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Ideas for classroom activities for each day of Advent. Examples in French & Gaelic.

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Book Creator is a simple tool for creating awesome digital books. Create your own teaching resources or have your students take the reins.

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A spotlight on some key resources and websites, plus simple ideas for you to try in the classroom.

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Sway: Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more.

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Sway is an easy-to-use digital storytelling app for creating interactive reports, presentations, personal stories and more. Its built-in design engine helps you create professional designs in minutes. With Sway, your images, text, videos, and other multimedia all flow together in a way that enhances…

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Try a different activity or resource each day in December. How many can you do with your class? What's their favourite?

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Family Learning - Daily language activities calendar

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December 2021 Christmas and winter celebrations

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1. Bidh iad a' tighinn air Oidhche Nollaig ...

(Listen and Sing)

A jolly song for Christmas. Listen to each line individually as well as the whole song.

Created on 29 June 2011

(Make and Print)

... Birthday) Inside: Meal do latha sònraichte! (have a lovely day) Christmas card (download, 473k) Outside: Nollaig Chrìdheil (Merry Christmas) agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr! agus (a Happy New Year) ...

Created on 05 August 2011

3. Play @Home Lyrics

(Listen and Sing)

... Sìos, sìos, sìos, sìos. Ròlaidh, pòlaidh, ròlaidh, pòlaidh, A-mach, a-mach, a-mach, a-mach. Ròlaidh, pòlaidh, ròlaidh, pòlaidh, A-steach, a-steach, a-steach, a-steach. x 2 21. Tha Bodach na Nollaig a' ...

Created on 05 August 2011

(Uncategorised)

... Bothan Chaluim 20. Ròlaidh, Pòlaidh 21. Tha Bodach na Nollaige a' Tighinn a- Nochd 22. Màiri Bheag a' Falbh dhan Sgoil 23. Gnog air Doras 24. Ceann, Gualainn, Glùinean, Cas 25 ...

Created on 29 June 2011

(Make and Print)

... Co-là-breith sona dhut! (Happy Birthday) Inside: Meal do latha sònraichte! (have a lovely day) Christmas card (download, 139k) Outside: Nollaig Chrìdheil (Merry Christmas) agus Bliadhna ...

Created on 29 June 2011

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Gaelic4Parents.com - Helping parents to participate in their children's Gaelic learning through Gaelic for parents - search results

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1. Bidh iad a' tighinn air Oidhche Nollaig ... (Listen and Sing) A jolly song for Christmas. Listen to each line individually as well as the whole song. Created on 29 June 2011 (Make and Print) ... Birthday) Inside: Meal do latha sònraichte!

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Primary Resources: Modern Foreign Languages

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Primary Resources - free worksheets, lesson plans and teaching ideas for primary and elementary teachers.

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Christmas Zone | French, Spanish and Italian | Euroclub Schools

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Euroclub Schools. Facts about Christmas in France, Spain and Italy. Christmas carols and songs. Christmas jokes. Christmas quiz. Christmas traditions.

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Vive le vent d'hiver (chanson de Noël pour petits avec paroles)

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Traditional French Carol - Petit Papa Noel

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Traditional French Carol - Petit Papa Noel

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Petit Papa Noël (chanson de Noël pour petits avec paroles)

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Le petit renne au nez rouge (Chanson de noël avec paroles)ⒹⒺⓋⒶ Noël des enfants

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Titounis - Comptine bébé - Chanson enfant

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La fiche recette de la galette des rois à imprimer. Une manière ludique et gourmande pour apprendre le vocabulaire de la galette aux enfants.

5 - 11 âge

CP - CM2 classe

Une recette en image et texte photo-copiable de la galette des rois. Utilisable pour l'école cycle 1 ou la maison.

À lire aussi

La rédaction de Mômes.net Article mis à jour le

Partager cet article :

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recette et texte et image : la galette des rois

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La fiche recette de la galette des rois à imprimer. Une manière ludique et gourmande pour apprendre le vocabulaire de la galette aux enfants. 5 - 11 âge CP - CM2 classe Une recette en image et texte photo-copiable de la galette des rois. Utilisable pour l'école cycle 1 ou la maison.

