Who knew, festivals and special occasions can also be a learning opportunity for your child. And what’s more, not only are they fun experiences, they also help children deep social skills and strong respect for cultures and the different people they encounter in the world. Role of Festivals in Child development is huge. Festivals are the perfect occasions for children to deepen their bonds with family and friends. They can celebrate and make memories with their loved ones and also enjoy the delightful festivities.
Festivals are of all kinds. Every culture in the world has special days or occasions that they celebrate. Some cultures may have very small celebrations or limited occasions, but amount most communities, festivals are synonymous with significant days on which people get together and celebrate life and make happy memories. Often these festivities are annual events that bring a community together. Some recognize a change in season, others celebrate religion, some herald the new year, while others are held to showcase art and culture. Whatever the reason or time of year, chances are high that there are numerous festivals around the world taking place right now.
Role of Festivals in Child development
Culture is experienced in many ways. Language, food, attires, rituals, practices, beliefs, culture is a blend of all these things. And what makes festivals so amazing is the way they condense so many aspects of culture into a single celebration. In most cultures, every occasion has a distinct set of practices and ways to celebrate. Many traditional festivals call for special cuisine and traditional practices. Several festivals across the globe, even celebrate literature!
Festivals are a splendid way to experience and enjoy every facet of culture. In a single celebration, you get to experience art, music, lore, traditions, even delicious cuisine. Festivals offer a holistic cultural experience for everyone. Festive celebrations bring to us the traditions passed down for centuries through the generations before us. They are proof of the living culture that colors the life of the people.
How festivals help in developing cultural and traditional context
One thing most cultures have in common is that every culture has a distinct set of traditions and practices. These traditions are the testimony of all the knowledge passed down through generations of the community. Explaining the importance of each ritual and helping children understand the significance of the various cultural activities will help them develop a strong sense of respect for their culture. Even the knowledge of a festival from a foreign culture, for that matter, is extremely beneficial. Children can find interest in the different cultures around the world and grow to be very well informed as well as respectful members of society.
1. Heritage Language
Special traditional occasions also often have much relation with traditional literature or mythology. Through this cultural experience, the simple occasion also becomes a way to experience your heritage language. This is a special benefit of cultural and traditional festivals. The festive occasion is a great way to introduce young children to their heritage language.
By introducing them to the language associated with the various festivals, you can introduce children to a deeper understanding of the language. It is important that when children learn a new term or phrase, they understand what it means. Festivals provide the perfect context to naturally engage children with their heritage language.
Not only the heritage language, but festivals are also a great opportunity to engage a young child with language. Children love festivals. Using a subject that they enjoy and love, you can introduce them to all kinds of new vocabulary and help them learn through real experiences during the festivities. Festivals thus become excellent opportunities to reinforce your child’s language learning too!
2. Festive Decor
Festivals are also a fantastic opportunity for children to explore their creativity. The electric festive environment charges children with high energy and excitement. This is the perfect time to encourage them to utilize their energy creatively while also celebrating the festivities with their loved ones. This way, festive celebrations also become an opportunity for children to hone their creative skills.
Many festivals have special decor associated with them. Religious occasions, special dates, even national festivals, every occasion has a unique look and feel. This is a good time to encourage your child to actively participate in the celebrations or even contribute to the festive decoration. You can involve them in the preparation and have them create new innovative decorations.
3. Special Food During Festivals
Another cool thing about festivals is all the different food made especially for the occasion. Festivals are a rich cultural experience. They’re often the perfect occasion to introduce children, and adults too, to the different food that they may not have on a regular day. Take this opportunity to introduce children to new foods and things. Not only would they learn about the cuisine and learn new words, but also relish and fill their tummies with the delicacies.
Role of Festivals in Child development is reflected in eating habits also. When we think of festive cuisine, it is impossible to forget the Christmas season and all the different sweets and beverages it brings. Christmas is also a crowd favorite among the young ones because of all the candy canes, gingerbread men, and all the different cookies. Involving children in the preparation for the festivities can offer them a close-up experience of the festival they already adore so much. Their experience of the already fun occasion is now richer and more meaningful.
