Learning about Festivals

Last week the children of Haddenham St Mary's abandoned the timetable for their specialist week 'festivals of light'. They have been learning about the following festivals:

• Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday
• Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday
• Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday
• Saint Lucy's Day, a Christian holiday
• Diwali, a religious festival associated with Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism
• Karthika Deepam, a post-Diwali Tamil festival associated with Hinduism
• Kartik Purnima, a post-Diwali religious festival associated with Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism
• Lantern Festival, a Chinese festival, originating in Buddhism, that marks the last day of the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival
• Tazaungdaing festival, a Buddhist festival marking the end of Kathina

The week had a 'grand finale' with the children being invited back for Haddenham St Mary's own festival of light. The children enjoyed glow painting, had their faces painted with glow paints, had mehndi patterns painted on their skin and toasted marshmallows round the firepit in the forest school.

Hot chocolate, burgers and hot dogs were on offer too!

The event finished with a lantern parade. Children had been making these lanterns all week.