Celebrating Festivals from an anti-racist perspective

A 'festival' is a day or period of celebration, religious or secular. They are annual reminders of the familiar yet important stories that need to be remembered. Humans have a deep need to celebrate life, nature, ancestors, ourselves and our children. Through ritual we acknowledge our experiences.

Celebration of festivals can help to bring a greater understanding between peoples. It is an opportunity for adults to connect with children; to enter the realm of fun, play and magic. A time to remind children that they are special.

Most festivals relate to religion and/or spirituality and are influenced by nature and the seasonal rhythms. In ancient times we dealt with what was happening to the earth and ourselves by ritualizing it. We used festivals, ceremonies and rituals as a way to understand our place in nature.

Festivals connect all of us and are a collective experience as we celebrate together. We must emphasise our connections as we all respond in a similar way. The geography and climate may be different but we all have a need to dramatise these events. However it is important to be aware that different families celebrate the same festivals in different ways.

It can be easy to turn festivals into a strange or exotic event. It is important to normalise festivals and make sure that they are not used as the only source for children to learn about cultural diversity. Start introducing elements from the beginning so the festival is not an isolated event. Create a pattern for the children and please watch out for stereotypical images and materials.

All festivals are equally important and we must make sure that they are an inclusive experience.