Learning about world cultures gives children “a bigger sense of what the world is,” she says. “It really teaches you about your neighbor.”
“You’re learning about the people who are close to you and the people who are around the world,” Mikolitis says. Kids created Chinese porcelain, tessellation - a form of mosaic tile from Syria, mandela from India, and Ghanaian adinkra printmaking with authentic stamps from the African country. “I’m sure kids are making connections in their minds about things they’ve seen that are similar to these crafts,” Mikolitis says. Many of the crafts might be familiar to the kids, but their origins would not, says Sammie Mikolitis, program assistant at CultureWorks, which organized the children’s crafts for the day. Kids got a hands-on experience with international crafts. The day included a mercado with global gifts and food alongside the international performances.
With a backdrop of flamenco, taiko drumming, traditional Celtic music, African songs and storytelling, and ballet folklórico dancers, the 2021 International Festival of Holland celebrated cultures from around the world Saturday, at Civic Center Place.