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Ingredients

For the cream filling

For the chocolate buttercream

Method

STEP 1

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan /gas 7. Line a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and oil lightly. Whisk the caster sugar and yolks in a bowl until pale and thick. Melt the chocolate with 4 tbsp cold water in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in the sugar mix.

STEP 2

Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a spoonful into the chocolate, then fold in remaining using a large metal spoon. Pour batter into tin and bake for 12-14 mins until risen and just firm. Leave in tin until cold.

STEP 3

Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a board. With one bold movement, turn the cake onto the paper, then lift off the tin. Carefully peel away the lining paper.

STEP 4

Spread the whipped cream all over the cake, then scatter over the berries with a dribble of Drambuie, if you like. Starting at the long side opposite you, use the paper to roll the cake towards you. Transfer to a serving dish.

STEP 5

For the buttercream, beat the butter, then sift in sugar and cocoa. Add milk and mix together. Spread over cake, use a fork to create a log effect, and chill until needed. Decorate, dust with icing sugar and serve.

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For the cream filling For the chocolate buttercream STEP 1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan /gas 7. Line a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and oil lightly. Whisk the caster sugar and yolks in a bowl until pale and thick.

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TIP

For best results, use powdered food colouring. Water-based colours and oil-based gels will thin the mixture.

BLUEBERRY & CREAM MACARONS

Use 1 tsp violet food colouring instead of red to make the macarons. For the filling, whip 100ml double cream to stiff peaks and spoon or pipe onto half the macaron shells, top with a couple of blueberries and sandwich with a second macaron shell.

MINT CHOCOLATE MACARONS

Use 1 tsp green colouring instead of red to make the macarons. For the filling, make a double amount and add 1 tsp peppermint extract when adding the cream. Pipe or spoon onto half the macaron shells and sandwich with another shell.

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TIP For best results, use powdered food colouring. Water-based colours and oil-based gels will thin the mixture. BLUEBERRY & CREAM MACARONS Use 1 tsp violet food colouring instead of red to make the macarons. For the filling, whip 100ml double cream to stiff peaks and spoon or pipe onto half the macaron shells, top with a couple of blueberries and sandwich with a second macaron shell.

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It's that time again.
You know, the most wonderful time of the year!

Your young French learners have been eagerly waiting for it.

And if you're like me, you've probably been counting down the days to Christmas, too!

The food, the Christmas markets, the Christmas spirit-Christmas is truly magical.

So make it special!

The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to engage with your students and make French lessons even more fun.

It's also a great way to create memories and inspiration that will stick with them for the rest of the year, and years to come.

Here are some uplifting, highly-efficient French activities specifically designed for Christmas that will get your students into the holiday spirit!

But first, let's take a closer look at some of the benefits of bringing Christmas into your French classroom.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Benefits of French Christmas Activities for Your KS2 Students

They're engaging: Christmas makes students happy! L'Esprit de Noël (Christmas spirit) does wonders to raise the attention level of your young students. You'll quickly notice that even your little introverts will want to participate and share their thoughts on their favorite holiday, so make the most of it!

They can increase understanding of the French language and culture: Language is best practiced in context. Christmas has its own vocabulary, expressions and idioms. Aside from teaching your students the cultural aspects of French Christmas-including different Christmas traditions throughout the country-you'll be greatly increasing their overall ability to communicate in French.

They make your students comfortable: Christmas activities put your students at ease. Cheery and uplifting, they shift the focus from pure language to communication: And that's what language is really all about! With these activities, you'll quickly notice that even your shyest students won't stop talking: They won't worry as much about making mistakes.

Perfect Occasions: 5 Christmas Activities to Make Your KS2 Students Love French Forever

1. Les décorations de Noël (Christmas decorations)

It all starts with setting the right tone!

