Holiday passports celebrate five holiday customs


Krista Lee Eaton and Anesa Mendrell were among the girls participating in a holiday extravaganza Dec. 22 and 23 at Girls Inc. of Holyoke. Girls were introduced to holiday celebrations of various cultures. Above, Eaton and Mendrell review their "holiday passports" that were used for educational purposes. Reminder Publications photo by Lori Szepelak

By Lori Szepelak

Correspondent

HOLYOKE Five holiday celebrations were marked during the afternoons of Dec. 22 and 23 as participants of Girls Inc. of Holyoke learned about Kwanza, Christmas, Three Kings Day, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice.

Each girl was given a "holiday passport" with a symbol representing each holiday they would learn about, according to Janna Chapdelaine, director of development and public relations for Girls Inc.

The girls rotated through stations which were run by different Girls Inc. staff, and activities included games, crafts, snacks, music and history. At the completion of each station, their passport was stamped.

"The holiday jubilee is a great way for the girls to learn about the diverse celebrations of the people living in their community," said Suzanne Parker, executive director.

Sarah Dunton, director of youth development, echoed those sentiments.

"The holidays offer an incredible opportunity to weave education, cultural competency, fun and good food together," said Dunton.

At the Kwanza station, girls learned of its origin, practiced Swahili and munched on Benne Cakes, which are eaten for good luck.

"It's important to learn about different cultures and lifestyles other than your own," added Nikki Snizek, youth development coordinator, who organized the Kwanza station. "A celebration like this teaches them about a holiday they may not have known about otherwise."

At the Christmas station, girls participated in sack races and enjoyed Christmas cookies and eggnog, while at the Three Kings Day station, girls shared personal experiences and sipped on hot cocoa. At the Hanukkah station, girls learned about the holiday, sang Hanukkah songs and played dreidel.

"Three Kings Day is a holiday that a lot, but not all, Girls Inc. girls celebrate," said Meegan Schreiber, youth program coordinator, who also organized the station. "It's an opportunity for them to talk about how they celebrate with their peers."

Amanda "Tommy" Thompson, youth program coordinator, organized the Christmas station, and noted that "it's interesting to hear from the girls what they learn from their families, schools and church. It's important to see Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated at this time of year."

Rounding out the celebrations was learning about the Winter Solstice, and painting small suns on each other's cheeks with face paint, as well as creating sun ornaments and enjoying sun cookies.

"It's really good for the girls to learn about all the traditions and holidays," said Amanda Melemed, youth program coordinator. "It's nice to see how much the holidays correlate at this time of year; that we all have a lot more in common than we might think."

As the holiday celebrations wrapped up, the girls were just as ecstatic about the programs as their leaders were.

"This was a great experience," said Evelyn Acevedo, 16. "I liked learning about the different holidays. My favorite station was the Winter Solstice."

Julisa Deleon, 16, also enjoyed the festive affair.

"It was really fun," said Deleon. "We learned about different holidays. I may end up celebrating some new holidays now that I never have before. My favorite station was Christmas, because we got to play a lot of active games."

Chapdelaine added that the holiday extravaganza was a perfect chance to "educate the girls so diversely."

Comments From Our Readers:

charlottecb 1/6/2009 10:30:42 AM	What a wonderful activity! I love the use of a passport - we are all citizens of the world! Kudos, as always, to the amazing staff and leadership at Girls Inc. for creating a educational opportunity that is packed with activity and fun.