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There are many traditions that go along with the Christmas holiday. One common Christmas tradition is giving presents, which is frequently associated with a figure named Santa Claus. Children leave out cookies or other treats for him to eat as he delivers presents. They also hang stockings for him to fill with gifts. Other traditions include the sending of cards to family and friends, parties with good food and drink, and the singing of carols and other songs.

One of the beloved customs of the holiday is decorating a Christmas tree with strings of lights and ornaments. The Christmas tree is thought to be the combination of two German customs. The "paradise tree" was a fir tree that was a part of the religious feast day of Adam and Eve, which was celebrated on December 24. In the same room was a wooden "Christmas pyramid." This triangle had shelves that held Christmas figures and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star.

Britain's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were responsible for making a number of Christmas traditions popular in the United Kingdom. Albert was raised in Germany and encouraged the spread of certain German Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree and the exchange of Christmas cards. The royal family also promoted acts of charity during this time, as well as the importance of family togetherness.

In many European countries families exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, December 24. In Spain and Italy children receive presents on the night of January 5. Spanish children leave out their shoes, which they believe are filled with gifts by one of the Wise Men.

In Europe and North America people associate Christmas with cold weather and snow. In Australia and South America, however, December 25 comes during the summer. In Brazil people have outdoor Christmas picnics and fireworks.

People around the world enjoy eating special Christmas treats. In Britain families make mince pies and Christmas cake. In France people eat a bûche de Noël (Christmas log), a log-shaped sponge cake. People in Mexico like to make buñuelos, fried tortillas covered with syrup and cinnamon sugar.

Finally, many Christians around the world attend church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In the village of Bethlehem in the Middle East, where Jesus is said to have been born, special services are held at the Church of the Nativity.

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Marking the birth of Jesus, Christmas is a major religious holiday for Christians. For many people it is no longer only a religious festival. It has become a season of...

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Christmas Facts For Kids (Fun & Festive!)

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Christmas Facts For Kids Did you know that more than two billion people celebrate Christmas around the world? These people live in more than 160 countries. In the United States, 90 percent of people celebrate

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As the year draws to an end, millions of people around the world look forward to sparkling decorations, colourful lights, delicious food, jolly music and exciting gifts. Yup... because Christmas is coming! But how much do you know about this super-fun holiday? It's time to find out in our ten facts about Christmas...

Facts about Christmas

1) Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was the son of God. For most people, it takes place every year on 25 December - the day that the Roman Catholic Church chose to mark Jesus' birthday. But, in fact, no one actually knows the exact date Jesus was born!

Christians believe that Jesus was born in a stable in
a town called Bethlehem, today found in an area of the Middle East called the West Bank.

2) Did you know that not all Christians celebrate Christmas on the same day? In countries with large populations of Orthodox Christians*, such as Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, Christmas Day falls on 7 January. Some Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January, too.

3) The name 'Christmas' comes from the old English phrase Cristes maesse, which means ' Christ's mass'. But what about ' Xmas'? Lots of people think this is just a modern-day abbreviation - but it actually dates back to the 16th century! The 'X' is said to represent the Greek letter 'Chi'- the first letter in the Greek word for Christ, Χριστός (pronounced ' Christos').

Festive food like roast turkey, fruity mince pies and Christmas pudding became popular in Victorian times!

4) Come Christmas, people around the world enjoy all kinds of jolly-good fun! Many of the festive traditions we have in the UK today came about in the Victorian era - such as Christmas cards, gift-giving and crackers, as well as traditional foods like mince pies and roast turkey! Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert were huge fans of Christmas, in fact!

5) Christmas trees also became popular in Victorian Britain. But these were first seen in 16th Century Germany where, at Christmas time, people decorated fir trees with fruit and nuts - and later sweets, paper shapes and candles. Amazingly, historians think the origins of this festive tradition may date back to the Romans and Ancient Egyptians, who used evergreen plants and garlands as symbols of everlasting life. Wow!

Christmas trees were introduced to England around 1800.

6) Check this out - every year, Norway sends a beautiful home-grown Christmas tree to London, where it is decorated with lights in Trafalgar Square. Standing a towering 20m tall, the terrific tree is a gift to say thank you for the help the UK gave Norway during World War II. What a tree-mendous gift!

7) We can't talk about Christmas without a mention to the big bearded, rosy-cheeked jolly man... Father Christmas! But have you wondered how he got the name Santa Claus? It's from Sinterklaas, which means Saint Nicholas in Dutch, the language of the Netherlands. St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who lived in the 4th century - known for being kind and generous, he later became the patron saint of children.

On the night before Christmas, it's said that Santa Claus delivers presents to children on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer!

8) But Santa isn't the only Christmas character - there are many more around the world! In Italy, for example, a kind witch called La Befana is said to fly around on a broomstick delivering toys to children! And in Iceland, children leave shoes under the window for 13 mischievous trolls called the Yule Lads. If the child has been good, they'll find sweets in their shoe - but if they've been bad, the Yule lads will leave them a rotten potato!

Check out this spooky puppet of La Befana, the friendly Christmas witch!

9) We all love to sing along to Jingle Bells, but have you ever noticed that the song doesn't have the word Christmas in it? Or Jesus or Santa Claus? That's because it wasn't originally a Christmas song! In fact, the jolly anthem was written in 1850, entitled One Horse Open Sleigh, for the American holiday, Thanksgiving!

10) Now, imagine if there was no Christmas. Does it feel quite strange? Sad, perhaps? Well, believe it or not, in 1644 Christmas celebrations were made illegal in England, and soon after, in theEnglish Colonies in America, too! At that time, members of the government felt that the religious meaning of Christmas had been forgotten, and so banned the holiday festivities. Some people still celebrated in secret, however, until Christmas was once again legal... almost 20 years later!

Feeling festive? Then check out these top tips to make your Christmas as eco-friendly as possible!

Glossary
*Over the centuries, Christianity divided into different groups, called 'denominations'. The three main denominations are Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant.
*Evergreen trees are trees that keep their green leaves all year round, like spruce trees, pine trees and fir trees.

Images
Images ⓒ Getty Images: Santa and sleigh (134107545), nativity scene (186041990), Victorian Christmas lunch (908208794), Christmas tree (119296650), La Befana (954665456).

Did you enjoy reading our Christmas facts? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Facts about Christmas! - National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about the festive season in our facts about Christmas! What's the meaning of Christmas? Why is it called Xmas? Who was St. Nicholas?

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Small lamps filled with oil light up houses and temples during this time. Some lamps are set out to drift in rivers and streams. Many Hindus believe that the lights welcome the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck. People set off fireworks and firecrackers as well. Houses and temples are brightly decorated, and religious ceremonies are held.

People often visit friends and family during Diwali. They give each other gifts and eat their favorite foods, especially sweets. New clothes are worn as a symbol of the new year. The holiday also marks the time when many merchants open new account books.

Gambling is a traditional activity during Diwali. It is supposed to ensure good luck in the new year. Gambling also is a remembrance of the dice games played between divine couples-for example, between the god Shiva and his wife Parvati, or between the god Krishna and his companion Radha.

People who practice Hinduism see Diwali as a time to reflect upon their lives. They are encouraged to get rid of harmful behaviors, such as laziness and jealousy, and to try to see the good in people, even those they do not like.

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The Hindu religious holiday called Diwali (also spelled Divali) celebrates the new year. Diwali is a major holiday in India, but it is celebrated by people living outside of...

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Deepavali | Festival of Lights

Our enlightening Diwali Facts will tell you about the colourful 'Festival of Lights' which will be celebrated on 12 November 2023.

10 Diwali Facts

1. Diwali is the most important religious festival celebrated by followers of Hinduism. It is also called Divali, Deepavali or Deepawali and is commonly referred to as the Festival of Lights.

2. The Festival of Lights celebrates the Hindu New Year. It is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness and the triumph of good over evil.

3.This festival can last up to five days. Diwali takes place every year in late October or early November depending on the cycle of the moon. The festival starts two days before the new moon comes up.

In 2023, the Diwali celebrations go from 10 November until 15 November. The main celebrations will take place on 12 November.

4. The name Deepavali originates from the ancient Indian Sanskrit language and means 'row of lights'. ' Dipa' means 'Light' and ' avali' is the word for 'row'.

5. There are various legends that refer to the festival. They traditionally involve the Hindu gods Rama, Lakshmi or Krishna. They all celebrate the victory of the good over the evil and this festival is a celebration of hope, happiness and peace.

6. Originally Diwali was celebrated as a harvest festival in India, but today Diwali is celebrated as the Festival of Light by Hindus all over the world.

This festival is celebrated with sparklers, firecrackers and fireworks are held in many places.

7. At Diwali it is tradition to decorate and illuminate the homes, visit the local temple for prayers and share meals with families and friends. Children get small gifts and sweets. Traditional Diwali food includes sweets such as the delicious syrupy gulab jamun balls and other Indian sweets displayed below.

8. Lighting candles, oil lamps and sparklers are the main customs at this festival. Indians light diyas which are candleholders or clay lamps that are used for decoration.

Homes and buildings are also decorated with rangoli decorations made with flowers, coloured sand or even coloured rice, flour or spices.

9. Statues of Lakshmi, the four-armed Hindu goddess of prosperity, and of Ganesha, the Hindu lord of success usually referred to as the 'Elephant God', are also cherished and decorated with flowers in many homes.

10. Larger Diwali celebrations outside India take place in Singapore's Little India district as well as in London and Leicester/ UK, Sydney/ Australia and Toronto/ Canada where some main roads are decorated with lights and the Hindu community gathers and showcases Indian traditions, crafts and Indian food at fairs and festival grounds.

Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists also celebrate the new year with a festival of light on these dates but have different legends and traditions referring to the event.

How do families celebrate Diwali?

Last year we asked our young readers what their favourite festival was. In the following wonderful essays two students told us about their family celebrations at Diwali or Deepavali. You will find the essays here:

We hope you have enjoyed our Diwali Facts for Kids and wish all our friends who celebrate the Festival of Lights: "May the divine light spread hope, happiness, health and prosperity! Happy Diwali!" from all of us at Kids-World-Travel-Guide.com

Diwali Facts | Resources

Das, Subhamoy. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? Dates for 2019 to 2025." Learn Religions. Last accessed 12 May 2022

Visit Leicester. "Diwali Leicester 2019." Visit Leicester. Last accessed 12 May 2022 - (Outdated calendar info, however, the Diwali background info is still spot on!)

Image Credits on Diwali Facts: Diwali Decorations in Mumbai by Snehal Jeevan Pailkar; My Incredible India by Ed Kaetan and others from Shutterstock.com and own images
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Diwali Facts for Kids | Deepavali | Festival of Lights | Traditions

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Our Diwali Facts for Kids will explain the most important Hindu festival and tell you about traditions, food and festivities.

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It's time for vibrant colours, eye-popping fireworks, twinkling lights and delicious food! Ready? Then check out our ten facts about Diwali...
When is Diwali 2023?

The exact dates change each year but this year, Diwali falls on Sunday 12 Novembe r.

Facts about Diwali

1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. People often think of Diwali as a Hindu festival, but it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.*

2) Diwali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change each year and are determined by the position of the moon - but it usually falls between October and November.

3) The word (or Deepavali as it's sometimes called) means "row of lights" in an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. During this festival, people decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps, called diyas.

4) For many people, Diwali honours the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lights and lamps are said to help Lakshmi find her way into peoples' homes, bringing prosperity in the year to come!

5) It's also a celebration of good triumphing over evil, and different legends based on this theme are associated with Diwali. In northern India, Hindus celebrate the return of the deities (gods) Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya, after defeating the evil king Ravana!

6) In the region of Bengal people worship the goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil forces, during Diwali. And in Nepal (a country bordering north-east India), people celebrate Lord Krishna's victory over the wicked king Narakaasura.

7) But it's not just about lights and legends -- Diwali is a time to have fun with friends and family! People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watch firework displays and wear new clothes. It's a time to clean and decorate your home, too.

8) Rangoli is a popular Diwali tradition -- beautiful patterns made using colourful powders and flowers. People draw rangoli on the floor by the entrance of their homes to welcome the gods and bring good luck!

9) Today, this fascinating festival is celebrated by thousands of people in countries all around the world. During Diwali, Hindus living outside India gather at places of worship called to leave offerings to deities, watch firework displays and eat yummy food together!

10) The city of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, holds the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India. Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in the streets to enjoy vibrant shows of light, music and dancing!

*Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism are three religions founded in India.

What did you think about our facts about Diwali? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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10 fabulous facts about Diwali! - National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about the festival of lights with our ten facts about Diwali. When is Diwali? How do people celebrate Diwali?

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Learn about India's biggest holiday of the year.

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Kwanzaa is a celebration of African family, community, and culture. This African American holiday was created in 1966 by a professor named Maulana Karenga. The holiday is…

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Kwanzaa is a relatively new winter holiday that honors African heritage. The holiday is celebrated by Black American families and in communities of African descent around the world. The week-long celebration, which was inspired by traditional African harvest festival customs, focuses on building family tradition, culture, and community.

Kwanzaa, which is celebrated between December 26 and January 1, is a wonderful holiday to observe with your children, extended relatives, and friends. It's all about family togetherness, learning about family roots, and celebrating cultural history. The celebrations feature lots of fun things that kids of all ages will enjoy, including abundant feasts, storytelling, dancing, crafts, and, of course, family time.

About Kwanzaa

Dr. Maulana Karenga, the department chair of Africana Studies at California State University, founded the holiday in 1966 as a way to celebrate and share important aspects of pan-African culture and African-American life, including heritage, community, family, justice, foods, and nature. Lasting for seven days, Kwanzaa isn't a religious holiday, but rather a secularly spiritual one that celebrates seven different principles that are collectively called the Nguzo Saba.

These key principles are each highlighted on one of the seven days of the holiday. They include the following, in order:​

How to Celebrate

Each day, one candle (collectively called the Mishumaa Saba) is lit in recognition of these principles. The candles-one black, three red, and three green-are held by the kinara (similar to the menorah used for Hanukkah), which is placed on a mkeka or straw mat. To honor the children in the family, one ear of corn (called the vibunzi or muhindi) is placed under the kinara for each child. Other symbols include a fruit basket ( mazao) and a unity cup ( kikombe) which are both placed on the mkeka as well.

Kwanzaa begins each year on December 26. Many Black Christian families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas, placing the kinara near their Christmas tree. On Kuumba, which is usually held on December 31, there is a feast called Karamu that celebrates cultural expression. On this day, family members and friends play music, tell stories, and make crafts. These crafts are often exchanged on the last day of Kwanzaa ( Imani), a day for honoring traditions and sharing.

Kwanzaa Traditions

Celebrating Kwanzaa With Kids

Because Kwanzaa is so family-oriented, it's easy to get children involved. Plus, many of the typical activities enjoyed during this rich-with-history holiday are either geared specifically toward children or are very adaptable to doing with little ones.