Gathering your students together to let them create their own Christmas decorations is the perfect way to kick off this year's French Christmas activities in style. It will put them in a good mood and predispose them to being excited about the other wonderful activities you have in store for them.

It's also just a great way to bring the Christmas spirit to the classroom, and to let your students make the classroom their own by embellishing it.

To start, get your hands on some decoration materials. Partner with the art teacher, if your school has one. Materials can include colorful boards, glitter pens, Christmas stickers, cotton to mimic snow, cinnamon sticks to create a holiday feel, etc....

Start off by introducing the activity and getting your students' feedback: What do they think about it? What do they want to do? Get them talking!

Then, introduce the materials: This is a great opportunity to review some tricky French grammar points in context.

For example, you can explain the difference between types of articles:

de la cannelle - cinnamon
un bâton de cannelle - a cinnamon stick

This is also a good time to teach them some new words using the art materials and supplies you've brought in. For example:

une paire de ciseaux - a pair of scissors

des autocollants - stickers

des paillettes - glitter

des crayons de couleur - crayons

A good way to do this is to brandish the material and ask the class, "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" (What is this?)

Some of your students may know the right word: Reward them by letting them pick their favorite Christmas sticker!

Then, get started! Give your students the opportunity to either work on their own decorations or join a group: If they opt for the former, ask them what they intend on doing: They should reply in French. If they don't know a word, write it on the blackboard so the other students can learn it, too.

Some fun ideas include a sign with Christmas greetings, a Christmas house or a famous Christmas character such as le Père Noël (Santa), les lutins de Noël (Christmas elves) or la Mère Noël (Mother Christmas).

For your students who prefer to join a group activity, ask them to create a Christmas storyboard for the class. Help the group come up with a basic storyline, such as what happens at Santa's workshop, how Santa prepares for Christmas and how he distributes presents on Christmas Eve.

In the scenario above, each student should be assigned a scene: Make sure that they love it! They should number their own scene to keep things in chronological order, and then start drawing! Make sure that each student includes a brief French explanation of what the scene is about at the bottom, and help them come up with the right words if necessary.

Eventually, this will make for a great mural. You can put the drawings side by side on the wall. This activity can get noisy quickly, so make sure your students are happy, but that they behave!

2. Les chansons de Noël (Christmas carols)

Christmas carols are the perfect way to bring students together. But for the French classroom, they can be so, so much more than that!

They are an opportunity to teach new vocabulary using a familiar tune: Your students already know the music-now teach them the lyrics in French!

Carols also can make students more aware of both cultural differences and similarities: After all, these are the same songs that French-speaking children sing on Christmas Day!

Prepare your lesson by sourcing the lyrics, songs and tunes for your Christmas carols: This YouTube channel has all the right songs to get you started, and some of them even have a karaoke version!

Alternatively, this website has all the resources you need for lyrics, songs and lyrical versions of many popular (and lesser-known) Christmas carols. Feel free to print out the lyrics of your favorite French Christmas songs to sing with your students during class.

Begin the activity by playing the song with lyrics first (the French version, of course!) and get your students' feedback: What do they think about it? What does it evoke for them? What do they think it means? What did they understand or not understand?

Then, either print out lyrics for them or turn the classroom into a karaoke bar: If the song you like isn't available with a karaoke version, you can make slides and show them to your students using a video projector.

This option requires more work on your part and that you stay focused throughout the song to manually skip through the slides, but it may be more interactive for your students.

Before playing the tune and singing the song together, be sure to finish thoroughly discussing the lyrics, any unknown words, the general meaning and what your students think of it. Is it similar to the English version (probably not!)?

Last, sing along! Start by playing the song for the entire class, and then split the song into three or four parts. Create corresponding groups: Each group will sing their part until the entire class has sung.

Continue by rotating parts for groups: The goal is to make sure they remember the song, and repetition is a foolproof method in that respect!

Make the most of the incredible French Christmas carol selection out there: It may be fun to introduce a new song per lesson or per week!

