In an effort to be affirming, reflective, and critical about how we approach and celebrate holidays as school communities, we have curated a list of culturally sustaining and anti-racist educational resources and conversation guides for educators and families. This list aims to provide an inclusive understanding of the winter holiday season and strategies for supporting all students.
While holidays are generally thought of as cultural practices, we also know that non-dominant cultures and religions are often racialized and seen as “other” in the United States. We also acknowledge that this time of year can bring up a mix of emotions for students and families alike. Feelings of anxiety, sadness, and depression are common and can be amplified for families of color and marginalized communities. We encourage educators to be mindful of how this holiday season may impact the young people under their care.
Resources for Educators on the Winter Holidays:
- The December Dilemma: Teaching About Religious Holidays –The Anti-Defamation League
- Teaching About the Holidays in Public Schools – Peter Siegel
- Avoiding the Holiday ‘Balance Traps’ – Teaching Tolerance
- Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations – Dr. Cynthia Lundgren & Giselle Lundy-Ponce
- Merry…? Happy…? If teaching the holidays has you at a loss, read on – Tim Walker
- Religious Holidays –Teaching Tolerance
- Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holidays and Celebrations – Miami University
- One Nation, Many Gods – By Teaching Tolerance
- How Do You Celebrate? An Introduction to Holiday Customs (Lesson Plan) – Tracey Roudez
- Religious Holidays in the Public Schools – State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Analyzing the School Holiday Calendar (Lesson Plan) – Teaching Tolerance
- The December Dilemma: Acknowledging Religious Holidays in the Classroom – Anne OBrien
- ‘Tis Always the Season – Teaching Tolerance
- How Are You Approaching the Sensitivities Toward Holidays in the Classroom? – BAM Radio Network
- Balancing the Holidays in Your Classroom – Teaching Tolerance
- How to handle religious holidays in public schools – The First Amendment Center
- Problems with Christmas Curriculum – Teaching Tolerance
- Considerations for cultural and holiday celebrations in schools – Erik Herrmann
- Honoring Religious Diversity – Teaching Tolerance
- What Privilege Really Means (And Doesn’t Mean) – To Clear Up Your Doubts Once and For All – Maisha Z. Johnson
- Respecting Differences for K-2 – The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
- Holiday Charity: A Math Activity About Poverty – Teaching Tolerance
Christian Privilege, Hegemony, and the Winter Holiday Season:
- 5 Ways Christian Privilege Shows Up During the Winter Holiday Season – Miri Mogilevsky
- 30+ Examples of Christian Privilege – Sam Killermann
- Living in a Christian Dominant Culture: An Exercise – Paul Kivel
- How Non-Christians Know There’s No War on Christmas – Alli Kirkham
- Christian Culture in U.S. Schools – Paul Kivel
- The Insanity of the Starbucks Christmas Cup ‘Controversy’ – Emma Green
- Don’t Believe in Christian Privilege? These 15 Examples Will Leave No Doubt – Maisha Z. Johnson
- Christian Privileges in American Society – Austin Cline
- The Christian Holiday Cycle – Paul Kivel
Celebrating Kwanzaa:
- What Is Kwanzaa? – Learning to Give
- How to Celebrate Kwanzaa – Claudia Mair Burney
- Kwanzaa Teacher Resources – Teacher Vision
- Kwanzaa Resources – Education.com
- Kwanzaa Lessons and Teacher Resources – Lessonplanspage
- Kwanzaa Lessons, Worksheets, and Activities – TeacherPlanet
- Under tense political climate, Kwanzaa holds special meaning – Sherri Williams
- Bring Out the Kwanzaa Kinara – Melonyce McAfee
- Holiday Celebrations: My Family’s Kwanzaa Traditions – Kendra Pierson
- Keeping Kwanzaa Simple – Easy Ways to Celebrate – Janice Celeste
- Kwanzaa Educational Videos – watchknowlearn.org
- Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family and Heritage – Virginia Johnson
Islam, Islamophobia, and the Winter Holiday Season:
- Do Muslims Celebrate Christmas? – Sajdah Nubee
- Being Muslim during the Christmas season – Farrah Yusuf
- Reflection: Being Muslim During Christmas – DreamOnYouth
- Muslim Americans Debate Celebrating Christmas – New American Media
- My Muslim daughter is suspected of being Christian because she likes Christmas – Syima Aslam
- Islamic religious festivals – Council for Mosques
- Learning Activities for the Islamic Festival of Eid-al-Fitr – Charlotte Cushman
- Islam in the Classroom – Lauren Barack
- Helping Students Counter Anti-Muslim Bias – The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
- Engaging the Muslim World: An Overview for Teachers – Alan Shapiro
- Islamophobia 101 – Council on American-Islamic Relations
- Understanding Muslim Students – Teaching Tolerance
