Celebrations and Acknowledgements to Raise Cultured Children

Looking back at my life, I often think of how privileged I was for opportunities to work with many different backgrounds. Working primarily in fashion and entertainment in my early days, I quickly had to learn different accents and languages because our beautiful world of fashion is also very diverse. I loved that about my work and when I had my children, I knew I wanted to instill that same acceptance and open mind into them. 

When I first had my children, I struggled with selecting the “right” religion for us in fear that they’d be limited, but also because I do describe myself as open spiritually. Though we practice Catholicism, I always knew I would want to expose my children to different cultures and religions. Raising accepting, cultured, and educated children has been my priority since the beginning. It’s a practice I’ve never regretted instilling in our kids. 

It was probably during the Pandemic when I started home celebrations more often. I love any reason to celebrate or educate. I adapted to a “home school” routine when we were all stuck indoors at that time. What started as just “Valentine’s Day” or “St. Patrick’s Day” events, turned into celebrating nearly every occasion – especially of other cultures. I took some of these holidays as a reason to educate on another way of being. 

1. Lunar New Year, Wed, Jan 29, 2025. I love this acknowledgment. Just after our traditional New Year, the vibrant colors and the teaching of the Chinese zodiac calendar, also known as the Spring Festival. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar in many East Asian cultures. It is celebrated as the Korean New Year in South Korea. For my kids, we typically decorate, and I use it as an opportunity to teach a tradition from another country. 

2. Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is also known as Carnival and is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, just before Lent season begins. It’s known as a celebration and indulgence before fasting takes place. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence. Being moderately Catholic, we do love Mardi Gras, and I would say it has nothing to do with Lent and everything to do with the colors and food. For my children, I always decorate the table, we have our King Cake from The Pie Place and as a craft, we make fun masks. We then talk about Lent and what we want to give up for the season. 

3. Black History Month. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to acknowledge Black History Month. As a mother with many friends of all colors, religions, and backgrounds, education is so important. Our schools are doing a much better job with this subject than in prior years. I know it can be difficult as a parent to figure out how to have these conversations appropriately. There are plenty of child-friendly books that we purchase in our own homes that we keep a part of our curriculum. Follow Your Dreams, Little One is a great one to begin with younger kids.

4. Cinco de Mayo, May 5th a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France. Of course, Americans use this holiday as an excuse to have margaritas. Sadly, it is much more than that and should be discussed. For one, I think it’s important for children to fully understand that there are many other countries besides America. Don’t get me wrong, we decorate with the beautiful colors of the culture and enjoy the vibrancy of the beauty that is Mexico, but I also make sure to show my children a map, talk about the other countries, and discuss some of the history.

5. Diwali: Festival of Lights. In Upper St. Clair, we have an incredibly growing population of new friends from India, and I love it. One big celebration is Diwali, yet, there aren’t a lot of social gatherings that offer a way to celebrate. Learn more about how local South Hills families are celebrating Diwali HERE. I love exposing this celebration to my children, and I hope there are more local events we can attend to see. 

6. Día de los Muertos. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday that originated with Indigenous peoples in Meso-America and has evolved over thousands of years. It's celebrated on November 1 and 2. Ok, I’ll admit this might be one of my favorite celebrations with my kids, and it has nothing to do with my love of spooky things. Not only am I crazy about the colors, as usual, but I love the art of ancestry and particularly honoring our deceased loved ones. Honoring the deceased in my family was always something we took pride in. Even today, I have an ancestor wall of all photos of my beloved grandparents, and I keep their memories alive in my home. With my children, I always have a lesson and a craft. We discuss the culture, the holiday, and how we can keep the memory alive of our loved ones. I do always say, I don’t think they’ll be visiting us tonight though because I’m pretty sure my grandparents never left me. 

I want to acknowledge that my way is not everyone’s way, and I respect that. All parents can relate to one thing: raising kind and accepting children is our goal. If you’re interested in discussing more culture with your children, as I was, reference the Diversity and Calendar and Heritage Months for more information.