3. La lettre au Père Noël (Letter to Santa Claus)

Santa speaks every language in the world: Let's show him how studious your students have been all year by sending him a letter in French!

A Christmas letter writing workshop is a fantastic way to teach your students about French letter formatting while offering them an opportunity to express their creativity, too.

To prepare for this lesson, create a customized Christmas mailbox, decorate it and write:

Destination : Pôle Nord - Destination: North Pole

Lettres au Père Noël - Letters to Santa Claus

Classe de [your name] - Class of [your name]

Leave the mailbox on your desk: That will set the tone for the day's class and get your students' attention.

Discuss the mailbox and see what questions they have about it: That's a great way to raise their curiosity and the perfect introduction to the day's activity!

Start by discussing Santa Claus with them: Who he is, what he does. Ask if they like him. Ask them what kids have to do in order for Santa to give them presents. (Study hard, be good to their parents and teachers, be well-behaved, make their beds every day, say "Thank you," etc. are obvious answers, so make sure that you cover them!)

Introduce the activity: The goal is to share with Santa what good students they've been this year, and what better way to do that than to write a letter in French?

Discuss with them what they want to tell Santa in their letter: The goal is to make the lesson lively and engaging and to stimulate both speaking and communication skills by letting your students participate actively and share ideas. This is also the right time for them to ask vocabulary questions and for you to identify, correct and introduce new words to the class.

Move on by teaching your students writing guidelines and highlighting differences between French and English letters. Some things to watch out for are the date formatting and the order of sender and recipient.

Introduce them to the various formules de politesse (greetings) they can use to open and close their letters, connectors and new vocabulary.

One way to do this is to separate the board into two halves: The left side for the English format, and the right side for the French format.

You may prefer to jump right to the point and focus only on the French letter: This can be better with your younger students, but you may want to consider bringing up differences with students who have already learned letter-writing with their English teachers to avoid confusion.

Alternatively, check out this insightful website if you are looking for a template. Feel free to print it and hand it out to your students. Pay attention to the structure of the letter and discuss it together: This can be helpful to get them started.

It's also a good idea to show your students some examples of Lettres au Père Noël (Letters to Santa): This will help them to get an idea of what they should be aiming for, see what the format looks like and get some inspiration!

Thiswebsite features an impressive collection of authentic letters sent to Santa by children from the French-speaking world: It's a great resource for your students to get a feel for what others are telling him!

Another great website to look at is this one: It consists of a collection of fictional letters, all well-structured, well-written and very moving!

Then, proceed to the writing! Take at least 20 minutes: Feel free to walk around the class to watch your students' progress and be available for questions.

Finally, let your students place their letters in the mailbox. As Santa's French helper, don't feel bad for looking them over after class: This is a great opportunity to spot mistakes, assess the progress of your class and adjust accordingly.

4. Les contes de Noël (Christmas stories)

That's right! You're telling your students a Christmas story!

Start by changing your classroom setting: Rid your classroom of all desks and tables by putting them to the side, and gather chairs in the center of the room into a half-circle. Your chair should be facing your students: You're the storyteller!

Pick a story they'll love: "Les Contes" by Andersen is a good resource filled with magical fairytales. The stories may not be Christmas-centered, but the feel is perfect for casting that traditional ambiance that evokes the holidays!

But if you believe that nothing but Christmas will do for your students, browse this website for inspiration: There are numerous cheery Christmas stories that will do wonders!

Alternatively, use this activity to introduce French Christmas culture: Simply turn a Christmas-related subject into a fairy tale! Some examples of great stories could be Les origines de Noël (The Origins of Christmas), La légende de St Nicolas (The Legend of St. Nicholas) or La légende des guirlandes du sapin de Noël (The Legend of the Christmas Tree's Garlands).

How to do this? Start with "Il était une fois" (Once upon a time) and focus on the characters, their struggles and what they learn. A great story is moving, magical and relatable. If you need some guidance, this insightful TED talk by Andrew Stanton, the man behind "Toy Story" and "WALL-E," will help you tell a great story!

