‘TIS THE SEASONS OF SHARING!
Children’s Museum of Houston unwraps cultural and religious celebrations from around the world with holiday exhibit
November 13—January 31
Sponsored by Marathon Oil Corporation

The Children's Museum of Houston is bursting with excitement over Seasons of Sharing, a holiday exhibit opening Nov. 13, 2010 to Jan. 31, 2011. Learn about seven holidays from around the world, all celebrated right here in the Bayou City! With more than 90 languages spoken throughout the Houston area, our city’s cultural diversity has found a home within this exhibit.

Ramadan, Diwali, Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the Lunar New Year will all be represented in Houston’s only multicultural holiday exhibit for children. These seven celebrations will come together in Seasons of Sharing, where a block-long neighborhood of houses light the way through the holiday season. See dipa lamps, menorahs, luminarias, kinaras, Christmas lights, and the crescent moon dazzle the most diverse neighborhood in town! Each house will represent one of the holidays observed annually in households around the world. Step inside each home, and experience firsthand customs and traditions different from your own.

A different cultural holiday will be spotlighted each week in which kids will learn about the culture through hands-on activities and games. Experience Diwali with Indian dance, authentic costumes and music during our Spotlight Performances. Check out how we’ve adopted Norway’s holiday traditions and made it our own to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. Or, celebrate the miracle of light by creating your own flameless Menorah or making a dreidel for you to take home. Learn how the moon relates to Muslim culture by making your own fanoos lantern during Ramadan. You may also take delight in the holiday by making poinsettias, colorful piñatas and watching festive performances. Plus, don’t miss out on a popular Kwanzaa tradition by making a string of African flags to decorate your home!


SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS NOTICE:
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.


ABOUT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON
Winner of Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks “Best Museum in Houston 2009 & 2010,” Click2Houston’s Best “Best Museum 2010, the Children’s Museum of Houston is a Citysearch.com’s nationwide 5-star children’s museum and one of the top two Children's Museums in the country by Child magazine. Serving more than 850,000 people annually, the Children's Museum of Houston is the highest-attended youth museum in the country for its size. The Museum is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative, child-centered learning and offers 14 galleries of hands-on exhibits and innovative bilingual learning programs for kids ages birth to 12 years. The Children’s Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) under the direction of a Board of Directors and is located at 1500 Binz in Houston’s Museum District. Admission is $8 per person and $7 for seniors 65 years and older and for members of the military. Children under one and Museum Members receive free admission.

Free Family Nights are offered Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. courtesy of The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and Kathrine McGovern and the late John P. McGovern, M.D. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m. The Museum is open at 9 a.m. on the Second Saturday of every month for Museum Members. The Museum is closed Mondays but open on Federal Holidays, during Houston Independent School District’s Spring Break and during the summer months from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138.