December: Festivals & Observances
December is a month filled with festive fun, but also some important international observances to remind us all of the importance of respecting one another and celebrating our differences. Not only do we have Hannukah and Christmas on the events list, but also the International Day for Human Rights and Disabled People, amongst those also celebrating volunteering, the abolition of slavery and the migrants of the world, all very topical and current issues today.
This blog intends to list out the festivals of the month that we will be focusing on, but they all share common themes: mutual respect, the importance of recognising and upholding human dignity, the importance of family and friendships when things are (cold and) dark, which we will all be investigating over the course of the month. Some of the festivals will have dedicated resources lists attached to them - this is because they're standalone, or share similar language and themes to other festivals. For instance, World Mountain Day shares a similar vocabulary to Antarctica; World Human Rights Day shares similar activities and educational resources with The International Day for the Volunteer; for the Migrant; and for the Abolition of Slavery. In such instances, we've not duplicated content but expect our teachers to draw on a common thread to help articulate and educate our children as to import of these days.
December Educational Assets | December Festival Overview | December Festivals Language List | December Festivals Character Cards |

Antarctica Day Resources
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Presentation | Display Pack and Room Board Banner |
Fact Cards and Fact File |
Photo Pack |
Word Cards | Animals Fact Cards | Animals Size Comparisons |
2 December - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery - Whilst the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed in 1807 and slavery is prohibited internationally by Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are still an estimated 12.3 million people across the world in slavery today, forced to work for little or no pay. That's the message from UNHCR and at a time when Black Lives Matter and other campaign groups remind us of the roots of institutional racism, we'd do well to remember that slavery hasn't gone away and that we must do more to rid the world of this heinous industry.
3 Dec - International Day for Persons with Disabilities - This day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It is incumbent upon all of us to understand the cultural, socio-economic and political hurdles that can present challenges for disabled peoples to change the way we think / do / act so that everyone has access to society. Find out more on the UN's website regarding the Millennium Development Goals, how we're failing them at present and what you can do to help.
Disabled Peoples Day
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Disabled People's Display Pack | Special Families Presentation | Word Cards | |
Paralympics Photo Pack | Paralympic Games Presentation | The Winter Paralympics presentation |



Human Rights Day
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Declaration of Human Rights | Why we're all different | Celebrating our differences | |
The rights of a child | Embrace our differences | Stereotypes and prejudice |
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24-25 December -Christmas Eve & Christmas Day - What was once a purely Christian festival, Christmas has become a worldwide celebration and forms a core part of the winter festive period. A celebration of the birth of Christ and the Nativity story, Christmas is a time of feasting, family, gifts and goodwill.
Christmas
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The Christmas Story | The Nativity- presentation | Christmas Word Cards | Christmas Songs |
Banner & Display Resources | Sensory Resources Pack | Activity Pack |