Once you know what your story is and how to tell it, don't forget to make it simple and understandable. Take your time to introduce the story, characters and cultural elements before you proceed to telling the story: Bring up key elements, words, names and expressions you'll be using that are unfamiliar, and take the time to explain them first.

Write them on the board and repeat them together several times: This will activate your students' immediate memory every time you read the words!

Don't break the flow of the story too much while you're telling it, though. Instead, make the new vocabulary interactive: If your character is a bear, move like a bear. If your heroine is sad, do your best sad face. If you mention an enemy, make it such that you convey a sense of danger. Another good tip is to change voices so your students understand who's who and can follow you with greater ease.

However, it's not necessarily a bad idea to pause every once in a while and ask them what they think is going on to make sure that they understand. Get thoughts on the characters, their choices and what your students think is going to happen: Make sure that they participate!

5. Le goûter de Noël (Christmas teatime)

Food is a great way to teach your students about French culture and customs. After all, who doesn't love to eat?

During the days leading up to Christmas, host a Christmas teatime with your students! Sitting together at a table and sharing a meal is a great way to deepen your relationship with your students, and Christmas is perhaps the best time of the year to do that!

Make the Christmas teatime activity more than a one-time event: Host multiple activities around it or at least discuss it on multiple occasions with your students. This should be the climax of your French Christmas activities, a reward for their efforts and diligent participation!

Review Christmas traditions throughout France: Christmas in France is very similar to Christmas in most of the English-speaking world. After all, we share a common Christian heritage. Nevertheless, discussing Christmas traditions together is a great way to keep the Christmas spirit up-and learn French together! This resource offers a detailed review of the various Christmas customs, rites and characters that make Christmas so special in France!

Review French Christmas recipes: This is the time to introduce your students to the diversity of French cuisine-and teach them the culinary lexicon that will enable them to search for, read and execute authentic French recipes on the internet!

Make sure the recipes aren't too elaborate: This website, which has been specifically designed for young French students, will be perfect for your French learners. Aside from including numerous yummy recipes, it has beautiful pictures for immediate image/word association, it's easy to understand and it's all in French! Alternatively, use this site for additional inspiration: Some recipes may be more difficult to execute, but it's very comprehensive.

Focus on introducing key vocabulary: Recipes are generally based around the same format and words, starting with ingredients and directions. Start with a template recipe of your choice: List ingredients on the board and detail the process step by step. Drawing skills help, but don't overthink it!

Direct your students to websites or print out your favorite recipes: Make sure that each student picks one type of recipe so that there aren't too many of the same things. Bûche de Noël (Christmas log cake), (chocolate mendiants) or truffes en chocolat (chocolate truffles) are all-time favorites, but the options are endless! Make sure that the dishes are actual French Christmas dishes. This will be a great way for your students to have a taste of the real thing!

Make sure that everyone is on board and can come up with their own baked goods for the occasion. Based on experience, this should never be a problem for your little eaters...but you do want to let their parents know about the activity. You don't want your students to start baking without adult supervision at home, so communicate with the parents to make sure that they do their part!

To prepare efficiently, in the weeks leading to Christmas, make sure to:

And if you're feeling generous, why not have a present exchange, too?

With these uplifting activities that are easy to execute, we're sure that your students will learn from and love your French Christmas classes, and remember them fondly for the rest of their lives.

Un très joyeux Noël à vous tous! (A very merry Christmas to you all!)

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Oh, and One More Thing...

If you liked these teaching ideas, you'll love using FluentU in your classroom. FluentU takes real-world videos-like music videos, cartoons, documentaries and more-and turns them into personalized language learning lessons for you and your students.

It's got a huge collection of authentic French videos that people in the French-speaking world actually watch on the regular. There are tons of great choices there when you're looking for songs for in-class activities.
Bring French immersion to your classroom!
You'll find music videos, musical numbers from cinema and theater, kids' singalongs, commercial jingles and much, much more.