Kwanzaa Colors

The main colors of Kwanzaa are green, black, and red. Incorporate these hues into your decorating and crafts, from collages to placemats. Since Kwanzaa has a big focus on creativity, encourage your children to make handmade cards and signs to give to relatives and friends, drawing or using clip art of important aspects of the holiday. Our collection of coloring pages will also let kids get creative while learning about the important symbols of this celebration.

Ceremonial Holiday Tasks

There are many instrumental ways children can get involved with the ceremonial aspects of the celebration. Bigger kids can light the kinara and little kids can help an adult light it by holding a grown-up's hand as they do it. Children of all ages can help by placing the ear(s) of corn under the kinara, as well as putting the fruit basket and unity cup on the mkeka.

Learning About Heritage

Young children often learn best by doing. Better still when you make learning fun. Try reading a book or listening to music for and about Kwanzaa, pan-African culture, and/or African American history that is geared toward children. African folktales can be read aloud and used for inspiration to create your own stories. This is also a good time to share stories of family lore and personal history.

You can also task your child with researching a relevant country, time period, historical figure, literature, music, art, and/or a specific component of traditional (or modern) African or Black American culture. They can then present their research as a report during the holiday. Parents or older relatives can team up with younger ones to do mini group projects to share and discuss during the holiday as well.

Handmade Gifts

Gifts are often exchanged for Kwanzaa but are usually handmade rather than store-bought. The focus of the gift-giving is about creativity and commemorating a shared history rather than on receiving a bounty of toys. As noted above, Kwanzaa activities often include making traditional crafts, which are then given out to relatives as the celebration progresses.

Food for Kwanzaa

Like many holidays, food is front and center during Kwanzaa. Families often serve traditional African dishes. Typical flavors include a mix of both sweet and spicy with lots of fruits and meats. Some possibilities include black-eyed peas with rice and ham, seasoned black beans and rice, fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, gumbo, and curried chicken and banana soup. Additionally, any special foods that feel festive or culturally relevant for your family can work as well.

A Word From Verywell

No matter how you celebrate or how extensively Kwanzaa festivities are enjoyed in your home-from embracing the full week to just devoting one evening to the holiday-remember that the focus is on being together as a family and connecting the present to history and the future. The most important part is to create a holiday tradition that resonates, delights, and inspires your family.

By Amanda Rock
Amanda Rock, mom of three, has spent more than a decade of her professional career writing and editing for parents and children.

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Teach Children About Their African-American Heritage During Kwanzaa

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Kwanzaa is a winter holiday that celebrates African American heritage, culture, and community. Learn how to make this holiday a new family tradition.

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If you thought that December is all about Christmas and Hanukkah, think again! December might be the month with the highest number of multinational festivals and holidays. And, as more and more families in the United States are becoming interfaith families, there's an increased awareness about the need of teaching kids different cultural celebrations.

In that spirit, we made this article to help you teach kids about Kwanzaa, an annual winter holiday from the African-American culture. Kwanzaa for kids is a much-needed topic, which will help children understand and respect diversity. On top of that, celebrating Kwanzaa traditions with kids is a fun experience.

Whether you're a teacher or a homeschooling parent, keep reading to find out how to teach Kwanzaa to kids. Together, we'll take a look at what Kwanzaa is, its significance to the African-American culture, its origins, and traditions. Finally, we'll share some high-quality teaching resources you can use to teach kids about Kwanzaa.

What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a winter holiday that celebrates African-American heritage. It was founded in 1966 and lasts a week from December 26th to January 1st. Kwanzaa is a secular holiday that's based on the start of the harvest season in Africa, and it's observed by millions of people in the United States.

The name Kwanzaa comes from the words matunda ya kwanza, which means "first fruit" in Swahili, referring to the first crops of the harvest. In Africa, the first fruit festivals are celebrated in accordance with the summer solstice (winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere).

Although many people might consider Kwanzaa as an alternative to Christmas, Maulana Karenga, its founder, believed that Kwanzaa is not created with the purpose to give black people their own religious holiday as an alternative to Christmas, which is why many African-American families celebrate Kwanzaa in addition to Christmas.

The holiday lasts for one week (December 26th - January 1st) and culminates on the sixth night when a communal feast called Karamu is celebrated. During the whole week, families observe Kwanzaa by gathering, sharing gifts, and lighting candles in honor of their ancestors and their hopes for the future.

The holiday was most popular in the 1980s and its traditions are slowly fading in recent years. However, hopefully, in this article, we'll make justice to the key aspects that shape Kwanzaa and encourage you to pass that knowledge to your children.

The History of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Maulanga Karenga, an activist, and leader of the Black Power Movement, one year after the historic rebellion of black people that happened in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

The Watts rebellion was a response to years of abuse and poverty. It lasted for one week and left 34 people dead and 1,000 injured. Right after the rebellion ended, Karenga founded the Us Organization. Karenga's purpose was to provoke a Black cultural revolution and make people proud of Black history and achievements.
"...The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose, and direction."
The way to achieve this, in his mind, was by creating an African-American holiday that celebrates their African heritage and cultural identity.

In 1965, one year before the establishment of Kwanzaa, Karenga defined the principles and traditions of Kwanzaa using pan-African symbols and practices. He based his vision of Kwanzaa on the harvest festivals in Africa, believing they're a great model for building cultural identity and community and family relationships.

Kwanzaa Traditions

Maulanga Karenga defined the seven principles of Kwanzaa, calling them "Nguzo Saba" (the seven principles of African heritage). Together, the seven principles make up Kawaida (meaning tradition).

Each of the seven days during Kwanzaa celebrations symbolically represents one of the seven principles on which the holiday builds. These principles are:

Umoja (Unity).

Kujichagulia (Self-determination).

Ujima (Collective work and responsibility).

Ujamaa (Cooperative economics).

Nia (Purpose).

Kuumba (Creativity).

Imani (Faith).

Kwanzaa is also distinguished by seven symbols including:

Makka (mat), a traditional straw or woven textile. It represents the base or the foundation on which the other symbols are placed.

Kinara (candle holder) holds seven candles.

Mishumaa Saba (the seven candles).

Mazao (crops).

Mahindi (corn).

Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup).

Zawadi (gifts).

Although the holiday struggled to achieve recognition in the early years, slowly, spreading through the word of mouth, it became a mainstream holiday in the 1980s in the USA and beyond. Throughout the years, the celebrations of Kwanzaa emphasized African heritage and family relationships (unity).

How People Celebrate Kwanzaa?

Looking at the history of Kwanzaa, one question that lingers on is - how do people celebrate Kwanzaa today? Are the above-described traditions still greatly preserved in modern celebrations, or are African-Americans embracing new ways to honor their heritage and cultural identity?

Traditional Celebrations

Kwanzaa celebrations begin the day after Christmas (December 26) and last for seven days, where each day symbolizes something different. The celebrations usually begin by placing a traditional straw mat on the dinner table, which represents the foundation on which the holiday is built upon. Upon the mat, people usually put fruits (representing the harvest), ears of corn (representing the children), and Kinara (candle holder) in the middle.

The Kinara consists of seven candles. The candle in the middle is typically black, whereas the three candles on the left are red, and the remaining three candles on the right are green (representing the Afro-American flag).

Families and communities gather each day to reflect on one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. It's customary to greet family members and friends with the phrase "Habari gani" which means "What is the news?" The response varies depending on the principle of that day.

Once all the family members are present around the table, the candle-lighting ceremony begins. Usually, an elder fills the unity cup with wine (juice for kids). While they fill the cup, they spill some of the wine on the earth (or earth-filled vessel) as a symbolic way of remembering the deceased. During this ceremony, the elder also makes a speech in honor of the departed family members and everything they left on their descendants.

On the first day, the black candle is lit to represent all the people of African descent. After this, each day a new candle (once green, once red) is being lit. The order is said to represent the struggles and future hopes of African-American people.

The 6th day of Kwanzaa, which falls on December 31st (New Year's Eve), is a day of music and dancing and children usually receive gifts.

Modern Celebrations

Today, people don't celebrate Kwanzaa as intensely as they did back in the 1980s. Because of its recent creation, some people see Kwanzaa as a made-up holiday, although we have many world-wide accepted holidays with only a short but significant history.

Nowadays, families celebrate Kwanzaa in a similar way because its guidelines are officially documented and easily available. However, it's not uncommon for families to adjust the celebration in order to fit in their busy schedule.

The most essential principle that's preserved is that Kwanzaa is a time when families gather to celebrate their heritage and identity. Most also follow the main decoration of the dining table and honor the family's descendants.

The main difference to traditional celebrations is that many African-American families today celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas together. This might be viewed as a problem in traditional celebrations as one of the principles is kujichagulia (self-determination) which would be violated with the mixing of different holidays. Today, the celebrations are more flexible and allow for the integration of different holiday traditions.

Teaching Kwanzaa for Kids

Aside from organizing a traditional Kwanzaa celebration and letting children participate, there are a few other things you can do to teach kids about Kwanzaa and its significance. Some of these activities include reading and discussing children's books on the topic, consolidating key information through interactive worksheets or other material, watching movies, or planning a field trip to history museums (during the Covid-19 situation, virtual trips might be more appropriate).

Reading Material

One of the easiest ways to teach kids about the history and traditions of Kwanzaa is through specially designed children's books. In a very simple way and with many illustrations, these books explain the core aspects of the holiday and make it easy for kids to grasp the basic ideas.

Some great children's books about Kwanzaa for kids are:

Interactive Worksheets and Lesson Plans

Another great way to introduce this holiday to children is through our interactive worksheets that can help consolidate the facts you've presented. Worksheets help children make connections between different terms and meanings, as well as associate the terminology with Kwanzaa symbols.

On our website, you'll find a 27-page Kwanzaa worksheet pack that you can utilize within the classroom or home environment. The worksheet pack includes key information needed for creating a strong lesson plan, as well as worksheets on Kwanzaa's seven principles, symbols, and celebrations, including famous African-Americans, and even poem writing.

Documentaries and Movies

Unfortunately, there aren't many Kwanzaa movies but we managed to find two good ones, which you can show to your students or watch at home with your children.

A Rugrats Kwanzaa (2001) is an animated television special from the television series Rugrats. It explores Kwanzaa from a toddler's perspective when his grandma comes to visit.

The Black Candle (2008) is a documentary about the struggles of African-American communities. It shows the celebrations of Kwanzaa, its significance to the African-American people, and the holiday's growth out of the Black Power Movement.

Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Finally, another alternative is to organize a field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Considering the situation we're currently in, we understand that a field trip might not be possible, which is why you can choose to visit the museum online, through many of the photos and videos available.

The museum is located in Washington and today it offers many virtual exhibitions, online collections, and digital resources you can use.

Check out the museum's website for upcoming virtual events that you and your child can participate in.

Before You Leave

We hope that our article was a useful guide on how to teach and celebrate Kwanzaa with kids or students. We made sure to include some key information and facts regarding Kwanzaa's history and significance in today's African-American culture. Unfortunately, we don't know how many people celebrate Kwanzaa today, but research from 2009 by Keith Mayes estimated that around 500,000 to 2 million Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. In 2012, another study from Public Policy Polling revealed that 4% of the participants celebrate Kwanzaa, which is more than Hanukkah.

What this tells us is that Kwanzaa is an important holiday for many American families and we should make sure to include it in our lessons. Our worksheets can be of big help when trying to compose a solid lesson plan for teaching kids about Kwanzaa, so don't forget to check them out.

Additionally, you can browse through our worksheet library and take a peek at everything else we offer. As a teacher or a homeschool parent, you'll benefit by implementing some of our worksheets, curriculums, and lesson plans. They're ready to use, hands-on materials that you can easily adjust to fit your student's grade level.

Finally, if you found this article useful, make sure to also follow our blog, where we regularly share insightful articles on every aspect of our children's education.

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Kwanzaa for Kids: How to Teach Kids about Kwanzaa

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Kwanzaa for kids is an important topic that helps children learn more about the African community and family values.

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Celebrated every year from December 26 through January 1, Kwanzaa is a week of festivities honoring African American culture and heritage. Friends and family gather each day to give thanks, exchange gifts, and share feasts.

The holiday was created in 1966, during a time period when many Black people faced unfair treatment because of their skin color. The holiday honors African American people, their struggles in the United States, their heritage, and their culture.

Here's how Kwanzaa got its start and the different ways it's celebrated.

History of Kwanzaa

Throughout the 1950s and '60s, the civil rights movement sought to end the practice of treating Black people unfairly because of their race. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation-or teaching Black and white children separately-was illegal. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. And the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured more equal rights for African Americans.

But Black people still faced discrimination. In 1965, a white police officer pulled over two African American men in a mostly Black neighborhood called Watts, in Los Angeles, California. Angry at how people in the community were being treated by police, a crowd soon gathered to protest. But the crowd grew bigger-and angrier. This led to six days of protests and rioting all over the city. Thirty-four people died and over a thousand were injured in what's now called the Watts Rebellion.

The next year, educator and activist Maulanga Karenga wanted to rebuild the neighborhoods affected by the riots and encourage pride within the Black community. As part of his plan, he created Kwanzaa in 1966 to empower African Americans to rediscover and honor their African roots.

Kwanzaa means "first fruits" in Swahili, a language spoken in Africa, and refers to the joy and unity many Africans have when celebrating the harvest season. The holiday encourages people to honor seven principles: unity, self-determination (helping yourself succeed), collective work and responsibility (teamwork), cooperative economics (sharing), purpose, creativity, and faith.

Celebrating Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is not an African holiday, but it's inspired by many African cultural practices.

Symbols of African heritage decorate homes during Kwanzaa. For instance, families place a traditional woven mat, called a mkeka (muh-KAY-kuh), on tables to represent the traditions-like sharing and faith-that the holiday is based on.

Meaningful items are arranged on the mat, such as a basket filled with fruits and vegetables to represent the harvest, and one ear of corn for each child in the family. A unity cup, called kikombe cha umoja (kee-KOHM-bee cha oo-MOH-jah), is also placed on the mkeka.

Lighting candles

A big part of celebrating Kwanzaa is lighting a candle each night. First, an adult pours a little water or juice from the unity cup onto the ground to remember the family's ancestors. Then the cup is passed to each family member, who sips while everyone chants harambee (Swahili for "let's pull together" and pronounced hah-RAHM-beh) seven times.

The kinara (kee-NAH-ruh) holds seven candles: one black, three red, and three green. The black candle in the middle represents unity among people of African descent; the red candles on the left represent the past, and the green candles on the right stand for the future.

Each day, family and friends gather to light a special candle that represents one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. On the first night, celebrants light the black unity candle. Each night a different candle is lit to reflect on the other six principles.

Big parties

Celebrants enjoy special foods all throughout Kwanzaa. Families often use recipes that have been passed down over many, many years; often those foods have roots in African culture. Meals might include dishes like peanut soup or shrimp gumbo, topped off with tasty desserts like fried bananas, sweet potato pie, and coconut sweets.

Even though Kwanzaa lasts for seven days, the big celebration is on December 31. That's when family and friends gather in bright African-style clothing and have a large feast, called karamu (kuh-RAH-moo). They play music, dance, and sing.

