Christmas, Cultures and Creative National Days

By Pam McCartt and Krista Dawson

Have you ever wondered what other holidays are celebrated around the Richmond area? There are many holidays that occur every day of the year. We decided to go on a search for celebrations and found a resource that was fun and enlightening.  You can visit it here: 2021 Holidays and National Days | National Day Calendar (nationaltoday.com)

Some of these holidays are just plain fun. Here are a few we particularly liked in November: No Shave November -November 6^th , National Pickle Day -November 14^th, Love Your Freckles Day -November 22, or for all the dental hygienists out there… Flossing Day -November 26^th (let’s hope we all floss more than just on National Flossing Day)!

Other celebrations or national days are unexpected- who knew there was a day for special interest groups; health concerns, religious groups, federal holidays and international celebrations such as World Science Day for Peace and Development.  The website also gives ample information to learn the history of these days. You might find, like I did, that reading the list inspires you to find out more about what people celebrate and why.

At the Children’s Museum of Richmond, we value the diversity in our community.

One way we do that is with our annual Holiday Village. Each of the six holiday houses represent a different cultural tradition: Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Kwanzaa. If you stop by our downtown location, you can play our I Spy game and see the commonalities of light, food, games, and decorations at each of the row houses. It is our hope that as our children and caregivers engage in play (at the museum or anywhere) they deepen their understanding, and learn more about both their own and other cultural traditions.

Here is a peek into the process of setting up Holiday Village…

Can you think of any other celebrations that you want to explore, or even adopt into your own family’s traditions?  How would you find out more about these? We have a few suggestions:

1. Look for opportunities to learn from others by asking questions about their traditions
2. Visit a library- check out books about other cultures
3. Internet- do a guided search with your child to dig deeper and learn more
4. Visit the Children’s Museum Holiday Village

Cultural Connections at CMoR

As we celebrate National Native American Heritage month this November, we will be hosting pop up floor programs and having a Native American focused craft activity in the art studios- you should plan to stop by.

Our Holiday Fawn Shop will open for young shoppers during our Legendary Santa season. Purchase your Fawn Bucks at the front desk for your child to exchange for items in the shop ($2 in US Dollars=1 Fawn Buck- all items in the shop cost 1 Fawn Buck). While all chimney times have sold out, there are still a few in person visit times available and some virtual visits with Legendary Santa this season if Christmas is your family’s tradition.

Be sure to share this post and your family traditions (with pictures, please!) with us on Facebook or Instagram!