Holiday celebrations

Holidays are great for reaching out to students! Creative tabling, events, petition campaigns, contacting politician, and/or campus discussions and can raise political issues to link to “celebration” days. Multiply your impact by piggy-backing on holidays and celebrations to multiply your impact!

HALLOWEEN (October 31)‍ ‍

  • Dress in Costume!

  • Table with a petition to demand action from or to thank your congressional or state representatives. Decorate your petition with witches and pumpkins. Write a catchy “political” Halloween message at the top (e.g. Climate change is scary! Save our environment. Support renewable energy). Ask students to sign with their names and email address. Copy the petitions, make a Halloween card, include DM information, and send it to your representatives.

  • Table with a large pieces of brown paper decorated for Halloween. Have students write political messages to representatives. Copy and send with a Halloween card and DM information to your representatives.

  • DM Meeting - Members create “political” Halloween cards to demand action or to thank congressional or state representatives. Bring card-making materials and have students get creative! Send cards with a cover letter with DM information to representatives.

  • Event - Hold a Halloween costume party with materials for card-making (see DM Meeting above).

FEDERAL ELECTION (November, 1st Tuesday)

  • Remind students to vote! Decorate the campus with flyers, balloons, chalked sidewalks, classroom announcements by DM members or faculty, etc.

  • Table with offers of “rides to the polls” to off-campus locations.

THANKSGIVING (November, 4th Thursday)

  • ‍ ‍Table with Thaksgiving decorations and an interactive Thanksgiving-themed quiz or game.

WINTER HOLIDAY (December)

  • Table with holiday decorations and decorated large pieces of brown paper saying “All I Want For Christmas…”. Ask students what issues are most important otthem and what they would wish for in the New Year,.changes they wish for.

  • Table with a white board and ask students to write what they wish for politically. Then take their picture to post on social media or make a video.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BIRTHDAY (January, 3rd Monday)

  • Event - Collaborate with campus groups to celebrate King’s legacy with discussion or a faculty panel talking about the Civil Rights Movement’s accomplishments as well as the continuing fight for justice today.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH (February)

  • Table with information about King and the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the important part played by students.

  • Table with a petition honoring King to urge congressional and state representatives to support and build on King’s legacy of justice and equality. Send with a cover letter, including DM information.

  • Event - Collaborate with campus student of color groups as well as the Black/African American History Department to celebrate the month with discussions, faculty panel etc. Include information about the Civil Rights Movement and today’s problems, obstacles and possible solutions.

VALENTINES DAY (February 14)

Give out lots of candy!

  • Table decorated for a ”political” Valentine’s Day, large brown paper with catchy slogans (e.g. “Roses are red, violets are blue? I don’t take corporate bribes and neither should you!”) Ask students to sign on in support. Send to representatives with DM information.

  • DM Meeting - Members create “political” Valentines cards to demand action or to thank congressional or state representatives. Bring card-making materials and have members get creative with Valentine jingles (“Roses are red, Violets are blue, We want gun control so why don’t you?” etc.) Send cards with a cover letter and DM information to your representatives.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH (March )

  • Event - Collaborate with campus women’s groups and the Women’s/Gender Studies Department to celebrate the month with discussions, faculty panel etc. Include information about spcial change and the Women’s Movement, as well as today’s problems, obstacles and possible solutions.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY (March 8)

  • Table with an interactive quizz about women in politics. Candy for correct answers. Hand out a DM flyer about women’s rights and reproductive rights.

  • Table with a petition urging Congress to pass reproductive rights legislation.

  • DM Meeting - Members write letters to Congress urging support ofreprouctive rights.

EARTH DAY (April 22)

  • Event - Collaborate with campus environmental, hiking, gardening etc groups as well as the Environmental Studies Deoartment to celebrate Earth Day with discussions, faculty panel etc. Include discussion/information about climate change, the 1970s Environment Movement and today’s possible solutions.

  • Table - Decorated for Earth Day, hand out information on climate change etc.

  • Table with a petition to send to congressional and state representatives demanding that they act to aggressively address climate change.

  • Table with a white board asking students to write what they will do to protect the environment. Then take a picture for social media or a video.