The last day of Kwanzaa is much quieter. On January 1, people focus on how they want to succeed in the coming year and what kind of person they want to be in the future.
Learn more about Kwanzaa at National Geographic.

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Learn about this holiday that celebrates Black heritage in the United States as well as African culture.

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Ramadan mubarak ("blessed Ramadan")! Every year you can hear greetings like this around the world as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins. Around 1.8 billion people celebrate Ramadan, making it one of the most important months of the year in many parts of the world.

Every year, Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar after the first crescent moon of the month appears. Muslims celebrate Ramadan because it's believed to be the time when the Qu'ran, Islam's holy book, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Most families observe Ramadan with fasting, prayer, and charitable deeds. Children, sick people, the elderly, and pregnant women are allowed to skip fasting.

Because fasting Muslims don't eat or drink between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, those moments end up anchoring people's schedules. Most families get up early to enjoy suhoor, a pre-dawn meal that will be the last thing they eat until sunset. Then, once the sun is down, they gather for a large meal called iftar, which sometimes contains many courses. Iftar is a chance for communal gathering as well-many people visit family and friends to share the meal together.

6 Interesting Facts about Ramadan

Ramadan has been around since the seventh century and is a global holiday. There's a lot to understand about it! Here are six interesting facts to get your family started:

1. The Islamic calendar is lunar, not solar like the Gregorian calendar used in the U.S. and many other countries. That means that Ramadan starts on a different date on the Gregorian calendar each year, because the calendars don't line up exactly. It can also happen any time of year, because the lunar calendar doesn't sync up perfectly with the seasons.

2. People who celebrate Ramadan do not eat or drink anything between the first light of dawn and the moment the sun sets. Fasting is meant to remind Muslims of people who don't have enough to eat and spur them toward doing good deeds.

3. During Ramadan, Muslims pledge not to tell a lie, gossip, or be greedy. Many people take advantage of the spiritual focus of Ramadan to break bad habits or read the entire Qu'ran.

4. Muslims also celebrate Laylat al-Qadr, the "Night of Power," during Ramadan. This night marks the moment when the Qu'ran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The exact night of the month when this took place isn't known for sure, but most Muslims celebrate it on either the 23rd or the 27th night of Ramadan.

5. At the end of Ramadan comes the large and joyous celebration of Eid al-Fitr, "the Festival of Breaking the Fast," which lasts for three days. On the first day, everyone puts on new clothes for a visit to the mosque. People also decorate their homes, and many places hold outdoor feasts.

6. Not everyone celebrates Ramadan the same way. In Cairo, lanterns are everywhere during the holy month-from old-fashioned handmade metal ones lit by candles to brand-new plastic ones that change with yearly fashions. In Indonesia, people prepare for the holy month with padusan, special cleansing baths often taken in springs. And in Turkey, drummers wake people for the morning meal by roaming the streets playing loudly.

Activities to Celebrate Ramadan with Your Family

If you don't celebrate Ramadan but would like to get in the spirit, here are a few things you can do as a family:

1. Eat dinner after the sun sets. Typical dinner items in many Muslim homes include dates, fruit salad, kabobs and rooh afza (a sweet syrup that can be added to milk or water).

2. Volunteer, give to charities, and be kind to others, which are some of the key activities of Ramadan.

3. Decorate the house for Ramadan. You can create crescent moons or stars out of paper, or make your own fanoos (also called a Ramadan lantern).

4. Bake treats! Try a batch of delicious kahk cookies, which are a traditional treat on Eid al-Fitr.

5. Mark the days with a calendar. Some Muslim families create calendars on which they keep track of their good deeds during Ramadan-and which contain little boxes filled with treats to open every day!

6. Make time to visit family and friends. During Ramadan, many Muslims make an extra effort to visit loved ones.

Discover the World from the Comfort of Home

Ramadan is one of many amazing holidays celebrated around the world. If your kids enjoyed learning about it, they might be growing into young world travelers. You can keep feeding their passion for exploration with Little Passports' award-winning World Edition subscription box. Every month, kids will take a playful learning journey to a new country through exciting stories, hands-on activities, fun souvenirs, and more. Watch them track their journey month by month on their world map, and watch their curiosity about the world we share keep growing.

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Ramadan for Kids (Facts & Activities) | Little Passports

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Ramadan mubarak! Discover facts & activities about Ramadan for kids, and explore how it's celebrated around the world.

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What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a holy month celebrated by Muslims around the world.

It is believed to be the month in which the Qur'an (the religious text of Islam) was revealed to the prophet Muhammed.

When is Ramadan Celebrated?

Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when the first sliver of the crescent moon appears.

The Islamic calendar is lunar, not solar, so Ramadan begins on a different date each year.

April 2, 2022

March 23, 2023

March 11, 2024
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How is Ramadan celebrated?

Ramadan is a quiet, reflective time of worship, prayer, helping others, and spending time with loved ones.

"Ramadan Mubarek" and "Ramadan Kareem" are common greetings during the holy month and mean "Have a Blessed or Generous Ramadan."

Muslims that are 12 or older fast during Ramadan, not eating or drinking anything between sunrise and sunset. Fasting reminds Muslims to appreciate their blessings and to help those in need.

Families get up for an early meal before the sun rises called suhoor, and the fast is broken with an evening meal after the sun sets called .

The types of foods vary by region but usually contain fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, bread, cheeses, and sweets. Eating and drinking can continue until the next day's suhoor.

See how the observance of iftar varies around the world, including

a man in Cairo, Egypt preparing kunafeh, a pastry which is incorporated into Arabic sweets and enjoyed in the evening after the Ramadan fast is broken

a vendor in Khartoum, Sudan displaying dates for sale during the first day of Ramadan

a Pakistani woman preparing tea for her family members before they begin their fast in Sukkur, Pakistan

Sadaqah, or good deeds, are important parts of the holy month. Donating food, clothing, money, and time, picking up trash, helping the elderly, or planting a tree are just some of the ways to show kindness and generosity.

The new moonmarks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the "Festival of Fast-Breaking," Eid al-Fitr, begins.

The three-day celebration includes prayers, exchanging cards and gifts, and feasting with friends and family. A common greeting is "Eid Mubarak," which means " Have a blessed Eid."

Kids Explain Ramadan

Learn the meaning and traditions of the holy month from kids. How does Ramadan compare to holidays you celebrate?

Featured Book: Let's Celebrate Ramadan & Eid!

Join Maya, Neel, and their pet squirrel, Chintu on their trip to New Delhi, India to celebrate Ramadan and Eid with their Muslim friends.

Find out why (and how) Muslims fast for thirty days, learn new vocabulary, and discuss the importance of understanding and appreciating how people around the world celebrate holidays.

More Children's Books About Ramadan

A young boy explains how he and his family celebrate Ramadan.

A beautifully written and illustrated story to share the excitement of the holy month as seen from a child's perspective.

Zachariah's Perfect Day A young Muslim boy shares his first fasting day. Read our book review here.

Rashad's Ramadan and Eid al Fitr Rashad shares how he celebrates Ramadan and Eid.

A young Muslim girl must figure out what to do when she fears her classmates at her new American school won't understand when she is not eating in the lunchroom with them.

Additional Ramadan Resources

Browse 99 Creative Ramadan Projects from A Crafty Arab

Ramadan - 30 Days of Activities Find activities for the whole month: lapbooks, notebooks, workbooks, activity packs, arts & crafts, journals, colouring activities, and articles.

Visit the Multicultural Kid Blogs Pinterest board for recipes, games, crafts, activities, books, and more related to Ramadan!

Ideal for younger children, the Ramadan Coloring & Activity Book teaches the basic principles of Ramadan through coloring pages and activities such as a maze and word search. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the children of Syria.

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Ramadan Information & Activities for Kids

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Introduce kids to the traditions of Ramadan through engaging books and fun activities.

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In the religion of Islam, the holy month of Ramadan marks the time when the prophet Muhammad received the words of the Koran. The Koran is the holy book of the Muslims, as the followers of Islam are called. Muslims observe Ramadan by praying, reading the Koran, and fasting. Muslims believe their past sins will be forgiven if they participate in Ramadan.

During Ramadan, most Muslims must fast by refusing to eat or drink anything during daylight hours. Small children, very old people, and people with illnesses are excused. After sunset, Muslims break their fast with prayer and festive nighttime meals. Called iftar, these meals are often shared with friends and extended family. The iftar usually begins with dates or apricots and water or sweetened milk, and continues through many courses of vegetables, breads, and some meats. After meals, people usually visit other friends and relatives.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Since the Islamic calendar is based on the moon, Ramadan may occur in any season of the year. The 27th night of Ramadan is celebrated as the Night of Power, or Lailat al Kadr. On that night, it is said, God revealed the Koran, and Muslims spend extra hours in prayer. Ramadan officially ends when religious officials first see the new moon. The festival of ʿId al-Fitr, the Feast of Fast-Breaking, marks the end of the month of Ramadan and the beginning of the month of Shawwal.

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In the religion of Islam, the holy month of Ramadan marks the time when the prophet Muhammad received the words of the Koran. The Koran is the holy book of the Muslims, as the followers of Islam are called. Muslims observe Ramadan by praying, reading the Koran, and fasting.

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Lights blink on in homes as night falls on a community. The scent of food begins to waft into the evening air. It smells extra delicious to the people in the homes, who haven't eaten all day. They're observing Ramadan, a sacred month in the religion of Islam. And the darkened sky is a signal that it's time to feast!

Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, which marks important holidays and events for Muslims (people who practice Islam). During Ramadan people fast, or refrain from eating and drinking, while it's light outside. Once the sun sets, families meet for big meals that may include stew, rice, dates, lentils, and more. People also have a morning meal before the sun rises.

For the hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world who observe Ramadan, the month is a time to focus on their faith and also perform generous acts. People raise money and donate supplies to help others in need. And many fast to remind themselves about those in the world who don't have enough to eat.

After the last day of Ramadan, a three-day festival is held. Families and friends gather together to celebrate. They sometimes decorate homes with lights and exchange gifts. As for food, people eat all sorts of things including candies and pastries-and during this time, fasting is not allowed.

(Learn about Ramadan at National Geographic.)

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Learn about this sacred month in the religion of Islam.

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Kids learn about Hanukkah. The history and facts about this holiday celebrated by Jewish people throughout the world.

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Kids learn about Christmas. The history and facts about this holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

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Kids learn about Kwanzaa. The history and facts about this holiday which celebrates African American heritage.

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Kids learn about Chinese New Year. The history and facts about this holiday celebrating the start of the year in China.

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Chinese New Year is a major holiday in China and Chinese communities throughout the world. The celebration is one of the largest of the Lunar New Year festivals that are held throughout Asia. The starting date of the Lunar New Year is not the same each year because it is based on the cycles of the Moon. It begins in late January or early February. The 15-day celebration begins with the new moon and lasts until the full moon.

In Chinese communities, firecrackers are often shot off on New Year's Eve. Fireworks celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. Chinese New Year is a time to feast and to visit family members. Many traditions of the season honor relatives who have died.

The last event of the 15-day celebration is the Lantern Festival. People often hang glowing lanterns in temples or carry them during a nighttime parade. The dragon dance highlights festival celebrations in many areas. A long, colorful dragon is carried through streets by numerous dancers.

Chinese years are named after 12 different animals. For example, there is a Year of the Rat and a Year of the Ox. Chinese New Year marks the start of the next animal's year. After 12 years, the cycle of animals repeats itself.

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Chinese New Year is a major holiday in China and Chinese communities throughout the world. The celebration is one of the largest of the Lunar New Year festivals that are held...

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Here are some interesting Chinese New Year Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

This new year celebration is also called Lunar New Year and celebrated also as Spring Festival. It is celebrated in January or February in many countries around the world, especially in countries with larger Asian communities.

Next year, the first month of the new lunar year will start according to the Chinese calendar on 22 January 2022.

Many countries celebrate the new year according to the Chinese Calendar and not only to our calendar which is the Gregorian calendar starting on the 1st of January.

Lunar New Year is an important public holiday for many countries including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In many other countries, Chinese communities celebrate in the city's 'Chinatown' districts.

In some countries the festivities for the Lunar New Year also might have special names, such as Tet is the name for the Vietnamese celebrations.

What is Chinese New Year?

This important date on the Chinese calendar has been celebrated for many centuries. During the festivities ancestors are honoured and traditional ceremonies are held where people get together and welcome the new year with customs that shall bring good luck, good fortune, wealth, prosperity and happiness.

The spring festival festivities for the new year take 15 days in most countries. The new year is often celebrated with dragon dances, lion dances, gift exchanging and fireworks. It ends typically with lantern festivals on the 15th day of the first calendar month. See below an image from the Pingxi Sky Festival which is celebrated in Taiwan every year to end the new year's festivities.

The Chinese Calendar

The Chinese calendar is about one month behind our (so called Gregorian) calendar as it has between 30 and 50 more days per year. And the Chinese zodiac calendar has a cycle of 12 years. The calendar was started on astronomical observations of the moon's phases.

Each year a Chinese zodiac animal is the symbol for the year.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

Look again at the listing of animals! They always come in the same order, so 2021 was the year of the ox, 2022 the year of the tiger and 2023 is the year of the rabbit

Which animal will it be in 2024? (We share the answer at the bottom of the page under 'Resources')

Lunar New Year Wishes

People wish each other good luck, happiness and wealth for the new year. The words used most in good wishes are: happiness, wealth, prosperity, prosperous, auspicious

' Gong Xi Fa Cai' means 'Have a prosperous new year'

Most common are the Mandarin words: Gong Xi Fa Cai (try to pronounce it as Gong-she-faa-tsai) and the Cantonese: Gong Hey Fat Choy (pronounce it as: Gong Hee Faat Choy). Both wishes mean: Wishing you a prosperous new year.

Typical Chinese New Year Food

People eat 'auspicious food' during the new year period. For many, this means fish dishes. A fish is a symbol of good luck, wealth and healthy life.

Dumplings are traditionally eaten during the festivities. These little round rice flour balls are often filled with vegetables. Mandarin oranges, dried fruit and even sweets are seen as lucky food. Candy boxes and little round shaped biscuits symbolising gold or fortune are served everywhere.

And make sure your plate is never empty, as this would be seen as your luck has run out. Food is often prepared up to a week before, so one must not use a knife or fire for cooking on New Years day, as cutting with a knife for many would symbolise ill luck.

A popular food are long noodles that symbolise good fortune as well as a long life.

A typical new year's dish is Yusheng. This raw fish salad with rice or long noodles is eaten during by many during the festive period.

Many eat Yusheng on the seventh day of the new year. The dish is a symbol for wealth and longevity, this fish salad is usually served in a huge dish in the middle of a table, where family members and friends toss the noodles in the big bowl together and then eat.

Lunar New Year Traditions

Dragon dances and lion dance festivals will usher in the new year in many cities. Some families may even invite a dance troupe into their homes as well.

