Festival of Bihu!
This week in music class, we learned all about the Festival of Bihu from Assam and parts of India! This harvest festival, which happens throughout the year, holds one of its most grand celebrations of Bihu in the month of April, called Bohag or Rongali Bihu. This usually occurs on April 13th, and an important part of the festival beyond song, dance, and celebrating peace and harvest, is also honoring cows and cattle. To care for the honored animal, cattle are led to the river and washed with sacred herbs and spices like turmeric.
To celebrate this tradition ourselves,while listening to Assamese music and looking at pictures of India, the children washed tiny toy cows with "dirt" (pumpkin-pie spice!) sprinkled on them in a tub of soapy warm water. After the cows were washed, they were dried, and passed to the next friend. The children were completely enthralled with this activity! Washing toys, as it turns out, is a very consuming task. Give it a try at home. ;)
We also had fun copying body rhythms with clapping, stomping and other movements, and did some fun stretches and movement songs.
Check out the weekly extender questions below!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD
1) What animal did you wash in music class? Cows!
2) Do you remember the name of the festival in India where they wash the cows? Festival of Bihu
3) Where do they wash the cows? In the river!