Of smiles, shines, and joy: Why festivals are essential for classrooms?
- 21 October 2022
“Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation….celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of action.”
The sheer carnivalesque nature of festivals leaves one beaming with the prospect of celebrating them. This joy multiplies, even more, when it is accompanied by the enthusiasm of little buds. Besides the element of having fun, their curious questions behind the genesis of the said festivals make the entire celebration dually informative and enjoyable. Here are a few reasons why festivals should be made an integral part of the classroom and how they aid in the learning process:
Improving Child’s Social Interaction Skills
Besides being integrated into the academic curriculum, festivals offer the opportunity for students to interact with the community around them. They also help them understand the very essence of the community and what relevance it holds on the overall nurturing of the individual. It also helps a child form a certain sense of interaction with people in the community, thereby nurturing their communication and interpersonal skills.
Understanding Values of Unity, Inclusion, and Harmony
India being a land of diverse cultures and also privy to the phenomenon of globalization offers the chance to individuals to participate in multiple festivities. These festivities range from national festivals like Independence Day, and Republic Day, cultural festivals like Eid, Diwali, Christmas, and harvest festivals like Baisakhi, Pongal, Holi, etc. When children come together and understand the spirit of these festivals, they by default learn the values of unity, inclusion, and harmony. Henceforth, they become more socially and emotionally mature.
Instilling Values like Patriotism
Celebrating national festivals like Independence Day, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti, instill very important patriotic values among the students. It is important that students understand how crucial the idea of the nation-state is. This helps them form a sense of camaraderie with every citizen of the country and hence serve the country to their maximum potential.
Understanding Morality and Ethics
Many of the festivals are celebrated in order to mark the reinstation of morality and ethics over evil and disorder. The folk tales associated with these festivals and even the morals associated with them provide a great learning lesson within the classroom space. For example, students get to learn about the victory of good over evil through Dussehra, similarly, they get to know about the importance of light over darkness through Diwali. Likewise, celebrating eid helps them understand the concept of universal brotherhood.
Peer bonding
Besides the aforementioned advantages of celebrating festivals within the classroom space, peer bonding also remains important. It is seen that after every festival, peer bonding increases within the classroom, and the students are able to express themselves well.
Taking into consideration why festivals are important within the classroom space, we celebrate festivals in the most wholesome and inclusive manner at Oakridge, Gachibowli. Our festivals are inclusive and make the campus environment holistic in every manner possible. From Dussehra, Diwali, Eid, and Independence Day, to Christmas, our students from Early Years to senior school, bask in the spirit of each of these festivals and form a holistic bond within the community.
Ms. Ritu Agrawal
Head of Early Years
