School Projects: French Holidays
The French enjoy 11 national holidays per year, with the spring and summer months especially packed with festivities. Some of these days overlap with national holidays celebrated by the United States, such as New Year's Day on January 1st and Christmas Day on December 25th. When teaching your class about French holidays, focus on holidays that are unknown to most American students to encourage the most cultural diversity.
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Bastille Day
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Bastille Day falls on July 14th and commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution, when the French people overthrew the monarchy and created a new governing body for themselves.
As this day celebrates the French populace's independence from monarchical rule, ask your students to compare the American Independence Day, July 4th, to the French one. Students should review the history of both days and make a chart showing what was similar and what was different. Alternatively, you can focus your lesson on the celebrations surrounding Bastille Day, which include fireworks, cultural dances and parades. Teach your students a Bastille Day dance or create a parade that showcases French culture to show to your school.
WWII Victory Day
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World War II Victory Day, a day that celebrates the end of WWII, falls on May 8th and is relevant to many United States citizens. Whether your students had great-grandparents who fought in the war or not, learning about this day is a wonderful way to teach them about a war that is part of their history.
Learn about WWII Victory Day by writing letters that soldiers would have sent home to their families telling them about the end of the war. Display the letters on a bulletin board or create a scrapbook that captures the emotions of the time.
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Armistice Day
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Celebrated on November 11th, Armistice Day commemorates the end of World War I. An armistice is an agreement to end fighting, and November 11, 1918 was the day on which an armistice was signed relating to WWI, which explains its apt title.
Armistice Day can be celebrated with a "peace project" where students work on creating peace in their own classroom. On a large piece of paper, have each student write one idea that can improve peace among the students, such as "No more fighting over the markers" and hang the paper where everyone can see.
Labor Day
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Labor Day takes place on May 1st and is also known as May Day. In France, it is a celebration of the start of the Union and worker's rights, and is the beginning of spring. Traditionally, on this day, flowers are sold all over France and trees are planted to rejoice in the beginning of springtime.
Students can celebrate the beginning of spring as well. Plant flowers in small, individually sized pots for students to bring home or line up the pots in the classroom and watch them grow together. Set aside time everyday to care for the plants and teach the students about how flowers grow.
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References
- Photo Credit portuguese flag image by Aleksander from Fotolia.com
