1st and 3rd Graders Teach Diversity and History Lessons with Harmonious Holiday Songs!
Did you know that between November 1st and January 15th approximately 29 holidays are observed by 7 of the world’s major religions.
That information was printed on the program for “1st and 3rd Grade Winter Celebration”, which was an evening event held at at the elementary school that two of our grandchildren attend. My husband and my Blue Brains were delighted by the cultural diversity of the songs the children sang, the children in the classes, and the parents, grandparents, relative and friends in the audience.
The program also noted the following fascinating and diverse Green Brain facts about each song:
1. Jingle Bells was written between 1853 and 1857 for a Thanksgiving Sunday School program and was originally call “One Horse Open Sleigh.” It became a Christmas hit around 1890.
2. Diwali, is a song about the Hindi New Year (Festival of Lights) and celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.
3. Chanukah, Chanukah tells the story of the Jewish Festival of Lights, which is a celebration of freedom from oppression, renewal, dedication, faith, hope and spiritual light.
4. Christmas Come is a traditional Jamaican Christmas song about holiday traditions that were passed down from early British colonist, gifts that are called “lama,” and fine dress clothes that are called “deggeday.”
5. Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer became a popular song after the Montgomery Ward Department Store hired Robert May to write the story in 1939, as a holiday promotion.
6. A Kwanzaa Carol is a song about African Americans connecting to their proud African heritage within community, family, and culture with traditional songs, food, and stories.
7. It’s Santa Again is a song about Santa Claus or Saint Nicolas who was the Bishop of Myra in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) in 27oAD. The Bishop gained a reputation for secretly giving gift to people in need.
8. Aguinaldo is a folk genre of many Latin American countries’ Christmas music that are based on ancient Christmas carols or Villancicos, which are traditionally sung at Christmas and during the holiday season by Parrandas,who are groups of people and/or family members who visit house their songs
9. Christmas Don’t Be Late was written by David Seville for his son and other children who are always asking when Christmas would arrive.
It was grand listing to each Yellow Brain Traditional song and watching all the children have so much Orange Brain Fun singing for the engaged and delighted audience.
As the song says, “I’d like to teach the world to singing in perfect harmony…
And the children did sing in perfect harmony and taught all of us enlightening diversity, history, and holiday lessons with their songs!
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