Festivals from Around the World
•by Saket Bolisetty
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: • My name is Saket Bolisetty. I am in 11th Grade. I go to a special Ed school called The Calais School in Whippany, NJ. I live in Randolph, NJ. In my spare time, I love to visit the city and go to different art museums and college campuses. • I am very passionate about learning about various festivals from around the world.
ABOUT THE BOOK: • In this book, a boy and girl from different cultures explain about popular festivals from their region. • The artwork in this book was drawn by me in computer graphic software called Microsoft Paint. • This book will teach everyone from all around the world about these festivals because they are not familiar with them.
HOLI- Festival of Colors: • Holi is the Indian Color Festival. The tradition is throwing colored powder on everyone. It celebrates the love of Radha and Krishna. Here, 2 Indian kids named Kavita and Akhil are playing Holi in the park.
DIWALI-Festival of Lights: • Diwali is the Festival of Lights. The tradition is lighting up oil lamps called diyas and firecrackers. It is celebrated between October and November all over the world. Here, Kavita and Akhil are lighting up sparks and watching the fireworks.
LUNAR NEW YEAR: • Lunar New Year is the largest festival in China that is celebrated between January and February. The traditions are carrying a big dragon and sending red envelopes. Here, 2 Chinese kids named Yanmin and Changrui are lighting fire crackers and sending red envelopes.
LANTERN FESTIVAL: • The Lantern Festival is celebrated in February every year in China. The tradition is hanging up lanterns. Here, Yanmin and Changrui are hanging up a lantern for their lantern festival at their house.
KWANZAA: • Kwanzaa is celebrated for 7 nights. Families get together and sing in front of a menorah and eat corn. Here, 2 African-American kids named Sasha and Avant are lighting a menorah for their big Kwanzaa party at night.
CINCO DE MAYO: • Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is celebrated on the 5th day of May every year. It celebrates the anniversary of what Mexico was going through during a war. Here, 2 Mexican people named Pablo and Rosa are playing with the piùata.
DAY OF THE DEAD: • Day of the Dead is a festival that is celebrated in November. It honors the people who have died. Here, Pablo and Rosa are dressed as skeletons for their big Day of the Dead festival.
RAMADAN: • Ramadan is a festival that is celebrated every June. People do not eat from sunrise to sunset. Here, Aabirah and Aabid have changed their calendar to Ramadan Day.
EID-AL-FITR: • Eid-Al-Fitr is celebrated in July. It marks the end of fasting. Here, Aabirah and Aabid are sharing a treat they got from the temple.
ROSH HASHANAH: • Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year that is celebrated from September-October every year. The traditions are eating yummy apples and spending time with family and friends. It is also known as the Festival of Trumpets. Here, 2 Jewish kids named Jonas and Hana are celebrating Rosh Hashanah by eating a fresh red apple and blowing a shofar.
HANUKKAH: • Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that is celebrated in December every year before Christmas. It commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple. The traditions are singing in front of a menorah and spinning a dreidel. Here, Jonas and Hana are spinning a dreidel while singing in front of the menorah.
Final Page: • You have now learned about 11 of the fun main world festivals and the history of them. What a beautiful world we have. Just remember everyone; learning about different festivals is an art in itself.
•THE •END