Firecrackers are lit as these shall bring good luck and fortune. However, due to security reasons, firecrackers are banned in many areas nowadays and official fireworks displays are held instead.

On the second day of the new year, families will visit each other and hand over little gifts. And sometimes even the family dog gets a gift too!

Gifts are handed money or little tokens in 'red packets' or little red envelopes as these symbolise prosperity and happiness. Married family members hand red envelopes (called hongbao in Mandarin) with money to others to show their goodwill and give blessings for the new year to the other family members.

Children sometimes get oranges, sweets or coins. Always make sure to give an even number of gifts or in the amount of money. So always at least two mandarins, two packets or two coins. And the number eight is considered an especially lucky or auspicious number.

The bright colours and especially red colours are seen as a lucky symbol. Red decorations, lanterns and colourful symbols can be seen everywhere. These shall attract luck and prosperity for the year to come.

Many people dress mainly in red coloured clothing for the festivities. Often people also buy new clothes to show that a fresh beginning is celebrated with the new year. In the Mandarin language, the word for 'red' has the same sound as the word for 'prosperous'.

Chinese New Year Customs | What to do and what not to do

There are some rules when observing Chinese New Year. For example, scissors and brooms are banned to stay in the cupboards on the first day of Lunar New Year. These tools are considered to create bad luck for the year to come and brush away the good luck. So better keep scissors and knifes and brooms out of sight and out of action on this day!

Do not wash or cut your hair on the first days of the Lunar New Year. This would be seen as a sign of washing and cutting away good luck.

Do not clean your house with a broom on the first day of Lunar New Year. Cleaning is a sign of swiping away good luck - so if one has to clean something away, then it must be done after dark.

Do not do laundry on Chinese New Year. Doing laundry means washing away of good luck and wealth.

Don't give gifts which are black or white in colour. Also do not give clocks or watches or shoes. Watches would mean that time is running out and shoes would mean that one could walk away from the friendship or relationship.

Don't give gifts in uneven numbers. Always give gifts in pairs such as two oranges or two coins.

Don't dress in white, black or dark blue during this time. Wear colourful clothing, especially red, orange, and yellow colours are appreciated.

Chinese Zodiac Signs

The Chinese distinguish between five types of each animal species in their zodiac according to the elements: fire, earth, metal, wood and water.

The Chinese zodiac signs will be combined with the five elements. There are five different specific animals such as the 'fire rooster' (2017) or the 'earth ox' (2009), 'metal/gold tiger' (2010), 'metal rat' (2020). 2021 was the year of the 'metal ox' and 2022 is the year of the 'water' tiger. 2023 is the year of the 'water rabbit'.

People are assigned a zodiac sign according to their year of their birth. And zodiac signs are said to show certain characteristics.

Special 'rabbit' characteristics would apply then for people born in the 'year of the rabbit': These people are considered as kind and alert, responsible and careful but also a bit weak and unstable. Rabbits in general are considered hardworking and persistent. 'Rabbits' are also said to be intellectual and can be found in many professions.

How to be a Lucky Rabbit?

Some things are considered especially auspicious in the Year of the Rabbit. Among these are:

lucky colours for the rabbit: blue and green, but also red, pink and purple

lucky numbers for the rabbit: 3, 4 and 6 - and any number combination thereof

lucky flower for the rabbit: jasmine

unlucky numbers for the rabbit: 1, 7 and 8

unlucky colours for the rabbit: brown and dark yellow

Are you or anybody in your family born in the year of the rabbit? The last 'rabbit' years were: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 or 1963.

Chinese New Year - Resources

Cindy. "22 Facts About Chinese New Year you should know". China Highlights. Last updated 10 January 2023. Last accessed Accessed 20 January 2023.

Ruby Zhao. "2023 - Year of the Rabbit". China Highlights. Updated 20 January 2023. Accessed 20 January 2023.

Fefe Ho & Chloe Chiao. "Year of the Rabbit". Chinese New Year.net. Accessed 20 January 2023.

CNN World Gallery. "Photos: Lunar New Year 2020". CNN World. 23 January 2020. Accessed 20 January 2023.

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Chinese New Year - Answer to question in section titled 'Chinese Calendar': 2024 will be the year of the Dragon.
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Around the world, different cultures celebrate a variety of holidays during the winter months. In Mexico, the festive season begins on December 12 with Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) and continues until El Día de Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings' Day) on January 6. An additional celebration, Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), takes place on February 2. There are a number of wonderful Christmas traditions in Mexico during this time, but among the most notable are posadas, religious festivals that bring communities together in the streets.

This holiday season, help instill an appreciation for new places and traditions in your children by teaching them about posadas. You can do so by sharing the cultural importance of the festival, learning the "Pidiendo Posada" song, and crafting a traditional Christmas piñata to celebrate the holiday.

What Are Posadas?

Posadas are a series of fiestas navideñas (Christmas parties) that traditionally take place December 16-24 in many Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Cuba. Many people of Latino heritage in the U.S. also partake in the tradition. For the devout, las posadas are an important part of Roman Catholic Christmas festivities because they commemorate the story of Jesus's birth in the Bible.

According to the Bible, Mary and Joseph couldn't find lodging the night Jesus was born. Eventually, an innkeeper let them stay in a nearby stable-which is why many nativity scenes show Jesus in a manger surrounded by farm animals.

In Mexico, many people reenact this search for lodging by forming a procession and traveling to a different home each night of las posadas. At the head of the procession are children dressed as Mary, Joseph, and an angel. Other children may wear biblical attire and carry pictures of Mary and Joseph while adults and musicians follow behind.

Along the way, the group stops at several houses and sings a song asking for shelter-neighbors open their doors to refuse "Mary and Joseph" but provide the group with refreshments. Finally, the group arrives at a designated home (or church), where they are let in for a big party. The children break open piñatas, usually in the shape of a star,filled with candy and toys.

What Is the "Pidiendo Posada" Song?

When Spanish Catholic missionaries came to Mexico in the 1500s, they used posadas to teach the indigenous people about the birth of Jesus. One way they shared the nativity story was with "Pidiendo Posada" ("Asking for Shelter"), a song many Mexicans still sing during modern celebrations. Several versions have come to exist over the centuries since the tradition began, each with slightly different lyrics. Despite the variations, the melody and the storyline remain the same.

The song has two parts, one sung by the people inside the homes, who represent innkeepers, and the other by the pilgrims outside, who symbolize Mary and Joseph looking for lodging. The back-and-forth singalong of short verses begins with the pilgrims (representing Joseph) begging the innkeepers to take pity because Mary is about to give birth, and they have nowhere to stay:

En nombre del cielo pedimos posada, pues no puede andar mi esposa amada.
(In the name of heaven, we ask for lodging, for my beloved wife cannot walk.)

The innkeepers refuse and urge them to continue their journey and seek shelter elsewhere:
Aquí no es mesón. Sigan adelante. Yo no debo abrir. No sea algún tunante.
(This is no inn. Go onward. I mustn't open the door. You could be trouble.)

But the pilgrims persist, saying Joseph is a carpenter and they have traveled very far-from Nazareth-and that they are no ordinary guests:
Posada te pide, amado casero, por sólo una noche la reina del cielo.
(The queen of heaven is asking for shelter, dear lord of the house, just for one night.)

The innkeepers respond by questioning what sort of queen would be traveling alone and if she is a queen, who are asking on her behalf. The pilgrims (speaking again as Joseph) reply:

Mi esposa es María, es reina del cielo, y madre va ser del Divino Verbo.
(My wife is Mary, queen of heaven, and she will be mother of the Divine Word.)

At long last, the innkeepers realize who is at the door, and things take a turn for the better for the expectant couple:
¿Eres tú, José? ¿Tu esposa es María? Entren, peregrinos, no los conocía.
(Is that you, Joseph? Your wife is Mary? Come in, pilgrims. I didn't recognize you!)

The doors finally open, and the pilgrims and hosts all sing in unison:
Entren santos peregrinos, peregrinos, reciban este rincón, que aunque es pobre la morada, la morada, os la doy de corazón.
(Come in, holy pilgrims. Receive this corner, for though this dwelling is humble, I give it to you from my heart.)

To end, all the pilgrims, now inside, give thanks by singing the closing lyrics:
Mil gracias os damos que en esta ocasión posada nos disteis con leal corazón. Pedimos al cielo que esta caridad os premie colmándoos de felicidad.
(A thousand thanks we give you for giving us shelter with a loyal heart. We ask heaven that this charity reward you by showering you with happiness.)

Las Posadas Food

After all the walking and singing, it's time for a warm, hearty meal. Luckily, the host household happily provides. Food is an essential element of posadas (as it is with many Mexican holidays, like Independence Day).

A Mexican posada often includes dishes like tamales (a corn-based dough stuffed with meat or beans and cheese) and ponche navideño (Christmas punch made with dried fruits, sugarcane, and cinnamon).

Make Your Own Piñata

One of the highlights of Christmas in Mexico for kids, typical to many posadas, is the tradition of breaking piñatas. These brightly decorated paper (or pottery) containers are filled with candy, small toys, and fruits, and they come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Piñatas are common at parties in Mexico year-round, but what makes piñatas navideñas (Christmas piñatas) special is their seven-pointed star shape and vibrant strands of paper that dangle from each point. The game is simple: Children tie on blindfolds and take turns hitting the suspended piñata with a long stick. When it breaks and the contents spill out, everyone rushes in to collect the goodies.

Like posadas,piñatasoriginated in Mexico during the 1500s, and now they're used in many celebrations around the world. But there's no need to travel far to partake in the fun. Together, you and your children can make your own by following this simple guide.
Materials

1 small cardboard box that can be taped shut

Packing tape

Colorful paper (such as crepe paper, tinsel garland, or patterned cupcake liners)

Nontoxic glue

Child-safe scissors

Piñata filling (small toys, candy, and other treats)

String or ribbon

A stick or baseball bat

Directions

1. Seal up all the openings of your cardboard box with tape, then use the box to make the basic shape of your piñata.

2. Kids decorate the outside of the box by gluing the colored paper onto it. Get creative with fringe, tassels, and other festive touches!

3. When the box is covered in paper, an adult creates a small hole at the top using scissors. Fill the piñatawith candy, toys, or other treats.

4. An adult cuts two small incisions on either side of the hole at the top of the box. Tie the string or ribbon through the holes to create a loop. This is how you'll hang the piñata.

Hang the piñatasomewhere with lots of open space, such as outside on a tree branch. Then, help your kids use a stick to whack the piñatauntil it bursts and the treats fall out. Just be sure everyone stays at a safe distance while each person takes their swings.

Bring World Cultures Home with Little Passports

Posadas are one unique way people celebrate holidays around the world, but they're just one of many. Are you and your young explorers ready to continue your festive journeys? Learn all about global celebrations with our award-winning World Edition subscription box. Each month, your children will receive hands-on activities, stories, and more relating to a different country that will inspire a love for faraway people and places. Finding each country on the included world map is sure to spark your child's curiosity-and might inspire your next family vacation!

This holiday season, give your children the gift of knowledge and let them experience the wonders of the world from the comfort of home.

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Mexican Christmas Traditions: Las Posadas - Little Passports

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If you're in Mexico in December, you might observe neighbors parading down the street and singing-but why? Learn about the tradition of posadas.

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Across Mexico, Guatemala, and in many parts of the U.S., the Christmas season begins with the celebration of Las Posadas. These festivities are community based and hold tightly to their religious roots by highlighting the journey of Mary and Joseph before the birth of Jesus. Here are some interesting facts to help you learn more about this notable tradition:

The practice of Las Posadas was begun by Augustinian friars near Mexico City around the year 1586. They used the celebration to teach the indigenous Aztec population about the birth of Jesus by having daily Christmas masses for nine days. This also coincided with the winter solstice ceremonies of the Aztecs.

The holiday as it's celebrated now, with neighborhood groups going from house to house, didn't take shape until the nineteenth century. Today, the celebration is usually organized by neighborhood committees or associations.

The word posadas means "inns" and the tradition of Las Posadas comes from the story of Mary and Joseph searching for a place to stay on their way to Bethlehem. They were turned away by everyone until finally, an innkeeper allowed them to stay in the stable where Jesus was born.

Among the people in the procession, you will see some dressed up as shepherds, others as angels, and a lucky two will get to be the stars of the show by donning costumes of Mary and Joseph. In some neighborhoods, the procession is led by children who dress up as angels and carry images of Mary and Joseph.

Traditionally, the holiday begins on December 16 and lasts until December 24, for a total of nine days, which some experts say symbolize the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.

Members of the procession are offered refreshments at each house while they sing traditional Christmas songs, but they aren't invited inside until they reach the last house of the night, where the party continues. the house that is the designated "posada" changes each night.

Children enjoy breaking open a five-star piñata that's filled with candy and goodies once they reach their final destination. The piñata's shape represents the star of Bethlehem.

On the last night of Las Posadas, the revelers typically attend midnight mass after the celebration and then continue the Christmas celebration the next day.

By Kelli Drummer-Avendano

Also read: Descubriendo culturas y celebraciones: Posadas, Hanukkah y Kwanzaa

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8 Interesting Facts about Las Posadas | Vista Higher Learning Blog

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Don't miss these eight interesting facts to help you learn more about the notable tradition of Las Posadas...

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Each night of Las Posadas begins with a procession of children. They are dressed as angels, shepherds, the Three Kings, Mary, and Joseph. They often carry lit candles and images of Mary and Joseph. Adults, including musicians, follow the children. The procession goes from place to place asking if there is room for them to stay. The hosts say no but often provide refreshments. Participants sing songs and read passages from the Bible. The procession is finally allowed entry at the last house, where there is a piñata filled with candy and toys. The piñata, usually in the shape of a star, is broken open by the children. The same process occurs every night except for the last night. The posada on the 24th is the most festive and is followed by the midnight Christmas Mass.

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Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Latin America, especially Mexico, and in Hispanic communities in the United States. The name is Spanish for "the Inns." The...

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Twinkl Teaching Resources | Education Videos | USA

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Las Posadas for Kids | 16 December | Twinkl USA

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What is ? Who observes this Christmas festival and where? Find out the answers to these questions and more in our informative Las Posadas for Kids Teaching Wiki!

Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'Las Posadas for Kids'

What is Las Posadas for kids?

Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Mexico and Hispanic communities in the United States. It begins on December 16th and lasts for nine nights. The final celebration takes place on Christmas Eve.

Las Posadas for kids is great fun. Every night, a procession of children, musicians, and adults go door to door, singing carols and reading passages from the Bible. At each house, they ask if there is room for them to stay. The children are turned away until they arrive at the last house.

The final home allows them entry. Here there is a piñata filled with toys and candy. The last night of the festivities is December 24th which concludes with Christmas Mass at midnight.

Why is Las Posadas so important?

If you're not familiar with Las Posadas, the tradition was brought to Mexico from Spain by Catholic Missionaries in the 1500s. It commemorates the journey Mary and Joseph made while searching for shelter in Bethlehem before baby Jesus' birth. It's for this reason that the festival is called Las Posadas because the word "posada" means "inn" or "dwelling" in Spanish, so Las Posadas means "the inns."

