present: A Very Klaus Hanukkah by Travis Bossard and Mick Szydlowski (2021)
Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama by Selina Alko (2023)
It is the story of a young girl whose family blends Christmas and Hanukkah traditions. Her dad brings the spirit of Christmas—decorations, a tree, and carols—while her mom shares the customs of Hanukkah—lighting the menorah and frying latkes. The family creates a joyful, inclusive celebration that honors both faiths throughout the holiday season. This warm and colorful picture book celebrates love, understanding, and the creation of unique family traditions that reflect multiple cultures.
Two Activities for Home:
- Combined Holiday Artwork: Have your child draw or collage holiday scenes that include symbols from both holidays (e.g., Christmas stockings alongside a menorah). Discuss how each symbol represents different parts of your family’s heritage.
- Cultural Recipe Swap: Cook together by combining elements from each holiday’s traditional foods. For example, make potato latkes and serve them with cranberry sauce or gingerbread cookies decorated with both Christmas and Hanukkah symbols. This creates a tasty way to celebrate and learn about each culture.
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Susan Cooper (2022)
Susan Cooper’s poetic text and Carson Ellis’s stunning illustrations bring to life ancient and modern traditions celebrating the Winter Solstice. The book highlights how people have long observed this day as a turning point, welcoming the return of longer days and light.
Solstice Science and Tradition
- Shadow Experiment: Discuss the scientific significance of the Winter Solstice. Have students measure shadows at different times of the day to understand how the sun’s position changes.
- Solstice Celebration Collage: Ask students to research how different cultures celebrate the solstice, then create a collage representing these traditions. For example, they can include Yule logs, bonfires, or Swedish St. Lucia crowns.
Why Cross-Cultural Learning Matters
Reading books like Shubh Diwali!, A Very Klaus Hanukkah, and The Shortest Day introduces students to the beauty of diverse winter celebrations. Through hands-on activities, students deepen their understanding of traditions while fostering respect for cultures different from their own. These experiences plant the seeds for global citizenship, teaching children that while our customs may vary, the spirit of celebration connects us all.