4. Traditional Attire
Appearances don’t make a person, but it sure is a strong means of self-expression. Clothing is a surprisingly large part of our self-image and identity. Thus, traditional attire is a strong way to reconnect with your culture and to express your cultural identity.
Exposing children to traditional wear is a great way to engage them with their culture. Appreciation for the cultural details would also help them develop a sense of pride in their culture and reinforce their cultural identity. Not only that, as they find interest in dressing well, they also develop their aesthetic sense.
5. Social Development Through Festivals
Festivals are not just celebrated for cultural or religious reasons. They have much more to offer to the people. They bring people together and create a sense of belonging in the community. On these days people from all walks of life come together to celebrate life. Festivals are an occasion for the entire community to get together and connect with each other.
Socializing is a very large part of children’s social, as well as cognitive development. Coincidentally, festivals and festive celebrations are also majorly centered around social interactions. Festivals are the perfect time for children to break out of their bubble and expand their interactions beyond their daily life. They can interact with more people and even learn many interesting things.
During festivals, children get to interact with more people as friends and family gather to celebrate. Through culturally rich and joy-filled interactions, the child can experience rich social growth. There are many festivals with activities that children especially enjoy. Children love to share these activities with friends or their family members. In this way, the celebrations also help children build their networking skills. They learn to make new relationships and deepen older ones.
6. Strong Bonds And Relations
Festive celebrations are incomplete without group celebrations. Festivals are one time when families visit each other, go for holidays together, or even simply drop in to greet each other. It is a great time for the child to meet his cousins, grandparents, and other family relatives, who otherwise may live far away. Meeting during festive occasions when the air is bright with joy will help your child bond better with the family over the long run as they grow up.
7. Broaden Their Perspectives
Children love celebrations and enjoyable activities. And festivals are just that. But who says they have to only celebrate festivals from their own culture? In fact, by introducing interesting festivals from across the globe to your child, you can greatly expand their knowledge. Children naturally find interest in festivals, but gradually, through such diverse exposure, they may develop a broad worldview. Festivals can help children develop their world knowledge as well as grow to appreciate the diversity among the people of the world.
Festivals help you appreciate the little things that make up a culture. The deeper the understanding of culture, the greater the respect and appreciation for it. Cultures define people. The way they live, the language they speak, even the way they think, culture is the lived experience of a community. Having knowledge of someone’s culture helps you appreciate the difference between the various perspectives of the people in the world.
Role of Festivals in Child development
Last but not the least, it is the adults’ duty to make sure that children come away with correct lessons from their experiences. Festivals and special occasions are wonderful and inspire a lot of positive emotions. There are also a lot of fun activities you can engage in. But one must always know where to limit themself. Festivals are important occasions, which is why they also warrant certain respect and decorum. Not to mention, one must be aware of their actions and the consequences they may have.
Let me elaborate. During several different festivals across the globe, it is a popular festive practice to light firecrackers or view a fireworks display. Some festivals notorious for their excessive use of fireworks are the 4th of July in the USA, Diwali from India, and several other celebrations including New Years’ celebrations worldwide. Fireworks are undoubtedly breathtaking. Any child would enjoy them and want to light some, even while knowing the potential danger of fire.
But what is more important is to help them understand the effects of these activities. Especially in the case of fireworks, where it causes direct harm to the environment. Festivals are a positive occasion. Using the occasion, we must acquaint children with a sense of responsibility towards the world and help them feel genuine respect and love for the world around them. Role of Festivals in Child development is the key. Besides fireworks, many festivals also have practices that may be seemingly harmless, but slowly and surely, they cause great harm not only to the environment but also to us. The sooner children understand these important facts, the sooner they can understand and act upon them. After all, the world belongs to the young!
