Bringing Festivals to our Children with Joy

In the spirit of Eid,

 

'Music is a higher revelation than philosophy’ ~ Plato

 

Festivals are the most cherished days for me when I work with children in Delhi. My most vivid memories of the festival celebrations are the special festival stories and beautiful songs been sung by all the teachers and children. Starting from the kindergarten to grade 5, we would all sing hurdled together at the celebration time. Our kindergarten children would constantly be eyeing the sweets yet patiently waiting for the festival ceremony to finish and receive the sweets at their turn.

 

Many of you may have observed your little children making songs and humming away to themselves while they are busy at play or simply while walking across the park.

 

But quite a few of us adults have forgotten this joy of singing and even fewer like to sing folk & festival songs. With emphasis on more specializations and individualization in every field, ‘participatory singing’ and singing merely out of joy has taken a back seat. Children are still untouched by this adult world and therefore more willing to sing freely.

 

Parents could try and begin with simple humming of few folk/festival songs during the festival period- while cooking, bathing the child or while putting them to sleep.

 

But we must not bring songs to children with the intention of teaching them. We continue to use the principle of ‘imitation’. We could simply sing and hum to experience for ourselves the inner joy of the song. When we are able to find connect, our children would be able to find a natural connect too. They may perhaps sing/hum it at their own time, while they are skipping, playing merrily or when they are sitting quietly and drawing perhaps.

 

When we provide opportunities to children to experience these special days or festivals, they bring them closer in contact with rhythms of seasons and possibilities of experiencing something deeper, which is non-material. In present times we need more spaces/rituals, which remind us of the significance of social communion and inter dependence. With changing needs of our times, many families who may not be able to connect with the spiritual side of the festivals, are choosing to bring more elements of nature to their homes during festival celebrations.

 

Families may choose to sing songs, narrate stories, perform certain rituals and prepare meals along with children or a community dance perhaps. Whichever path we may choose, we are brining abundance of riches, joy and memories and nourishment to our children and ourselves especially.

 

Bringing festivals to children through imitation would mean, when we do our rituals and celebrations, whatever those may be, we do it with joy and wholeheartedly. While children continue to observe them and we wait for them to find connect with it through their inner motivation and inspiration.

 

(If you wish to use the Ramzan song from the picture, in your house or learning space, please feel free to approach me. Teachers from another Waldorf School in India have written the lyrics and it’s from many years ago).

 

You can also narrate the story of ‘Eidgah’ by Munshi Premchand (an Indian writer) to children older above 6 years. This used to be one of my favorite childhood stories by Premchand!