Create a Holiday

Description

Groups use create a new holiday based off common holiday components (like food and activities), and if needed, borrow from existing holiday elements from their home culture or around the world (like decorating a tree for Christmas). Using an online whiteboard like Miro is recommended for collaboration and visuals.

See the similar activity “Create a Country” here: https://knowmium.com/tools/2021/3/10/create-a-country

Why we like it

This activity is great during peak holiday times and can be used anytime during the year. It can lead into deeper discussions of cross-cultural communication, cultural traditions, and team collaboration.

Process

1. Determine if you’re going to use an online whiteboard and create templates for this activity. This guide will assume a whiteboard is being used. If not, the activity could be done verbally or with simply chat functions within small groups.

2. Build your whiteboard canvas including instructions, examples, and blank templates. Here’s an example of what it might look like.

3. In the main room, brief participants on common holiday components. 5 easy-to-understand components to consider:
a) Purpose (historical or modern)
b) Activities and entertainment
c) Gifts or gestures towards others
d) Food and drink
e) Clothing and decoration

Note: We didn’t include origin or history since we are asking groups to create a new holiday that doesn’t exist yet. Their new holiday origin would likely be “Group #2.” The origin or history component could be used in creative sessions where groups create a fictional origin story for their holiday.

4. Show participants a visual template example of an existing holiday they’ll be familiar with.  Here’s a Christmas example.

5. Give participants instructions on how their small groups will create a new holiday together along with a completed example.  In the below example, individual members were asked to choose one component each and then discuss how it added to their new holiday. Alternatives would be discussing each component together. Just be cautious that one member might take over the new holiday design on their own, which can be mitigated by bringing in collaboration lessons and practices.

6. Send small groups into breakout rooms with the instructions, a time limit, and any debrief/sharing instructions they should prepare.

7. Back in the main room, debrief and share as needed.

Daisy chain options

A. History: ask participants to research and share the true history of existing holidays.
B. Creative writing and/or storytelling: ask participants to create and share new origin stories for their completed holidays.
C. Collaboration: discuss and use collaboration practices and roles. For example, having a scribe to write ideas and/or control the whiteboard.
D. Visual design: slide design, color effects, and layouts are all possibilities.
E. Physical activities: ask participants to incorporate some of their new holiday activities into real-world interactions such as giving gifts or using their finished templates in holiday cards.

Share using the icons below or direct link to this activity: https://knowmium.com/tools/2020/12/11/create-a-holiday