ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some approaches to teaching about a number of Christian festivals but before this there are some important foundations to lay in the infant years. Festivals are a feature of all religions and appeal to worshippers of all ages. Children will find in the celebration of Christmas a number of elements: holly, ivy, mistletoe, Christmas trees, paper decorations, candles, yule logs. Christmas for Christians reflects and points to the centre of Christian belief, the Incarnation, but the festival can be understood by different believers at different levels ranging from a thanksgiving for a special baby to a thanksgiving for the Incarnation of God in humanity. Children can learn facts about different festivals but if they are to understand what believers feel about them then they must see them in the same way as they see festivals in their own lives—like birthdays.