In the Nativity story, they knock on the doors of all the inns in the town, searching for shelter, before finally finding somewhere to stay. The nine nights of the Las Posadas celebrations symbolize the nine months of Mary's pregnancy with her son, Jesus.
Introduce your class to Las Posadas this year using these awesome activities:

Our informational All About Las Posadas PowerPoint teaches your students about the history, traditions, food, and symbols of Las Posadas.

These Piñata Coloring Sheets extend your learners' understanding of the culture and country of Mexico. They spark creativity by helping them engage with the traditions of Las Posadas.

Interesting facts about Las Posadas for kids:

1. The first Las Posadas celebration was in colonial Mexico, around 1587. Back then, there was a Christmas mass, "Misas de Aguinaldo." It was named this because, during these masses, they offered a gift or Christmas box to the kids consisting of fruits, candies, or toys.

2. During the nine days of festivities, you have to break a piñata, which has different meanings. It can represent chasing away evil and negativity as the piñata is symbolic of the devil. Also, breaking a piñata with seven spikes symbolizes breaking away from the seven deadly sins. In addition, the candy and snacks inside a piñata represent the abundance that will come into your life.

3. Food is essential to the celebrations, and Mexican cuisine has many delicious dishes, from cod, romeritos, pozole, tamales, and atole. These form some of the traditional meals and drinks for the holiday season.

4. In some regions of Mexico, they still preserve old traditions. In the town of Zinacantán, the nine months of the Virgin Mary's pregnancy are reminisced and honored by eating sweet pumpkin in front of the church atrium.

Video about Las Posadas for kids:

Check out this helpful Twinkl teaching video all about Las Posadas for kids.
Read More: Las Posadas for the Classroom and School Blog
Traditions of the festival:

The procession includes a colorful pageant of kids, representing the "pilgrims" or costumed as Joseph, Mary, angels, shepherds, and the Three Wise Men. Upon arrival, the hosts or "innkeepers" meet the procession to sing traditional songs such as "Pidiendo Posada."

Although the hosts refuse to accommodate the procession, it's a tradition that they provide refreshments for them.

During each home stop, people read scripture and sing Christmas carols. Once at the accommodating home, food and drink are offered. Snacks and beverages include hot chocolate, traditional tamales, and ponche.

On Christmas Eve, the final night of the festivities, everyone attends a midnight mass called "Misa de Gallo," or Mass of the Rooster.

Las Posadas culminates in a feast at the Cena de Nochebuena, meaning "Christmas Eve Dinner" where families gather for a meal.

One of the most exciting elements of Las Posadas is the star-shaped piñatas filled with candy and toys. The piñatas are in the shape of colorful seven-pointed stars, which are said to have guided the Three Wise Men to the newborn Jesus. Kids often take turns putting on a blindfold and hit the piñata with a stick, and once it breaks and the contents spill, everyone will rush in to grab a handful of tasty treats. Modern piñatas come in many shapes, ranging from animals to cartoon characters.

In native Mexico and Hispanic communities in the U.S. (especially Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona), the Las Posadas celebration includes a Christmas tree, lots of presents, and even a visit from Santa!

More teaching resources about Las Posadas for kids:

Are you looking for more ideas? Here at Twinkl, we have your Las Posadas covered! Take a look below at some of our favorite Las Posadas activities to help your students celebrate:

Looking for more? Join us on social media!

We hope the teaching materials and information featured in our Las Posadas for Kids Wiki were useful to you. For similar educational guides, check out our entire selection of Teaching Wikis and sign up to our website today!

If you have any questions, feedback, or completed activities from your kids, share them in our Twinkl Teaching Community Facebook Group! We look forward to hearing from you.

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What is Las Posadas? | Las Posadas for Kids | Twinkl USA

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Want to know more about Las Posadas? Explore our informative Las Posadas for Kids Teaching Wiki to educate your class about this festive celebration?

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La Befana – The Scoop on Italy’s Christmas Witch

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Who is Italy’s La Befana - what does she look like, what does she do? The legend of La Befana and how the holiday is celebrated in Italy today.

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The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated January 6 with a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana are a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations. Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. The traditional Christmas holiday season in Italy lasts through Epiphany.

Like children around the world, kids in Italy as well, look forward to the arrival of the red-suited Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve. However, this relatively modern tradition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by the arrival of an old witch in early January. For Italians, La Festa dell'Epifania on January 6th is as significant a holiday as Christmas Day; especially for Italian children!

According to the Italian legend, La Befana, a witch-like woman riding on a broom, refused to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the baby Jesus. When she regrets her decision, she sets out to bring gifts to the Child but never finds him. Instead, she leaves gifts for other children. Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.

And the legend continues that every Epiphany Eve, the old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year. For those who have fallen a bit short of model behavior, la Befana will leave lumps of coal. Knowing that all kids can't be perfect year-round, some shops in Italy sell carbone or black rock candy that actually looks like pieces of coal... so even those not quite perfect can still enjoy a sweet treat.

Unlike today's more well known Americanized Santa Claus, La Befana has been a holiday tradition in Italy since the XIII century and comes Italian folklore.

The arrival of la Befana is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone and marks the end of the long and festive holiday season in Italy. In honor of the Three Wise Men, Italians go to church and enjoy spending the day with family.

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The Feast of the Epiphany and Celebration of La Befana * Italia Living

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In Italian folklore, the Befana ( pronounced Script error: No such module "IPA". ) is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to Santa Claus or the Three Magi Kings.

A popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany ( Italian: Festa dell'Epifania). In popular folklore, the Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good, or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. In many poorer parts of Italy and in particular rural Sicily, a stick in a stocking was placed instead of coal. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. To some the sweeping meant the sweeping away of the problems of the year. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana.

She is usually portrayed as a hag riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children's houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.

Christian legend had it that Befana was approached by the biblical magi, also known as the Three Wise Men (or the three kings) a few days before the birth of the Infant Jesus. They asked for directions to where the Son of God was, as they had seen his star in the sky, but she did not know. She provided them with shelter for a night, as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village, with the most pleasant home. The magi invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, La Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out the astrologers and Jesus. That night she was not able to find them, so to this day, La Befana is searching for the little baby. She leaves all the good children toys and candy ("caramelle") or fruit, while the bad children get coal or dark candy ("carbone"), onions or garlic.

Another Christian legend takes a slightly darker tone as La Befana was an ordinary woman with a child whom she greatly loved. However, her child died, and her resulting grief maddened her. Upon hearing news of Jesus being born, she set out to see him, delusional that he was her son. She eventually met Jesus and presented him with gifts to make him happy. The infant Jesus was delighted, and he gave La Befana a gift in return; she would be the mother of every child in Italy.

Popular tradition tells that if La Befana spots that someone sees her, they will receive a playful thump on the shoulder from her broomstick, as she doesn't wish to be seen. This aspect of the tradition may be designed to keep children in their beds.

Another commonly heard Christian legend of La Befana starts at the time of the birth of baby Jesus. In this telling, Befana spent her days cleaning and sweeping. One day the magi came to her door in search of the baby Jesus. However, Befana turned them away because she was too busy cleaning. Feeling guilty, she eventually decides to find Jesus on her own by following a bright light in the sky which she believes points the way. She brings along a bag filled with baked goods and gifts for Jesus, and a broom to help the new mother clean. Unfortunately despite her best efforts she never finds him. According to this telling, Befana is still searching after all these centuries for the new born messiah. On the eve of the Epiphany, Befana comes to every house where there is a child and leaves a gift. Although she has been unsuccessful in her search, she still leaves gifts for children everywhere because the Christ Child can be found in all children.

Befana was a widespread tradition among the whole Italian people, having originated in Rome and having become well known and practiced by the rest of the population during the centuries.

Many people believe that the name Befana is derived from the Italians' mispronunciation of the Greek word epifania or epiphaneia (Greek, επιφάνεια = appearance, surface, English: epiphany). Others point to the name being a derivative of Bastrina, the gifts associated with the goddess Strina. In the book Domestic Life in Palestine, by Mary E. Rogers (Poe & Hitchcock, 1865) the author notes:

But an 'Essay on the Fine Arts,' by E. L. Tarbuck, led me to believe that this custom is a relic of pagan worship, and that the word "Bastrina" refers to the offerings which used to be made to the goddess Strenia. We could hardly expect that the pagans who embraced Christianity could altogether abandon their former creeds and customs. Macaulay says, "Christianity conquered paganism, but paganism infected Christianity; the rites of the Pantheon passed into her 'worship, and the subtilties of the Academy into her creed.' Many pagan customs were adopted by the new Church. T. Hope, in his 'Essay on Architecture,' says: 'The Saturnalia were continued in the Carnival, and the festival with offerings to the goddess Strenia was continued in that of the New Year...'

A theory connects the tradition of exchanging gifts to an ancient Roman festivity in honour of Ianus and Strenia (in Italian a Christmas gift used to be called strenna), celebrated at the beginning of the year, when Romans used to give each other presents.

In the book Vestiges of Ancient Manners and Customs, Discoverable in Modern Italy and Sicily (1823), John J. Blunt says:

This Befana appears to be heir at law of a certain heathen goddess called Strenia, who presided over the new-year's gifts, 'Strenae,' from which, indeed, she derived her name. Her presents were of the same description as those of the Befana-figs, dates, and honey. Moreover her solemnities were vigorously opposed by the early Christians on account of their noisy, riotous [...] character".

The tradition of Befana appears to incorporate other pre-Christian popular elements as well, adapted to Christian culture and related to the celebration of the New Year. Historian Carlo Ginzburg relates her to Nicnevin. The old lady character should then represent the "old year" just passed, ready to be burned in order to give place to the new one. In many European countries the tradition still exists of burning a puppet of an old lady at the beginning of the New Year, called Giubiana in Northern Italy, with clear Celtic origins. Italian anthropologists Claudia and Luigi Manciocco, in their book Una casa senza porte ("A House without Doors") trace Befana's origins back to Neolithic beliefs and practices. The team of anthropologists also wrote about Befana as a figure that evolved into a goddess associated with fertility and agriculture.

Befana also maintains many similarities with Perchta and her Pre-Christian Alpine traditions.

The Befana today

The Befana is celebrated throughout all of Italy, and has become a national icon. In the regions of the Marches, Umbria and Latium, her figure is associated with the Papal States, where the Epiphany held the most importance. Urbania is thought to be her official home. Every year there is a big festival held to celebrate the holiday. About 30,000 to 50,000 people attend the festivities. Hundreds of Befanas are present, swinging from the main tower. They juggle, dance and greet all the children.

Traditionally, all Italian children may expect to find a lump of " coal" in their stockings (actually rock candy made black with caramel coloring), as every child has been at least occasionally bad during the year.

Three places in Italy are nowadays associated with the Befana tradition:

Piazza Navona in central Rome is the site of a popular market each year between Christmas and the Epiphany, where toys, coal candy, and other candies are on sale. The feast of the Befana in Rome was immortalized in four famous sonnets in the Roman dialect by the 19th century Roman poet Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli. In Ottorino Respighi's 1928 Feste Romane ("Roman Festivals"), the fourth movement, titled La Befana, is an orchestral portrayal of this Piazza Navona festival. A common superstition is that at midnight when it turns January 6 the Befana shows herself in a window of Piazza Navona, and visitors often go there to observe this.

The town of Urbania in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino within the Marches, where the national Befana festival is held each year, usually between January 2 and 6. A "house of the Befana" is scheduled to be built and the post office has a mailbox reserved for letters addressed to the Befana, mirroring what happens with Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.

In Fornovo di Taro, a town in the province of Parma, the national meeting "Raduno Nazionale delle Befane e dei Befani" is held on 5 and 6 January.

In other parts of the world where a vibrant Italian community exists, traditions involving Befana may be observed and shared or celebrated with the wider community. In Toronto, Canada for example, a Befana Choir shows up on Winter Solstice each December to sing in the Kensington Market Festival of Lights parade. Women, men, and children dressed in La Befana costume and nose sing love songs to serenade the sun to beckon its return. The singing hags gather in the street to give candy to children, to cackle and screech to accordion music, and to sing in every key imaginable as delighted parade participants join in the cacophony. Sometimes, the Befanas dance with parade goers and dust down the willing as parade goers walk by.

Poems and songs

There are poems about Befana, which are known in slightly different versions throughout Italy. Here is one of the versions:

The English translation is:

The Befana comes by night
With her shoes all tattered and torn
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long live the Befana!

Another version is given in a poem by Giovanni Pascoli:

The English translation is:

Here comes, here comes the Befana
She comes from the mountains in the deep of the night
Look how tired she is! All wrapped up
In snow and frost and the north wind!
Here comes, here comes the Befana!

In other media

La freccia azzurra, 1996 animated film, released in the US as How the Toys Saved Christmas.

The Italian-language Christmas fantasy comedy film The Legend of the Christmas Witch (Italian: La Befana vien di notte), was released on December 27, 2018. The Italian-Spanish co-production was directed by Michele Soavi and features a 500-year-old Befana who works as a schoolteacher by day.

The Disney+ Christmas miniseries The Santa Clauses featured Befana played by Laura San Giacomo.

In Spanish: Befana para niños

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Feast of Saint Lucia

George's relatives in Sweden celebrate the holiday of Lucia on December 13. Lucia celebrates the Christian martyr St. Lucia, and is a celebration of light at the darkest time of the year. Kids dress up in white and have a big parade with stars and candles.

One of George's cousins was elected to dress up like St. Lucia. She wore a white dress, and a wreath of candles on her head. Sometimes they use battery-powered candles instead.

The parades go all through the streets in Sweden. When it's all over, everyone's feet are frozen stiff, but they've had so much fun they barely notice!

During the parade, a pack of snow fell off a big oak tree right onto George's uncle! He froze from his nose to his toes!

Lucia can be celebrated with dancing and lots of tasty baked goods, like spicy gingersnaps (called "pepparkakor") and sweet lussekatt saffron buns. Mmmm!

1 of 5

More Holidays

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Holiday . Feast of Saint Lucia | ARTHUR | Official Site | PBS KIDS

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George's relatives in Sweden celebrate the holiday of Lucia on December 13. Lucia celebrates the Christian martyr St. Lucia, and is a celebration of light at the darkest time of the year. Kids dress up in white and have a big parade with stars and candles.

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Saint Lucia’s Day is the feast day of Saint Lucia (also known as Santa Lucia or Saint Lucy), one of the earliest Christian martyrs. It is celebrated on December 13. Saint…

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Christmas in Australia is a fun-filled unit you can do with your class in December. This presents a wealth of opportunities for comparing and contrasting celebrations in different places.

Christmas in Australia Fact #1

1. Christmas in Australia falls during the summer.

This is an interesting fact for kids because in the Northern hemisphere, Christmas falls during the winter.

Christmas in Australia Fact #2

2. Santa Claus arrives in a sleigh pulled by six kangaroos, or by boat or surfboard in Australia.

What a fun fact this is! It's so different from how Santa arrives in other parts of the world. This is also a great opportunity to compare and contrast modes of travel for various climates.

