Holidays and Celebrations Exploring Traditions Beliefs and Celebrations

Yay! Happy birthday Mia. Oh, hey friends. We were just celebrating Mia's birthday. Do you have a celebration on your birthday? On my birthday, I like to... Oh, we have some Mia mail. Let's see what today's letter is. Dear Taylor, My best friend Selena and her family invited me over for dinner. There were pictures of her family members and ancestors on a big display. She said it was called an ofrenda and was part of a holiday coming up. But I've never heard of this. Does this mean some people celebrate holidays that others don't? And if that's true, how did different holidays get started? Thanks for any help, Jenny. Wow, Jenny. Great question. I've never really thought about this before, but now I'm beginning to wonder. Where do holidays and celebrations come from? Does everyone celebrate the same things in the same way? I think this is a good question to ask our friend Anthony about. Before we call him, pause the video here to complete the Mia mail section of your PDF. Then, come back when you're ready to call him up and see what he can tell us about this and other holidays. Hello, this is Anthony. Hi, Anthony. It's Taylor and friends. Well, hey there, Taylor. Mia. And hey, everyone. Do you have another culture question for me today? I think so. We have a question about holidays. Do holidays fall under culture? They sure do. Remember when we talked about the elements of culture? Oh, yeah. It's here in our learning log. You gave us a list of things that make up the bigger idea of culture. That's right. A few of those elements are a big part of holidays. Do you have some time to tell us about holidays, where they come from, and how they are a part of culture? I sure do. Okay, friends. Remember, you can pause the video at any time to complete the Ask an Expert portion of your PDF as Anthony teaches us more about holidays. Okay, Anthony. We're ready. Long ago, our ancestors found ways to explain the world around them and share what was important to them. These were their beliefs and values. Beliefs are deeply held ideas. Values are judgments about what is important in life. Okay, so beliefs and values are kind of like the way we think and feel about the world? Yes. And to share these beliefs and celebrate these values, people came up with special days filled with activities, food, stories, songs, and more. They shared all of these things with their children, who continued to share with their children. Those special days with those special activities happened each year. The activities, foods, and more became traditions. Traditions are the combination of all of those special things that happen year to year. So it sounds like holidays are those elements of culture like beliefs, values, and traditions rolled into one big celebration. You got it. Anthony, in today's MiaMail, Jenny told us her friend Selena was making an ofrenda for a holiday that Jenny knew nothing about. This must mean different holidays exist for different groups of people, right? That's exactly right, Taylor. Remember how I said long ago people came up with ways to explain the world around them and share what was important to them? People around the world came up with their own explanations, their own stories, dances, everything. The important events, people, and days they celebrate can be different, too. Holidays around the world have some things in common and are often unique and special to the people who celebrate them. Can you give us some examples of the different kinds of holidays? Sure thing. There are so many cool holidays that have things in common. You said your MiaMail mentioned an ofrenda? That means they are celebrating Dia de los Muertos, which is a Mexican holiday honoring ancestors. People built an altar called an ofrenda that they believe helps their lost loved ones visit them for a short time. This is one of many holidays that honor the people who came before us and help us remember loved ones that we have lost. Wow, so other holidays like this exist, too? Yeah. Other groups of people have similar beliefs. Other holidays to honor lost loved ones include China's King Ming Festival and Oban in Japan. It's cool how people from different parts of the world have holidays that honor the same beliefs. I think so, too. Another belief shared by different groups of people is the belief in good overcoming evil and the value of celebrating joy and letting go of hard times. Hanukkah, Diwali, and Loi Kratong are all celebrations of these beliefs and values. And all three of these different holidays are known as the Festival of Lights since they use lamps, candles, and incense in their traditions. How beautiful! There are also holidays that help celebrate times of year that are important to humans. All of these holidays are connected to people's beliefs around new beginnings, gratitude for the seasons, and what the world gives us each year. I know, Mia. I never realized before, but there are so many holidays and other special times people celebrate. Anthony, we were celebrating Mia's birthday before. That's not a holiday, though, is it? No, it's not. But birthdays are definitely part of the conversation about celebrations. Birthdays have their own traditions tied to them, too. You can spend a long time exploring all the ways people celebrate important things. Just remember that holidays tend to center around beliefs and values, and those important ideas are passed down over time through traditions. Got it. Thanks so much for your help today, Anthony. We'll talk to you soon. No problem. Call me anytime. And happy birthday, Mia. Bye for now. Okay, friends. We just learned a lot about holidays and how they relate to culture. Now it's time to pause the video here to complete the Put It Together section of your PDF. Anthony's explanation about holidays got me thinking about my own beliefs and values and how my family and friends honor those beliefs and values with our traditions that we come back to year after year. Every time I celebrate a holiday with the people I love, I'm going to remember the big idea Anthony taught us about beliefs, values, and traditions. Mia, should we write about the big idea in our response to Jenny? Let's go. Dear Jenny, Today we learned that holidays are not all the same. Since holidays are a reflection of people's beliefs, values, and traditions, they can be different for different people. We also learned that even though holidays are unique to the people who celebrate them, a lot of holidays share things in common and reflect similar beliefs and values. Ask your friend Selena more about her upcoming holiday, Dia de los Muertos, and have fun exploring other holidays. From Taylor and Friends. Okay, sound. Friends, thank you so much for another awesome day in the Learning Lounge. It was so fun learning about traditions, beliefs, and values as we talked about holidays today. Can't wait to see you back here again soon. Bye!