Thursday, March 17, 2011

What do holidays mean to you?

Hello Families!

Today was St. Patrick's day and the excitement was in the air.  Yesterday many of the kids brought up the problem that they didn't want to be pinched today.  It was so neat to see the kids planning ahead to make the day fun and successful for themselves.    And I love that they know to bring these type of issues to their class to work out together.  Six friends put their names on the list that meant they were playing and planned the rules for the pinching game.



The day dawned and most friends wore green and friends were buzzing about the outfits.  Many friends agreed that Bridget W. looked like a leprechaun.  No one who said they were playing the pinching game forgot to wear green, so no kids were pinched! :)

We continued our discussion about this holiday, which the kids began yesterday.  The kids are intrigued by the idea of leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold.  They said they have seen these on TV and in films. And one friend even told a story of seeing one at night.  The kids asked lots of questions. 

As far as why we celebrate and what the green, the shamrock and the pinching symbolize or come from, the children really weren't sure.  The kids weren't sure if St. Patrick was a leprechaun himself, but they did know that he lived a long time ago.  It can be hard for a five year old to connect with the meaning of holidays by looking at how people celebrate.  I feel that this was a great time for friends to discuss with their families.   

What does this holiday mean to your family?
Can you make researching this holiday something fun for the family to do together?

I would love to hear about any further conversations you have and how the kids translate into their own reality!

Here are the three questions that your children asked me to post here for you.

Why do we Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
Where do leprechauns live?
Where's the golden path?

I hope you have fun researching together and also, maybe, embellishing a bit too.  The elements of the unknown are fun.  The kids, even though some are skeptical of the reality of some elements of the gold and leprechaun part, enjoyed the idea of this tantalizing possibility.  The kids so enjoy storytelling.  Don't we all like to listen and suspend our realities when someone is telling a good yarn?

Here's my question:

Do you know anyone who has found the pot of gold?

I hope you are enjoying a nice evening.  I can't wait to see you at the park on Saturday!

Fanuel Park 11 am in Pacific Beach.  Come enjoy the togetherness and the outdoors!

Love, Jennifer

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