- Islam and Islamophobia – The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
- Access Islam (Lesson Plans) – Thirteen.org
- A Heartbreaking Letter from a Muslim American to Non-Muslim Allies – Sofia Ali-Khan
- This Is What Happens When Racist Islamophobic Rhetoric Goes Unchecked – AJ+
Judaism, Antisemitism, and the Winter Holiday Season:
- Hanukkah in the Classroom (Lesson Plans) – Scholastic
- Hanukkah Teaching Resources – Tes
- Chanukah Resources – The Lookstein Center
- Lesson: Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights – Education World
- Jewish Holidays & Celebrations Explained – PJCC
- Being Jewish in a Christian World – Teaching Tolerance
- Learn Something New EveryDay – Teaching Tolerance
- Our schools’ secret shame: Anti-Semitism is a regular occurrence – Steve Wessler
- Making Our Movements Stronger By Resisting Anti-Semitism – Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
- U.S. Anti-Semitic Incidents Spike 86 Percent So Far in 2017 After Surging Last Year, ADL Finds -The Anti-Defamation League
- Contemporary Anti-Semitism – Echoes and Reflections
- Anti-Semitic Incidents: Being an Ally, Advocate and Activist – The Anti-Defamation League
- Understanding Anti-Semitism: An Offering to our Movement – Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
- Schooled in Hate: Anti-Semitism on Campus – The Anti-Defamation League
- Anti-Semitism in Schools and Educational Settings – EducateAgainstHate.com
Whiteness and the Holidays:
- Dear white people, the holiday season is the best time to tell our grandparents to stop being racist – Jordan Uhl
- Do The Holidays Need To Be A Celebration of Whiteness? – Multiracial Media
- Black Santa—where you at? – Verysmartbrothas.com
- Why is Santa Claus Always White? – Peggy Albers
- Seeing Santa in Black and white – Sa’iyda Shabazz
- Black, white or imaginary? Santa’s race has the US in a Christmas kerfuffle – Hadley Freeman
- Racists Freak Out Over Black Santa At Mall Of America – Ed Mazza
- Dreaming of a not-white Christmas: Why I’m embracing black Santa and black Jesus – Angela Fichter
- Santa Claus Should Not be a white man Anymore – Aisha Harris
- White Christmas, White Santas, White Privilege – Martha Pitts
- Black Lives Matter Wants to Bring Down white Capitalism with ‘Black Christmas’ – Summer Meza
Celebrating Los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) and the Winter Holiday Season:
- Happy Three Kings Day! Families Celebrate a Cherished Tradition – NBC News
- Celebrating Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings’ Day): Our Traditions – Modern Mami
- Discovering the magic of Three Kings Day, from Puerto Rico to the US – Ashley Rodriguez
- Three Kings Day Educator Resource Guide – Museo del Barrio
- Celebrating Dia de los Reyes Magos with your kids – NBC Latino
- Three Kings Day Crafts for the Classroom – Education World
- Celebrating Three Kings’ Day with Kids – Modern Mami
- Día de los Reyes Lesson Plans, Books, Activities – Mommy Maestra
- Teaching Día de los Reyes Magos – Sol Azucar
- Día De Los Reyes : Three Kings Day Crafts And Activities For Kids – Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz
Mental Health and the Holidays:
- Holidays: Sometimes happy, sometimes not – Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
- Some Thoughts on Spending Christmas Day Alone – Greta Christina
- Holiday blues can hit kids, too — here’s how to help them cope – Today.com
- Holiday Stress – The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- What does stress do to families during the holidays? – Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN)
- How to Support Bereaved Children over the Holidays: A Tip Sheet for Parents and Caregivers – New York Life
- Find Your Holiday Happiness: Manage Anxiety and Depression – Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- 8 Tips For Mental Wellness During the Holidays – CMHA Alberta
- Why We Get Depressed At The Holidays, And How To Deal – Carolyn Gregoire
- Holiday Depression, Anxiety, and Stress – MedicineNet
- Making the Holidays Less Materialistic – Kids Health
- 11 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Depression Triggers – Health.com
- Family and Depression During the Holiday – Psychology Today
- Grief and the Holidays – Grief.com
- Why Does Depression Tend To Increase During The Holidays? – Forbes
- Helping Young People in Foster Care Through the Holidays – Casaforchildren.org
- Mental Health is Different for People of Color in These 3 Ways (And More) – Dom Chatterjee
- Black Mental Health Is Different From White Mental Health – Big Think
- Finding Therapy Isn’t Easy for Queer and Trans People of Color – Arielle Gray
- 5 Mental Health Blogs Created For People Of Color – Creative Smart Girl
- Racism and the Invisible Struggle of Mental Health in the Black Community – Dr. Sherri Williams