Christmas in Australia Fact #3

3. Christmas trees are often decorated with fake snow in Australia.

This fact is great to share with kids because it encourages critical thinking: Why would fake snow be required to celebrate Christmas in Australia?

Christmas in Australia Fact #4

4. A traditional Australian Christmas dinner may include roast turkey, ham, or seafood such as prawns.A traditional Australian Christmas dinner often includes roast turkey or chicken, vegetables and potatoes, followed by fruit pudding or Christmas cake.

Prior to learning, ask students to draw a table covered in dishes they eat on their winter holiday celebration. Then, have students draw a table covered in dishes Australians eat for Christmas. Talk about what dishes are different, similar, and which ones they want to learn more about.

Christmas in Australia Fact #5

5. Australians love to celebrate with a barbecue or picnic on Christmas Day.

I love this one! What a great way to spend Christmas Day. Dive deep and ask students what a Christmas Day picnic might look like for them-would it be possible? What could you do to have a picnic despite the weather? This presents a great opportunity for creative writing in addition to critical thinking.

Christmas in Australia Fact #6

6. Christmas trees are often decorated with fairy lights and ornaments.

Christmas in Australia Fact #7

7. The Christmas star is a special decoration that is placed on top of the tree.

Christmas in Australia Fact #8

8. Australians love to enjoy the outdoors during Christmas, so many people head to the beach or go swimming on Christmas Day.

When compared to how students in the northern hemisphere celebrate Christmas, this is such a fun fact! This can lead to an opinion prompt like "Would you rather spend Christmas on the beach or inside by the fireplace?"

Christmas in Australia Fact #9

9. Christmas carols are often sung around a bonfire on Christmas Eve.

This fact, coupled with Facts #7 and #6 will highlight the similarities between celebrations in the United States and Australia.

Christmas in Australia Fact #10

10. Santa Claus always leaves a stocking full of presents by the fireplace for good children on Christmas Eve.

You can get a done-for-you Christmas in Australia slide deck here. This is one of my favorite products I've ever made because of the time it saves you. Slides come as pre-recorded presentations that run all on their own (no joke-it even incorporates discussion slides). So sit back, throw your slippered* feet up on your chocolate wrapper-covered desk, and bask in the glory of a self-teaching lesson. It's the only way to do things in December.

*It's December-we know that spirit week abounds in the 12th month.

You can read more about things to do in December in your classroom here.

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Christmas in Australia: 10 Facts to Share With Kids - Erin Waters EDU

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Christmas in Australia is a fun-filled unit you can do with your class in December. This presents a wealth of opportunities for comparing and contrasting

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You likely don't need any reminding (after all, your city is probably packed with Christmas lights, trees and music!), but Christmas is just around the corner. 2020 has been a difficult year and you might not be able to head home this holiday season, but if you're spending Christmas with housemates or new friends in Australia, there are plenty of ways to get into the festive spirit.

Christmas Day

While it's common to celebrate Christmas Eve in Europe, in Australia it's more accepted to gather on Christmas Day (25 December). Some members of the community might attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day - if you'd like to do this, there's bound to be a church near you that you can visit.
Food
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood. And even though Christmas falls during summer, many families will enjoy roast turkey, hot sides, and rich Christmas pudding on the day.

If you're celebrating with a group of friends on Christmas Day, you could consider doing a 'pot luck'. This means everyone can bring a dish to share, and the responsibility of hosting doesn't have to fall on one person's shoulders. Why not ask guests to bring a traditional Christmas dish from their home country?
Gifts
It's common practice to give and receive presents in Australia. This is generally kept between family and friends, although you could consider giving a small gift or card to an employer, manager, or anyone else you'd like to show your appreciation to.

If you're keen to take part in Christmas gift-giving but want to save some cash, consider hosting a Secret Santa. This involves gathering a group of three or more, placing everyone's name in a hat, and getting each person to pick out a name. You then set a budget (say, $20 per gift), and everyone has to buy a gift for their designated recipient. You then swap gifts on Christmas Day, either anonymously or with a personalised card attached. It's a simple and fun way to make sure everyone gets a gift, without the huge financial burden of Christmas shopping. For some fun present ideas, check out our Aussie gift guide.

Christmas events
Brisbane
Brisbane's King George Square is home to a massive Christmas tree that you can check out in the lead-up to Christmas. City Hall is also lit up with animated projections telling fun Australian Christmas tales.
Melbourne
In Melbourne, the Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve (24 December) are a charity music event that is televised across the country. Carols by Candlelight takes place at Sidney Myer Music Bowl and all proceeds go towards Vision Australia's charity work. While there won't be an in-person audience this year, catch the event free-to-air on Channel 9.

The famous Federation Square becomes Christmas Square for the festive season, complete with a giant Christmas tree, an 6-metre high twinkling bauble you can take selfies inside of, free music performances and food trucks.
Sydney
The Christmas Fun Fair runs from mid-December until Christmas Eve. Here, you can celebrate Christmas cheer with food, rides and 'snow' play.

The Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens (just north of Sydney) features the Southern Hemisphere's largest light display, as well as fair rides including a Ferris wheel and swing chair. The event runs until 26 January, so there's plenty of time to check it out.
Adelaide
Adelaide's Christmas Festival encompasses the best of Christmas with a huge range of events. There's Christmas Sounds with free performances under the enormous Christmas tree in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, or check out the Advent Calendar for daily inspiration on events to attend.
Canberra
Through shopping and eating locally, Canberra is encouraging everyone to Celebrate a City Christmas. Check out the unique kaleidoscopic Christmas tree shining throughout the day, or explore the Christmas decorations in City Walk.
Hobart
Throughout December, the Tasmanian capital hosts various community Christmas carols - free events where you can listen to traditional Christmas songs and meet the local community. There are also a series of Block Parties popping up around the city featuring food and entertainment.
Darwin
The city of Darwin has its own calendar of events happening across December. Options include visiting Santa's Village or Fun in the Parks at The Mall, and Carols by the Sea at the Nightcliff Foreshore.

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Celebrating Christmas in Australia - Insider Guides

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You likely don't need any reminding (after all, your city is probably packed with Christmas lights, trees and music!), but Christmas is just around the corner. 2020 has been a difficult year and you might not be able to head home this holiday season, but if you're spending Christmas with housemates or new friends in Australia, there are plenty of ways to get into the festive spirit.

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In Australia, Christmas comes in the towards the beginning of the summer holidays! Children have their summer holidays from mid December to early February, so some people might even be camping at Christmas.

Because it's so hot at Christmas time in Australia, there are quite often massive bush fires across the country. Many volunteer bush fire fighters are involved in saving people and property and travel from all over Australia to help in other states.

Some Australians hang wreaths on their front doors and some people will also go out Christmas carol singing on Christmas Eve. People also decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas Trees and Christmas lights. Neighbors sometimes have little competitions to see who has got the best light display. The neighbors often visit each other to look at the light displays at night. Sometimes the displays are put out as early as December 1st. One street in Sydney raises over $(AUS)35,000 every year for charity with their co-ordinated street display!

Some Australians also decorate their houses with bunches of 'Christmas Bush', a native Australian tree with small green leaves and cream colored flowers. In summer the flowers turn a deep shiny red over a period of weeks (generally by the week of Christmas in Sydney). Poinsettia plants are also popular plants used as decorations.

Another speculator tree which might be in flower at Christmas in Australia is the jacaranda. It has bright blue/purple flowers. Depending on where you live in Australia, it can flower from October into December. If you're really lucky you might see birds like lorikeets and rosellas, which make it even more colorful!

In each State capital city there is a large Carols by Candlelight service. Famous Australian singers like The Wiggles, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Colin Gery, Niki Webster and many more help to sing the carols. These carol services, held in different cities, are broadcast on TV across Australia. There are also huge Christmas pageants in each state capital city, that are also broadcast across the country. Most towns and cities have festivals and parades. In some places, there is a fireworks display at the local park.

Many towns, cities and schools also hold their own Carols by Candlelight services, with local bands and choirs sometimes helping to perform the Christmas Carols and songs. As it is the middle of Summer in Australia at Christmas time, the words to the Carols about snow and the cold winter are sometimes changed to special Australian words! There are also some original Australian Carols.

When he gets to Australia, Santa sometimes gives the reindeers a rest and might use kangaroos. He also changes his clothes for less 'hot' ones! Children often leave out carrots for Santa's reindeer and there might be some cake for Santa, with some cold beer but it's often non-alcoholic because Santa has to drive his sleigh.

Presents are normally exchanged between families on Christmas Day.

On Boxing Day most people go and visit their friends and often have barbecues at the beach. A famous Yacht race from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania is also held on Boxing Day. Another Boxing Day tradition is the Boxing Day Cricket Test Match. It starts every year on Boxing Day and is held at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

The Flying Doctor Service has to work all though-out Christmas. On Christmas Day the people who live in the outback send Christmas greetings to each other over the radio network.

Most families try to be home together for Christmas and the main meal is normally eaten at lunch time. Most people now have a cold Christmas dinner, or a barbecue with seafood such as prawns and lobsters along with the 'traditional english' food. On Christmas Eve, fish-markets are often full of people queuing to buy their fresh seafood for Christmas day. Some people like to have the 'traditional' Christmas Pudding but there might also be cold desserts like pavlova and trifle.

Australians often have Christmas Crackers at Christmas meal times.

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Christmas in Australia on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Australia and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Australia.

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Chinese New Year, known in China as the SpringFestival and in Singapore as the LunarNewYear, is a holiday on and around the new moon on the first day of the year in the traditional Chinese calendar. This calendar is based on the changes in the moon and is only sometimes changed to fit the seasons of the year based on how the Earth moves around the sun. Because of this, Chinese New Year is never on January1. It moves around between January21 and February 20.

The Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays for Chinese people all over the world. Its 7th day used to be used instead of birthdays to count people's ages in China. The holiday is still used to tell people which "animal" of the Chinese zodiac they are part of. The holiday is a time for gifts to children and for family gatherings with large meals, just like Christmas in Europe and in other Christian areas. Unlike Christmas, the children usually get gifts of cash in red envelopes ( hongbao) and not toys or clothes.

Chinese New Year used to last 15 days until the Lantern Festival on the year's first full moon. Now, it is a national holiday in the Republic and People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. It is also celebrated in some parts of Thailand. In some places, only the first day or three days are celebrated. In the PRC, nearby weekends are changed to create a 7-day-long "Golden Week."

The Mandarin Chinese name of the holiday is Chūn Jié, which means "Spring Festival." This is why it is often called the "Spring Festival" by Chinese speakers of English, even though the holiday always occurs in the winter months of January or February. Its name is written in traditional Chinese writing and in the easier writing now used by mainland China and Singapore. The Republic of China began to use this name in the 1910s, after it began to use the European calendar for most things.

Before that, the holiday was usually just called the "NewYear." Because the traditional Chinese calendar is mostly based on the changes in the moon, the Chinese New Year is also known in English as the "Lunar New Year" or "Chinese Lunar New Year." This name comes from " Luna," an old Latin name for the moon.

Day of the New Year

Chinese New Year always starts on a new moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and Sun and the night sky is dark. Because new moons happen about every 29.53 days but the year set by Pope GregoryXIII is 365.2425 days long, the Chinese holiday moves to different days each year. The Chinese calendar adds a 13th month every so often to keep the seasons in the right place, so the first day of the new year always happens between January21 and February20 on the 2nd or 3rd new moon after the 1st day of winter. The chart on the right gives the day of each Chinese New Year from 1996 to 2031.

Traditional counting

In the past, the Chinese emperors did not number their years from one place. Instead, they gave names to eras (groups of years) any time they wanted. In the same way, people in China and around East Asia did not count their ages from zero or add one year at every birthday. They counted birth as the start of their 1st year and added another year upon the 7th day of the New Year, which they called People's Day ( Rénrì). (Today, it is much more common in China to count age starting at zero and add years at birthdays, like in English-speaking countries.)

Animals of the New Year

The Chinese used to keep time using 2 different lists of characters, known in English as the 10Heavenly Stems and the 12Earthly Branches. Each is said to be yin ( dark or female) or yang ( bright or male), so that when they are put together they make a list of 60 pairs. (The current list began in 1984 and will end in 2043.) Later, each of the stems was also said to match one of the 5 Chinese elements- wood, fire, dirt, metal, or water-and each of the branches was said to be a different animal: Rat, Ox & Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster & Chicken, Dog, and Pig.

Today, Chinese people don't use these lists to count hours, days, or years, but many still pay attention to the animal of the year when someone was born. Just like with the European zodiac, some people think the year's animal can change how someone thinks and acts. They even think it can change whether a marriage will be a happy one or not. Newspapers pay writers to give them ideas for how lucky different animals will be during the coming week. Many parents even time their children's birth within a year or two to give them the best animal sign.

Chinese tradition said that the Chinese calendar began during the 60th year of the reign of the Yellow Emperor in 2637, with New Year celebrations beginning in that year. As far as we now know, it's much less old than that. Parts of the old ways of counting time given above are at least as early as 1250, during the Shang times. Most of it was known by the Zhou ( 11th-). From eastern China, the calendar and its new year spread to nearby places like Vietnam (111), Korea (before ), Japan (604), and Tibet (around 641). It also followed people who moved from China to their new homes in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other places.

The Shang kings (16th-) gave special gifts to their gods and dead family members during the winter of each year.

Under the Zhou, people were having harvest festivals like today's Mid-Autumn Festival by about 1000.

By the early Han, people were counting their birthdays from People's Day on the 7th day of the New Year. Dragon dances had appeared by the time of the Han. People thought that Chinese dragons like Yinglong and Shenlong were kinds of gods who had power over where the water in rivers and canals went and when the water in clouds would fall as rain. Because this was very important for farming, dragon dances could happen all through the year when rain was needed.

Lion dances were probably newer. There was lion dancing under the Tang and in Japan by the 8th century, but people still thought of it as a foreign dance used by Buddhists. Today, people talk about "Northern" and "Southern" kinds of lion dances. The special northern kind began under the Southern Song ( 12th- 13th century). The special southern kind began in Guangdong later, maybe under the Ming ( 14th- 17th century).

As part of other changes, the Meiji Emperor of Japan ordered in 1873 that the new year celebrations of his country would be held on January1. Today, most of the traditional Japanese celebrations now occur on that day, not at the same time as Chinese New Year. In 1928, the Nationalist Party of China tried to change the Chinese celebrations to January1, too, but this completely failed as the Chinese people protested or ignored the new laws and continued as usual.

In 1967, as part of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, the PRC's government did not celebrate or allow special time off work for the traditional new year. Public celebrations returned by the time of Deng Xiaoping's Opening Up Policy in the 1980s. Since the year 2000, Chinese New Year has been one of the PRC's Golden Weeks: there are three days of paid time away from work during the first few days and two weekends around it are moved to make a 7-day-long holiday. These Golden Weeks copied a similar Japanese idea.

