Greetings, fall! As the new season begins and anticipation builds for upcoming holidays, we want to highlight how people celebrate autumn around the world. While Halloween is adored by many, the following booklist is designed to honor other holidays and traditions relished during the fall. Check out the following books to introduce your students to these rich celebrations and learn something new for yourself along the way!
The first few titles are dedicated to honoring Diwali, a five-day Hindu festival celebrating the perpetual triumph of good over evil. Changing dates every year, this year’s festival takes place October 29th – November 3rd, 2024. Diwali is celebrated in a myriad of ways: Small oil lamps called diyas are lit in abundance, earning the holiday its nickname, the Festival of Lights. People often partake in festival gatherings, firework displays, feasts, and prayer, providing the opportunity to rejoice as a community. The following picture books depict the festival in all its splendor, demonstrating tales as replete with color as the holiday itself.
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are also highlighted on the list. Rosh Hashanah signals the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, a period for reflection and confession. Rosh Hashanah is followed by 10 days of atonement and concluded by Yom Kippur, the most sacred and solemn of all Jewish proceedings. Those who partake demonstrate their respect by fasting, attending synagogue, or making amends with those they have wronged. While Yom Kippur can sound like a daunting tradition to children, these titles present the practice in a palatable, warm manner to properly convey the sense of renewal and peace intended through the start of the Jewish New Year.
Next to be featured is El Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This multi-day Mexican holiday reunites the living with the dead, as family members gather to commemorate the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Participants craft stunning altars called ofrendas to cherish the memories of their deceased, lavishly decorating the structures and graves in vibrant marigolds. Beyond honoring their ancestors, the holiday is also intended to remind people that death is a natural and integral part of life. While death and the afterlife aren’t typically discussed in American teachings, they are sources of immense joy and insight in other cultures. Help bring that same sense of awe into your classroom by integrating these stories!
Finally, you’ll find stories dedicated to celebrating the fall equinox sprinkled throughout the list. The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun appears directly above Earth’s equator as it moves from north to south, ushering winter into the Northern Hemisphere and summer into the Southern Hemisphere. This transition is often honored by a sumptuous feast of fall foods, such as carrots, parsnips, apples, and sweet potatoes. Festivities can also include the performance of rites and rituals by burning candles, writing letters of gratitude, and decorating one’s home to celebrate creativity and revitalization.
While this list provides an introduction to some of the holidays celebrated in the fall, there are numerous others enjoyed by millions. Discover Pchum Ben, the Cambodian festival that emphasizes the power of offering food to ancestors. Learn the ways of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, wherein family members gather for a feast to celebrate their lineage. Lastly, explore the vitality of Oktoberfest, celebrating German art, food, and drink. To celebrate is to live, no matter the culture or identity. I hope you enjoy looking through these titles to discover the joy of autumn worldwide!
Happy reading!
Worldwide Autumnal Holidays
