03/18/2026
As part of our learning theme, we spent a week learning about holidays around the world. It was hard to select just a few to squeeze into our week!
Baba Marta is a traditional Bulgarian celebration that marks the coming of spring and hopes for warmer weather, health, and new beginnings. The holiday is connected to a folklore figure named Baba Marta, or “Grandmother March,” whose changing mood is said to bring the changing weather of early spring. People exchange Martenitsa, small red-and-white decorations often worn as bracelets or pinned to clothing. People wear their martenitsa until they see the first signs of spring, such as a stork or blossoming tree, and then tie it to a branch to welcome the new season. We made our own martenitsa (first photo) in honor of Baba Marta! We’ve definitely experienced the changing moods of Baba Marta this past week!
We also learned about Tihar in Nepal, the beautiful five-day festival that honors different animals and the special relationships people have with them. We focused on the second day of the celebration, Kukur Tihar, which is dedicated to honoring dogs and recognizing their loyalty, friendship, and protection (second photo).
Diwali is a Hindu Festival of Lights that celebrates the idea of light over darkness and good over evil. This joyful celebration lasts five days and includes many beautiful traditions. In our kindergarten classroom, we created our own representations of henna art and colored beautiful rangoli designs (third photo).
Lastly, Children’s Day in Japan is such a wonderful holiday! Families often fly colorful carp-shaped windsocks called Koinobori outside their homes. The carp symbolize strength and perseverance because they are known for swimming upstream. We hope that creating our own carp (we are almost finished!) will help the strength and perseverance within us flourish! Look for these to adorn the classroom soon!