Mainland China

People in China usually try to be together with their families for at least the first few days of the holiday. Because of the large number of Chinese people and the many people who work away from their hometowns, this "spring traveling" ( chunyun) is the biggest movement of people in the world every year.

A "reunion dinner" happens on the evening of the last day of the traditional year ("New Year's Eve"). Older and married people give younger ones cash in red envelopes known as hongbao in Mandarin Chinese or laisee in Cantonese. China Central Television puts on a long show with many star actors, singers, and dancers. It is usually the most-watched TV show in the world each year. Lately, its ads have also become some of the world's most expensive, although they are still behind those aired during the US Super Bowl.

Children are allowed to stay up until midnight. Around 12 o'clock, the new year is welcomed with public fireworks and private firecrackers. Children are told the story of a monster called "Nian" ("Year") who was scared away by a town's loud noises and bright lights on a Chinese New Year long ago. Some people call or send text messages and e-mails to say "Happy New Year!"

Temples also have special fairs with lots of street food. There are Peking opera and martial arts shows and lion and dragon dances in major cities. The dragons can be very long. The longest dragon so far has been a little over 3.5 miles (5.6 km) in Hong Kong in 2012. Hong Kong also has special horse races at its racetrack. Guangzhou has several special flower festivals.

In Taiwan, most events and traditions are the same as those in China. The most important special event is the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, where fireworks are shot straight into the people watching the show. Being hit is supposed to bring good luck, but this used to be very unsafe. Today, people wear special hard hats, ( helmets), and thick clothes to protect themselves. Another special event is the " Bombing of Master Handan" in Taitung, where people throw firecrackers straight at the members of a parade who are wearing only red underwear and towels. Taiwan's Hakka people have a tradition like this, where firecrackers are thrown at dragon dancers as they parade through towns. The dragon is then burned at the end of the dance. Taipei's City Lantern Festival also goes on for most of the holiday, not just during the 1-day Lantern Festival at the end.

Philippines

Chinese New Year is a national holiday in the Philippines. People do not get money without working, but anyone who does have to work on the "special non-working day" gets 130% of the usual pay. Binondo-sometimes considered the world's oldest Chinatown -sees a lot of traditional celebrations, such as lion and dragon dances. Its people also try to pay back any money they owe before the New Year.

In 2001, Davao City stopped letting people use fireworks because its people were hurting themselves too much. Their mayor Rodrigo Duterte became president of the country and said that he wanted to stop fireworks everywhere. As president, however, he has continued to let people use them.

Chinese New Year ( Indonesian: Imlek) is a 1-day national holiday in Indonesia. Chinese people have lived there since at least the 15th century. Indonesian president Suharto stopped Chinese Indonesians from celebrating Chinese New Year in 1967. Things changed after the fall of Suharto in 1998, and Indonesia made Chinese New Year a national holiday for everyone in 2003.

Today, Chinese Indonesians celebrate the holiday much as people in China do. Dragon and lion dances are common at shopping centers, which sometimes have special sales to let Chinese people buy new (often red) clothes to wear for the holiday. People cannot use fireworks in most of Indonesia, but some cities like Jakarta let people use firecrackers.

Some older Chinese traditions still survive in Indonesia. Like in the Philippines, people try to pay back any money they owe before the New Year. People also try not to lend any money during the holiday, because they think it will make them have to keep lending money for the whole year. Doors and windows are opened on the day before the New Year to "let the old year out," and people wake up early the next morning so they don't stay lazy the whole year. The red envelopes of money ( Hokkien: âng-pau) are given on the morning of New Year's Day, not at dinner on the night before it. Many make special trips to one of Indonesia's Chinese temples at some time during the holiday.

It is also still common to leave some food at the table for dead family members and to give them gifts as the New Year begins. Chicken is usually eaten with the head, tail, and feet still on, showing "completeness." Though white rice is eaten, fresh white tofu is not eaten because in Chinese culture its color makes some people think of death and bad luck.

Most of Malaysia gets two days off work for Chinese New Year: the New Year itself and the day after it. Some people still follow the tradition that the second day is used for married women to visit their parents, after visiting her husband's family on Chinese New Year's Day. Most Chinese Malaysians take the entire week off of work, despite the shorter length of the national holiday. Traditional Chinese use the 3rd day of the New Year to visit the resting places of family members who died in the last 3 years; people without a death in their family stay home.

An unusual tradition in Malaysia is the idea of "open house" dinners, especially on the 2nd and 3rd nights of the holiday. Guests, friends, and even strangers from different races and religions can be let in to enjoy large dinners together. The Malaysian government even has its own "open houses" at community halls.

Teochew-style Yusheng, a fish-and- noodle dish, is common in Malaysia, where it is called "yeesang" or "prosperity toss." A restaurant in Seremban started getting people to eat it by throwing it high in the air for good luck in the 1940s, and people had so much fun that they have done it ever since. Another common dish is "steam boat," a kind of seafood hot pot. As in other Chinese places, eating and giving away oranges and tangerines is common in Malaysia. A special tradition is for women with no boyfriend or husband to throw an orange into the sea to find a man. Some now write their telephone numbers on the oranges they throw, and men will use boats to go out and get the fruit.

Singapore, like Malaysia, has a national holiday for Chinese New Year and the day after it. It also sees many "steam boat" hot pot dinners. In 1972, the government stopped people from using their own fireworks during the holiday. Worried that people would find the next celebration less fun, they began the Chingay Parade the next year in 1973. In 1977, Indians and Malays joined the parade, which happens on the 8th day of the New Year. The parade is now the biggest in Asia, with more than 10,000 people in it and floats that show every animal of the circle of Chinese years and the money god Cai Shen. More than 100,000 come to see it in person, and millions of people see it on TV. There are still government firework shows, and the people of Singapore now make noise during the holiday by hitting bamboo sticks together.

Holiday shopping and street shows are centered on Chinatown. Downtown, the holiday is used as a showcase for Chinese arts and customs.

Chinese New Year, the day before it, the day after it, and the Lantern Festival are national holidays in Brunei. The country has had a large number of Chinese people since the 1930s and 40s, and the sultan sometimes comes to their New Year celebrations. Since 2015, however, Brunei has set out tough Islamic laws that try to stop Muslims from joining or even seeing the Chinese celebrations. Lion dances are allowed only at the last Chinese temple in Brunei, at Chinese schools, and at the homes of the Chinese. Only Chinese people can join the dance. People cannot use fireworks or firecrackers, and dances must stop during the hours of Islamic prayers. Breaking these rules risks as much as B$ 20,000 (Brunei dollars) and 5 years in jail.

The Chinese New Year celebrations in North and South Korea are known as Korean New Year. The time in Beijing is 1 hour different from the time in the Korean capital cities of Pyongyang and Seoul. About one time every 24 years, this makes the Korean New Year start on the day after the Chinese New Year.

The Korean holiday is very close to the Chinese one, with families gathering, children being very nice to their parents and grandparents, and older people giving gifts of money to the young. The Korean holiday has different traditional foods and games, though.

Other places

The largest US and Canadian celebrations happen in Chinatowns. People eat Chinese food, give gifts, and have dragon parades that sometimes include marching bands. There is no national holiday with time off work, but different events go on for the full traditional 2 weeks up to the Lantern Festival.

The holiday is also so important to China that many world leaders will take time to send their good wishes to China and the Chinese people.

Most traditional customs have to do with getting more good luck for the new year and staying away from anything unhappy.

Houses are cleaned completely. In former times, sacrifices were made to the gods and dead family members in the days before the holiday. People hang up decorations, especially pairs of Chinese poems ( couplets) on either side of their doors. Some put pictures of Taoist gods on the doors to scare away bad things. Live plants suggest growth, and flowers suggest coming fruits. Pussy willow is common in some places because its Chinese name sounds like "money coming in." It is common for big decorations to look like the animal for the new year.

People used to welcome the New Year with anything that made loud noises, including drums, cymbals, or even woks and pots. The exact traditions were different in different parts of China. Fireworks and firecrackers became more and more common everywhere, but lately many places have stopped letting most people use them because of the danger of people hurting themselves, of fire, and of air pollution that can make people sick. There are still big firework shows in most big cities with many Chinese people, but the city government will put on the show while everyone else watches.

Visits to people's houses are done in new or well-kept clothes. People wear more red than usual, which makes them think of happy times like weddings, and wear less black and white, which makes some think of sad times like funerals.

There are some common things people say to wish good luck to each other, the most important being gōngxǐ fācái ("congratulations that you are now rich"). People try not to say bad words, tell ghost stories, or talk about death. Some even stay away from the number four, which sounds like "death" in Chinese. Crying babies are also thought to be bad luck, and family members will try to keep children happy during visits.

There are some old customs done by hardly anyone. In old China, they didn't sweep or wash clothes on New Year's Day itself. They were afraid of cleaning away good luck together with the dirt. For the same reason, some people did not wash their hair and were very careful not to break any tools. The 5th or 6th day after New Year, when they cleaned and threw away or burned all the trash, was a day for "sending off" the god of Being Poor, one of the sons of Zhuanxu. In the same way, people near Beijing thought that it was unlucky to cook or steam food for the first 5 days of the New Year. They would cook all of their next week of food 2 days before it, so it was ready for the reunion meal. On People's Day, the 7th day of the holiday, people used to wear special headbands and thought good weather meant good luck for everyone in the coming year. Everyone used it to count their age, even when it was not their birthday. None of that is common anymore.

Taoist traditions that are less common now are giving gifts to the Chinese gods. It was thought that gifts would make the gods be nicer to the house and not bring bad luck. Now, fewer people worry about those things.

The reunion dinners on the day before Chinese New Year are often the largest and most expensive of the year. Some families use special and expensive foods to look good to others; others use meaningful foods to bring luck. Jiaozi (a kind of dumpling) are common in northern China. People think they look like the old Chinese silver bars and hold luck inside. Egg rolls and spring rolls like lumpia can also be made to look like golden bars, and oranges and tangerines are thought to look like gold coins. Noodles like or Filipino pancit are eaten uncut to wish for long life. Other foods are eaten because their Chinese names sound like lucky words.

Some Chinese also put out " Trays of Togetherness," dishes with eight different kinds of snack foods. Some common things to put in these trays are kumquats, longans, pieces of coconut meat, peanuts, candies, and melon and lotus seeds. Eight is a lucky number to many Chinese people, like seven in Europe and other places. These dishes are very common among Malaysian and Indonesian Chinese.

For the Lantern Festival, the special food is yuanxiao, small balls of sticky rice in a sweet soup. Lichun always happens near the Chinese New Year as well. It is celebrated by eating spring pancakes ().

Interesting facts about Chinese New Year

About 1/4 of the world's population celebrates Chinese New Year.

San Francisco has held a Chinese New Year celebration since the 1860s, during the gold rush and claims that its Chinese New Year parade is the biggest celebration outside of Asia.

People try to eat as many dumplings as they can on Chinese New Year because dumplings represent wealth.

Pears are considered rude to give as a gift because the Chinese word for pears (梨 lí /lee/) sounds the same as the word for leaving or parting (离 lí).

In China, females are said to be marriageable up to 30, and males before 32. Because of this, some people rent a boyfriend or girlfriend for Chinese New Year to make visiting their families easier.

An old Chinese belief says that the second day of the new year is the birthday of all dogs and that people should be extra kind to dogs that day.

According to Chinese tradition, whatever someone does on New Year's Day sets the precedent for the rest of the year.

Chinese supermarkets report that sales of adult diapers increase by 50% during the Chinese New Year traveling season.

Images for kids

Southeast Asia's largest temple - Kek Lok Si near George Town in Penang, Malaysia - illuminated in preparation for the Chinese New Year.

Cian cui is an Indonesian tradition during the Chinese New Year which involves splashing others with water. Photograph taken in Selatpanjang, Riau, Indonesia.

In Spanish: Año Nuevo chino para niños

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Las Posadas is a novenario (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and by Hispanics in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate the holiday, with very few changes to the tradition.

Las Posadas derives from the Spanish word posada (, or accommodation) which, in this case, refers to the inn from the Nativity story. It uses the plural form as the celebration lasts for a nine-day interval (called the novena) during the Christmas season, which represents the nine-month pregnancy of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

This celebration has been a Mexican tradition for over 400 years, starting in 1586. Many Mexican holidays include dramatizations of original events, a tradition which has its roots in the ritual of Bible plays used to teach religious doctrine to a largely illiterate population in 10th- and 11th-century Europe. The plays lost favor with the Church and were eventually banned as they became popular through the addition of folk music and other non-religious elements; they were reintroduced in the 16th century by two Spanish saints as the Christmas pageant - a new kind of religious ceremony to accompany the Christmas holiday.

In Mexico, the winter solstice festival was one of the most important celebrations of the year that came on December 12 according to the Julian calendar used by the Spanish until 1582. According to the Aztec calendar, Tonantzin (the mother of the gods) was celebrated on the winter solstice, and she is still feted on December 12, while their most important deity, the sun god Huitzilopochtli, was born during the month of December (panquetzaliztli). The parallel in time between this native celebration and the celebration of Christmas lent itself to an almost-seamless merging of the two holidays. Seeing the opportunity to proselytize, Spanish missionaries brought the reinvented religious pageant to Mexico where they used it to teach the story of Jesus' birth. In 1586, Friar Diego de Soria obtained a Papal bull from Pope Sixtus V, stating that a Christmas mass should be observed throughout Mexico on the nine days preceding Christmas Day.

While its roots are in Catholicism, Protestant Latinos also follow the tradition.

Re-enactment

Two people dress up as Mary and Joseph and certain houses are designated to be "inns"; the head of the procession carries a candle inside a paper shade. The actors travel to one house each night for nine nights. At each house, the resident responds by singing a song and the pair are recognized and allowed to enter; the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). The final location may be a church instead of a home.

Individuals may play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph (José), with the expectant mother riding a real donkey, attendants such as angels and shepherds joining along the way, or pilgrims who may carry images of the holy personages instead, while children may carry poinsettias. The procession is followed by musicians, with the entire procession singing posadas such as pedir posada. At the end of each night, Christmas carols are sung, children break open star-shaped piñatas and everyone sits for a feast. The piñatas used during the holiday are traditionally made out of clay.

Regional variations

One event in Portland, Oregon, finishes with Santa Claus and Christmas gifts donated to needy children.

A large procession has been held since 1966 along the San Antonio River Walk. It traverses large landmarks in San Antonio, Texas, including the Arneson River Theater, Museo Alameda, and the Spanish Governor's Palace, ending at the Cathedral of San Fernando.

In the Philippines, the tradition of Las Posadas is illustrated by the Panunulúyan pageant; sometimes it is performed immediately before the Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass) and sometimes on each of the nine nights. The main difference, compared to Mexico, is that actors are used for Mary and Joseph instead of statues and sing the requests for accommodation. The lines of the "innkeepers" are also often sung, but sometimes these respond without singing. Another difference is that the lyrics are not in Spanish but in a Philippine language.

