Celebrate Your Adoptive Child’s Culture with these Crafts

9
Dec

The holidays are just around the corner. Your time becomes filled with shopping to find the perfect present for that special someone that has everything. Your kids are playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa and possibly driving you crazy because school is out. If you run out of things for them to clean and you are trapped inside, the craft activities below will give you an idea of how to celebrate the culture of their birth country and keep them away from those video games!

Bulgaria


Bulgaria

Martenitsa dolls are used in the Bulgarian culture to welcome spring and say goodbye to winter. They are also an easy craft and a great way to celebrate the origin of your child. These could even be used to give as ornament gifts to other family members. Here are some instructions for creating these dolls.

Latin American

 

Latin America
Piñatas are used to celebrate special occasions like Christmas in the Latin American culture. They will brighten up your tree and you can even add a little after Christmas treat on the inside of the ornament. This could be a great tradition to start as you are incorporating the Latin American culture into your Christmas traditions. You could also create your piñata in the colors of the flag of the Latin American country that you are celebrating. Here are some instructions to help you create these piñatas.

Samoa


Samoa

December is the warmest month of the year in Samoa. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and 26. It is full of music, dancing, warm weather, and the beach. Samoan money leis are very common and can easily be used as garland for your Christmas tree this year. You can be creative by adding many colorful silk flowers. This would be a great way to think warm Samoan thoughts this Christmas. Here are some instructions for creating your own money lei.

 

AfricaAfrica
Drums are an essential part of music in the African culture. Music and dance are used to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus. You can use these drums in your own house to play with your own Christmas music. What a fun and great way to make memories with your little ones. You can even turn these little drums into décor for Christmas time, or decorate them with colors from the African country that you are celebrating. Here are some instructions to help you create your drums.

 

Ukraine
In Ukraine there is a very special Christmas tale where it is said that a poor widowed mother was not able to afford decorations for her tree. One morning she awoke to a spider that had beautifully decorated her tree with a web. It is said that the child that finds the spider and web on the tree Christmas morning will have good luck for a year. What a fun Ukraine tradition to add to your Christmas. Here are some instructions to help you create your spider and web.

 

HaitiHaiti
In Haiti Christmas is a time of lots of colors. Artificial Christmas trees fill the houses in Haiti and beautiful lights and ornaments are displayed on the trees. Paper beads are a very common craft that is made in the Haitian culture. This craft helps you to use paper to create jewelry, but you could also create ornaments and garland to show off colors on your tree. What a wonderful way to celebrate Haiti with the beautiful colorful paper beads. Here are some instructions for creating your paper beads.

May these crafts inspire you to dig a little deeper into your kiddo’s culture this Christmas and create many new traditions and memories for your family.

Please contact us for more information about adopting internationally.

Brittany Smith works as a full-time Home Study Assistant with MLJ Adoptions. Adoption and orphan care became a passion for her on a mission trip to China with Show Hope, an adoption and orphan care advocacy organization.

Brittany Smith works as a full-time Home Study Assistant with MLJ Adoptions. Adoption and orphan care became a passion for her on a mission trip to China with Show Hope, an adoption and orphan care advocacy organization.