Celebrating and Spreading the Light: A Winter Holiday Study in Kindergarten

The Kindergarteners learned about Parols, a Filipino Christmas tradition, where paper lanterns that symbolize the Star of Bethlehem called Parols are created and lit. In the Philippines, these lanterns are a hallmark of the Christmas season. They also learned about the Winter Solstice, the day with the fewest hours of daylight. It is celebrated because, afterward, daylight begins to lengthen and continues to increase until the summer solstice.

The Kindergarteners learned about two holidays both called “festivals of light”: Hanukkah and Saint Lucia’s Day. They learned about the eight days of Hanukkah, the history behind the holiday, and even constructed their own menorahs. Saint Lucia’s Day, a predominantly Scandinavian holiday that honors its namesake, has a tradition that includes candle-lit wreath headbands. Kindergarteners crafted their own paper wreaths and wore them during a culminating event: caroling! The Kindergarteners concluded this unit with a study of Kwanzaa. They learned about the principles honored on each of the seven days and crafted a Kinara, a seven-branched candle holder.

In addition to learning about the history and customs of each of these holidays, Keely Kozak and Jennie Soon Condon, FCS Kindergarten teachers, use this unit as an opportunity to discuss shared values. They emphasize embracing one’s commonalities with others, rather than differences, and explore themes that many communities share. The students learned that while each holiday might have their own customs, they’re all connected by light—be it through the lengthening of daylight, festivals of light, or traditions of candle-lighting—drawing meaningful connections to the Quaker belief in celebrating and sharing one’s inner light with others. To share and spread the light of all of these holidays with others, before leaving for FCS’s winter break, the Kindergarteners caroled through the halls of the Lower School, singing songs that celebrated the different holidays they studied.