Grade by Grade
A. Heritage and Identity · Changing Family and Community Traditions

What Are Traditions and Celebrations?

A3About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can explain what a tradition is.
  • I can explain what a celebration is.
  • I can name some traditions in my own family.
  • I can tell the difference between a tradition and something that happens only once.

Words to know

tradition
Something a family or group does again and again, often in the same way, and passes down from older people to younger people.
celebration
A special time when people show joy or remember something important, often with family, food, music and special words.
custom
The usual way a family or group does something, like taking off shoes at the door or shaking hands to say hello.
family
The people who love and take care of each other. Families come in many shapes and sizes.
community
A group of people who live, work, play or share something together.

Amara's traditions

Every Saturday morning, Amara and her dad make banana pancakes.

Every winter, after the first big snowfall, Amara's whole family builds a snow family in the yard.

Every year on her birthday, Amara's grandma sings Happy Birthday in Twi, a language Grandma spoke when she was growing up in Ghana.

Amara's family does these things again and again. They are Amara's family traditions!

Three snowmen of different sizes, with hats and knitted scarves, standing together in a snowy backyard.
A snow family like Amara's! Doing something again and again, like building one after the first big snowfall, makes it a tradition. AI-generated image

Remember from Grade 1

In Grade 1 you learned about your roles (like son, daughter, student) and the people and places that are important to you. In Grade 2 you will learn about the special things families and communities do together, and how those things change over time.

What is a tradition?

A tradition is something a family or group does again and again, often in the same way.

Traditions are passed down. That means older people teach them to younger people. Your grandma may have learned a song from her grandma. Now she is teaching it to you!

Some traditions are big, like a holiday. Some are small, like a special goodnight hug. Some happen every day, some every week and some every year.

Grandmalearned the songfrom HER grandmaMomlearned itfrom GrandmaYouare learning it now!teachesteachesA tradition is passed down
Passed down means older people teach younger people. One day, you might teach it to someone too!
Every day Every week Every year a storyat bedtime saying thanksbefore a meal Saturdaypancakes Sunday callto Grandpa birthdaysand holidays a snow familyafter first snow
Traditions can happen every day, every week or every year.

What is a celebration?

A celebration is a special time when people show joy or remember something important.

Birthdays, holidays, weddings, a new baby and the last day of school can all be celebrations. Many celebrations happen every year, so they are traditions too.

Part of a celebrationExample
Special foodbirthday cake, turkey at Thanksgiving, dumplings at Lunar New Year
Music, songs or dancingsinging Happy Birthday, dancing at a wedding
Special clothes or decorationsnew clothes for Eid, lights for Diwali, a red and white T-shirt on Canada Day
Being with peoplefamily, friends, neighbours, a whole community
Special words or greetings"Happy birthday!" "Eid Mubarak!" "Happy New Year!"
A reasonto remember, to give thanks, to start something new, to show love
Most celebrations have some of these parts.

Every family is different

Not every family celebrates the same days. Some families do not celebrate birthdays or some holidays because of their beliefs. That is their family's way, and it deserves respect too. There is no "right" set of traditions.

Riddle time

What goes up every single year but never comes down?

Your age! (That's why birthday celebrations keep coming back.)

Worked example

Example: Let's sort. Tradition or not?

Which of these are traditions?

  1. Grandpa makes perogies every year on Christmas Eve.
  2. We went to the dentist on Tuesday.
  3. Mom reads a story to me every night before bed.
  4. The power went out during a storm.
  1. Ask: Does it happen again and again? Does the family choose to do it the same way?
  2. 1. Perogies every year on Christmas Eve. Again and again, the same way. Tradition.
  3. 2. One trip to the dentist. It happened once, and it is not a special family way of doing things. Not a tradition.
  4. 3. A story every night. Again and again. Tradition.
  5. 4. The power went out. Nobody chose it and it does not happen the same way each year. Not a tradition.

1 and 3 are traditions. They happen again and again, in the same way, and the family chooses to keep doing them.

Worked example

Example: Let's find the parts of a celebration

Read the story. Find the food, people, music and reason.

It is Diego's grandpa's 70th birthday. The whole family comes to Grandpa's house. Aunt Rosa brings tamales. Everyone sings Las Mañanitas, a birthday song from Mexico. Grandpa says he is thankful for his big family.

  1. Food: tamales.
  2. People: the whole family at Grandpa's house.
  3. Music: the birthday song Las Mañanitas.
  4. Reason: Grandpa is turning 70, and the family shows love for him.

This birthday celebration has food, people, music and a reason, like most celebrations.

Hands-on activity

My family traditions poster

You need: paper, crayons or markers.

  1. Fold your paper into 3 parts. Label them Every day, Every week and Every year.
  2. Ask a grown-up: "What do we do again and again in our family?"
  3. Draw one family tradition in each part.
  4. Under each drawing, write one word about it (like story, pancakes, cake).
  5. Share your poster with someone. Tell them who taught your family this tradition, if you know.

Talk about it: "Which tradition is your favourite? Why?"

Your turn

1

What is a tradition? Say it in your own words.

2

Name one tradition your family has.

3

Is a birthday party every year a tradition? Why?

4

Name two parts that many celebrations have.

5

Is this a tradition? "A raccoon got into our garbage last night."

6

What does passed down mean?

7

True or false: Every family in Canada has the same traditions.

More practice: warm-up

1

Fill in the blank: A tradition is something we do again and ______.

2

🎂 What celebration usually has a cake with candles?

3

Is reading a story every night a tradition? Yes or no?

4

Name one special food people eat at a celebration.

5

What do we say to someone on their birthday?

More practice: on your own

1

Sort these into every day, every week or every year: Sunday dinner at Grandma's, a goodnight hug, Canada Day fireworks.

2

How is a tradition different from something that happens only once?

3

Ava's family goes skating on the same frozen pond every New Year's Day. Is it a tradition? Explain.

4

Why might a family not celebrate a holiday that you celebrate?

5

Name the reason for this celebration: "Every November 11, we wear poppies and are quiet for two minutes."

Challenge

1

Can a tradition be new? Think of one your family could start.

2

Leo says, "My family has no traditions." Help him find some. What questions could he ask himself?

3

Why do you think families keep traditions going for many years?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is a tradition?

2.

Which one is a tradition?

3.

Which is a celebration?

4.

Who usually passes down a tradition?

5.

Which is not usually part of a celebration?

6.

Some families do not celebrate birthdays. What is the respectful thing to think?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: A tradition is something a family or group does again and again and passes down. A celebration is a special time to show joy or remember. This lesson starts the Grade 2 Heritage and Identity unit, which builds on Grade 1's roles and relationships.

How to help at home:

  • Point out small traditions as they happen: "This is our Friday tradition!" Children often think only big holidays count.
  • Share who taught you a tradition. Children love hearing that Grandma did the same thing as a child.

Common difficulties:

  • Calling any event a tradition. Ask: "Does it happen again and again? Did we choose to do it?"
  • Assuming everyone celebrates the same holidays. Gently explain that families celebrate different days, and some families (for example, because of their faith) do not celebrate birthdays or certain holidays. Avoid treating any one holiday as "normal".

If your family has few traditions right now, that's fine. Bedtime routines, weekly meals and seasonal outings all count.