The Day of a Million Palms

Wednesday 19 October was a mufti day for all Year 2 children. But this was a mufti day with a distinct difference for all the children arrived in greens, browns, dusty reds and yellows – they moved through the school like a palm tree plantation on the move. It was the Year 2 Palm Day, a day devoted to and in celebration of the all-important and much loved date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). Bahrain was once known as the Land of a Million Palms, so it seemed fitting that the children should begin the day by exploring the importance of the date palm in Bahraini culture, as a source of food and building materials. The children then moved through a carousel of activities which included palm frond weaving, date palm tile making and date sweet tasting. The sheer weight of items completed was testimony to how much the children had learned, how hard they had worked and just how much fun they had during the day.