In Nicaragua, the older generations grew up celebrating posadas, but the tradition fell out of fashion in cities by the 1960s; however, another major holiday called La Gritería (The Shoutings), on 7 December in honor of La Purísima Virgen (The Purest Virgin). La Purísima originated in León in the 1600s with Franciscan friars, and the celebration spread quickly throughout the country. By the 1800s, it became a national holiday and has since become a tradition in the Nicaraguan diaspora. La Purísima starts at noon on December 7 with major fireworks. Around 6:00 PM more fireworks announce the time when adults and children go out around their neighborhoods or towns with burlap sacks in hand visiting different altars while caroling the Virgin Mary. In exchange for singing, people receive sweets, fruit and toys. The celebration goes on into the night. At midnight, fireworks in the shape of Mary, stars and angels begin, typically lasting half an hour.

Cuba has a similar tradition called Parrandas; though, its atmosphere is more similar to Carnaval. The tradition began in the 19th century by Father Francisco Vigil de Quiñones, the priest of the Grand Cathedral of Remedios, in order to get the people to go to midnight masses the week before Christmas; he had the idea to put together groups of children and provide them with jars, plates, and spoons so they could run around the village making noise and singing verses. The idea persisted over the years and gained a street party ending.

In Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, families and friends gather from the 16th to the 24th of December to pray the Novena de Aguinaldos.

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Las Posadas is a novenario (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and by Hispanics in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate the holiday, with very few changes to the tradition.

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Fasting is supposed to teach Muslims about patience and spiritual things. It is a time for Muslims to think about how the poor and homeless suffer without lots of food, it helps Muslims to be more obedient, and less greedy.

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Diwali / Deepavali

Also called

Deepavali

Observed by

Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists

Type

Indian, Cultural, Seasonal

Celebrations

Diya and lighting, home decoration, shopping, fireworks, puja (prayers), gifts, performing religious rituals, feast, and sweets

Begins

Dhanteras, 2 days before Diwali

Ends

Bhai Dooj, 2 days after Diwali

Date

Varies per Hindu Lunisolar calendar

2022 date

October 24

2023 date

November 12

2024 date

November 1

2025 date

October 20

Related to

Kali Puja, Diwali (Jainism), Bandi Chhor Divas

Diwali (also: Deepawali) is one of India's biggest festivals. The word Deepawali means "rows of lighted lamps." It is a festival of lights, and Hindus celebrate it with joy. During this festival, people light up their houses and shops with Diyas (small cup-shaped oil lamps made of baked clay). They worship the Lord Ganesha for welfare and prosperity and Goddess Lakshmi for wealth and wisdom.

This festival is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartika, which falls sometime during October or November. In many parts of India, Deepawali is celebrated for five days in a row. Hindus consider it a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen relationships. In some parts of India, it marks the beginning of a new year. People clean and decorate their houses before the festival. They create colorful rangoli artworks on floors.

Deepawali is celebrated and is a public holiday in countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also a school holiday in many states of the United States with a large Hindu population. President George W. Bush had the first celebration of the holiday in the White House.

Description and rituals

Diwali is a five-day festival in many regions of India, with Diwali night centering on the new moon, which is the darkest night of autumn. The festival takes place at the end of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin and the start of the month of Kartika, which is usually the end of October or the first half of November on the Gregorian calendar. The night is beautifully lit with diyas, candles, and lanterns. Many sounds and sights, like fireworks and rangoli designs, make the night memorable. It is a celebration of flavors as well, with feasts and many (candies, desserts). Diwali brings family and friends together each year, so it is also a festival of emotions.

Rituals and preparations for Diwali begin days or weeks in advance. The festival officially begins two days before the night of Diwali and ends two days after Diwali. Each day is a special celebration.

Day 1 - Dhanteras: This day marks the birthdays of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Dhanvantari, the god of health and healing. Dhanvantari is associated with Ayurveda, a form of natural therapy and different healing practices. People clean and decorate their homes and offices. Lights are arranged. They also use this day to buy gold and silver jewelry.

Day 2 - Naraka Chaturdasi: On this day, people celebrate goddess Kali and Lord Krishna's defeat of the demon Narakasura to free the world from fear. Special bathing rituals, such as a fragrant oil bath, are held in some regions, followed by small pujas. Women decorate their hands with henna designs. Families are also busy preparing homemade sweets for the main Diwali.

Day 3 - Lakshmi Puja: This is the main celebration day. People wear their new clothes or their best outfits as the evening approaches. Then diyas are lit and pujas are offered to Lakshmi. They ask for her blessing for a good year ahead. People open their doors and windows to let her in. After the puja, people go outside and celebrate by lighting up patakhe (fireworks). Next, they head back to a family feast, conversations, and mithai.

Day 4 - Padwa, Balipratipada: Padwa is celebrated differently in different parts of India. In Northern Indian states, people worship their instruments, arms (weapons), and equipment. This day celebrates the love and mutual devotion between the wife and husband. The husbands give thoughtful or elaborate gifts to their wives. In some parts of India, where the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar is popular, this day also marks the beginning of the new year. Lord Krishna is also honored on this day.

Day 5 - Bhai Duj, Bhaiya Dooji: The last day of the festival is called Bhai dooj (Brother's second) or Bhai tika in Nepal, where it is the major day of the festival. It celebrates the sister-brother-loving relationship. The day emphasizes the love and lifelong bond between siblings.

Festival of peace

On this festive occasion, Hindu, Jain, and Sikh communities also mark charitable causes, kindness, and peace. For example, at the international border, every year on Diwali, Indian forces approach Pakistani forces and offer traditional Indian candies on the occasion of Diwali. The Pakistani soldiers who anticipate the gesture return the goodwill with an assortment of Pakistani candies.

Interesting facts about Diwali

"Shubh Deepavali" is a popular greeting during Diwali. It means, "Have a successful Diwali."

The fireworks on day 3 of Diwali celebrate Diwali legend Prince Rama's (the Hindu god Vishnu in human form) return to his kingdom after being exiled for 14 years and defeating king Ravana.

The first Diwali festival was celebrated more than 2,500 years ago.

Paper or oil lanterns are lit during every Diwali not just to cast out the darkness but to honor the spirits of the dead who visit their relatives' houses to wish them well.

India's city of Sivakasi provides around 90% of its famous fireworks.

More than 800 million people worldwide celebrate Diwali with various traditions and festivities.

The dyes that help give the rangoli its striking colors are usually made out of naturally dyed rice flour, turmeric, vermilion, and fresh flowers.

Fairs called melas are held during Diwali. These events include parades, dances, musical performances, henna artists, delicious food, and arts-and-crafts shows.

Images for kids

A picture of Lakshmi and Ganesha worship during Diwali.

Diwali celebrations include puja (prayers) to Lakshmi and Ganesha. Lakshmi is of the Vaishnavism tradition, while Ganesha of the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism.

Dhanteras starts off the Diwali celebrations with the lighting of Diya or Panati lamp rows, house cleaning, and floor rangoli.

In Spanish: Diwali para niños

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Christmas traditions in Australia, like Christmas in New Zealand, have many similarities to British, Irish, American and Canadian traditions, including traditional Christmas symbols featuring winter iconography. This means a red fur-coated Father Christmas or Santa Claus riding a sleigh, songs such as " Jingle Bells", and various Christmas scenes on Christmas cards and decorations. However, the timing of Christmas occurring during the Southern Hemisphere's summer season has resulted in the development of some local traditions as a result of the warmer weather.

The first Christmas celebrations in Australia have their roots to late 1788 and were introduced by convicts of the First Fleet, who arrived in Sydney Harbour early the same year. From the 19th century onwards, the tradition of erecting Christmas trees, the sending of Christmas cards and the display of decorations spread throughout Australia.

Since that time, Christmas in Australia has remained an official observer holiday and celebrates as a traditional summer-time occasion.

Traditions in common with New Zealand

The traditional Christmas tree is central to Christmas decorations, and strings of lights and tinsel are standard. Decorations appear in stores and on streets starting in November and are commonplace by early December. Many homeowners decorate the exterior of their houses. Displays range from modest to elaborate, sometimes with hundreds of lights and decorations depicting seasonal motifs such as Christmas trees, Santa Claus, reindeer, or nativity scenes. Particular regions have a tradition for elaborate displays, and attract a great amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic during the Christmas season. This is despite the longer days, resulting in sunset occurring after 8 p.m. in areas with daylight saving.

Most workplaces conduct a "Christmas Party" sometime during December, but rarely on Christmas Eve itself. As many people take their holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day, and many workplaces completely close for that period, these parties are effectively an end of the year or break-up party and frequently feature little or no reference to Christmas itself. Likewise, schools, TAFE (vocational training), and universities break for summer holidays. Schools typically end in the week before Christmas, to recommence in late January or early February. Following Christmas, many churches will change their evening meetings to a less formal format, while many hobby clubs also suspend or alter their meetings in this period.

In the lead up to Christmas, many businesses and residential houses will be decorated with Christmas lights and arrangements. It is common to drive around of an evening to look at lights from the car, or for families to walk the residential streets to see front yard displays. Some local councils will hold street light competitions, and maps are regularly posted highlighting the best street light displays.

On Christmas Eve, the children are told, Father Christmas or Santa Claus visits houses placing presents for children under the Christmas tree or in stockings or sacks which are usually hung by a fireplace. In recent decades many new apartments and homes have been built without traditional combustion fireplaces, however with some innovation the tradition persists. Snacks and beverages may be left out for Santa to consume during his visit, often milk and cookies, or a beer. Carrots are also commonly left for Santa's reindeer. The gifts are opened the next morning, on Christmas Day.

Families traditionally gather for a Christmas Day lunch. Traditions include decorated hams, roast turkey, roast chicken, salads and roast vegetables. Christmas crackers are pulled before eating. More recently, as appropriate to the often hotter weather of the day, it has become popular to serve local seasonal produce such as cold meats, seafood and salad. Similarly, dessert also includes a mix of traditional winter Christmas food (such as plum pudding with brandy butter, fruit mince pies, and trifle) alongside local traditions such as pavlova, and fresh fruit such as berries and kiwifruit. Candy canes are a popular confectionery for the children's table during the Christmas period.

Christmas by Michael Bublé re-enters the album charts every year at Christmas time until the new year, generally reaching number 1 or the top 5. Similarly, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey re-enters the singles charts each year until the new year.

As Christmas falls in summer, televised Christmas specials are not a large part of Australian Christmas traditions, unlike in the United Kingdom, in which it is one of the most important days for television ratings. Television ratings in Australia are not taken during the summer and schedules are mostly filled with repeats of old programs or previously cancelled shows. Some locally produced programs have a Christmas special, though often it will be shown early December and not on Christmas Day itself. Many television stations rerun Christmas-themed films in the weeks leading up to and including Christmas Day, such as It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and various film versions of A Christmas Carol. Outdoor activities such as street cricket or swimming are popular ways to spend Christmas Day.

Traditions specific to Australia

Some Australian songwriters and authors have occasionally depicted Santa in "Australian"-style clothing including an Akubra hat, with warm-weather clothing and thongs, and riding in a ute pulled by kangaroos, (e.g. Six White Boomers by Rolf Harris). There are also a small number of popularly recognised original Australian Christmas songs, including Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy, Colin Buchanan's Aussie Jingle Bells and Tim Minchin's White Wine in the Sun but these depictions have not replaced mainstream iconography.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards is widely practised in Australia. The price of a Christmas postage stamp is lower than that for a standard letter; senders are required to mark the envelope "card only" when using the lower priced stamps. In recent years the tradition of sending Christmas hampers has been increasing popular over the past 20 years, with many companies now gifting clients and staff.

Christmas Day and New Years Day are public holidays in Australia, along with Boxing Day (except in South Australia). Proclamation Day (28 December) is a public holiday now held on 26 December to provide uniformity with other states.

Local traditions

New South Wales

Carols in the Domain has traditionally taken place in Sydney the Saturday before Christmas Eve exclusive. However, since 2016 it has been held on the Sunday next before Christmas Eve exclusive.

Special events for international tourists away from their families are held on Bondi Beach in Sydney. These may involve a turkey barbecue and such humorous stunts as Santa surfing in to appear to the crowd.

South Australia

A popular tradition celebrated in Adelaide is the Adelaide Christmas Pageant. This parade is the largest of its kind in the world, attracting crowds of over 400,000 people. Begun in 1933 by the department store John Martins, the pageant is staged in early November every year, usually on a Saturday morning, marking the start of the Christmas season. It comprises a procession of floats, bands, clowns, dancing groups, and walking performers, all culminating in the arrival of Father Christmas. At the terminus of the pageant Father Christmas proceeded to the Magic Cave in the store (the event is no longer sponsored by a department store, and from 2019 the pageant finishes at the Adelaide Town Hall). Smaller scale pageants are also held in regional centres.

South Australia does not have a Boxing Day holiday. Rather, the weekday following Christmas Day being the Proclamation Day holiday. Christmas Eve, from 7:00 pm to midnight is now a Public Holiday.

Carols by Candlelight is a tradition that started in Melbourne in 1938 and has since spread around Australia and the world. At the event people gather on Christmas Eve, usually outdoors, to sing carols by candlelight in a large-scale concert style event. The Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight which takes place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, is televised nationwide and it has become a tradition for many Australians to watch the performance.

Western Australia

The Perth Christmas Pageant has been run in the central business district since 1972. It is organised by Seven West Media.

Between 1999 and 2016, the City of Perth ran an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Since 2017, it has been replaced with the Christmas Lights Trail, in which various Christmas-themed light displays are put around the City of Perth. The event runs from late November to either late December or early January.

Christmas music from Australia

First Hymn for Christmas Day

James Johnson

1840s

Composed for Saint James Church, Van Diemen's Land

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Christmas traditions in Australia, like Christmas in New Zealand, have many similarities to British, Irish, American and Canadian traditions, including traditional Christmas symbols featuring winter iconography. This means a red fur-coated Father Christmas or Santa Claus riding a sleigh, songs such as " Jingle Bells", and various Christmas scenes on Christmas cards and decorations.

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St. Lucia Day or "Saint Lucy's Day" is a holiday that is held on December 13 in several countries in Europe. Those countries include Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. The holiday is in honor of Saint Lucy. On this day, young girls (mostly the oldest daughter of the house) dress like Saint Lucia in a white robe and a crown of candles. There are parades, pageants, and the girl playing Lucia serves cakes. They also sing special songs. Here is one of the songs:

The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

The Lucia celebrations also include ginger snaps and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns ( lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. People eat them with glögg or coffee.

Images for kids

Lucia procession at a meeting in the Swedish parliament. The so-called "star boys" follow Lucia in the procession.

Birgit Ridderstedt dressed to perform as St. Lucy in Chicago in 1951.

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Learn About Las Posadas AND Practice Sight Words! (for Kindergarten with Visuals for ELLs)

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🕯 Las Posadas for Kids | 16 December | Twinkl USA

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How CHRISTMAS Started ? - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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Ever wonder about the witch-like woman with a broomstick that you see in Christmas markets around Italy?