On FluentU, all the videos are sorted by skill level and are carefully annotated for students. Words come with example sentences and definitions. Students will be able to add them to their own vocabulary lists, and even see how the words are used in other videos.

For example, if a student taps on the word " suit," they'll see this:

Plus, these great videos are all accompanied by interactive features and active learning tools for students, like multimedia flashcards and fun questions based on what the student already knows.

It's perfect for in-class activities, group projects and solo homework assignments. Not to mention, it's guaranteed to get your students excited about French!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach French with real-world videos.

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Perfect Occasions: 5 Christmas Activities to Make Your KS2 Students Love French Forever | FluentU French Educator Blog

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It's that time again. You know, the most wonderful time of the year! Your young French learners have been eagerly waiting for it. And if you're like me, you've probably been counting down the days to Christmas, too! The food, the Christmas markets, the Christmas spirit-Christmas is truly magical.

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Te voilà arrivé sur la page dédiée aux comptines et chansons ! Alors mets la musique en route, retiens bien les paroles, récites moi ta comptine préférée, puis prend un, deux ou trois crayons de couleurs et c'est parti pour une petite activité coloriage! 😀 Les comptines et chansons sont classées par thème.

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Conte de Noël, le dessin animé La Nuit avant Noël

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J'aime bien changer de tous les ans, mais les enfants préfèrent qu'on leur répète jour après jour les mêmes comptines alors, voici différentes comptines de Noël avec une mise en page en A5 couleur afin de contenter tout le monde !! cliquer sur l'image pour afficher en grand et enregistrer &nb ...

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Where is Santa | French Christmas story | Little Red Languages

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Animated children's story for French language learning. It's nearly Christmas, but Santa is missing! Join Santa's grandchildren, Lolly and Larkin, in a quest to search all the rooms in the house for him.

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Bidh spòrs gu leòr agad ag ionnsachadh fhaclan agus òrain mu àm na Nollaig. Faodaidh tu èisteachd ri sgeulachd mu Oidhche na Nollaig, òran Nollaig a sheinn, agus mòran eile! Saoil cia mheud beathach a chì thu san stàball?

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Interactive Advent Calendar from Lingobox 

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Interactive Advent Calendar from Lingobox 

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Highlighting Christmas and winter celebrations around the world.

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On each day in December 2015, test your knowledge on how Christmas is celebrated around the world, using our very own interactive advent calendar. Most of the facts and photos in the Woodlands Junior advent calendar below have been sent to us by schools and visitors around the world.

No peeking before the correct day.

The Woodlands Junior Advent Calendar 2015 online interactive advent calendar contains fascinating facts and information about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries around the world including:

How does red-suited Santa survive in the heat of a Brazilian summer?

In what country is Pavlova a popular Christmas dessert?

Advent calendars have long helped build excitement and anticipation on the countdown to Christmas, typically revealing a pretty picture or piece of chocolate behind the cardboard door for each December day along the way.

This page, and the contents of the advent calendar, are updated daily in December by Mandy Barrow.

Can't open the Window? l Information for Teachers and Parents

Message from a Teacher:

"Thank you so much for the wonderful Advent Calendar! This is the second year I'm using it in my class. The students love it and learn so much. I have turned it into an oral communication and mapping skills activity. The students locate on their own copy of the world were each country is located then they write important points about how each country celebrates. They also do predicting based on the flag."

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Online Advent Calendar 2015 - Interactive and Fun

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On each day in December 2015, test your knowledge on how Christmas is celebrated around the world, using our very own interactive advent calendar. Most of the facts and photos in the Woodlands Junior advent calendar below have been sent to us by schools and visitors around the world.

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Art, craft and colouring Display Intercultural Number activities Puzzles and games Reading activities Speaking activities Translation activities Video and audio Word lists and mats Writing activities

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Fun Christmas games, information and activities in French, Spanish and Italian.

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Welcome | French, Spanish, Italian | Euroclub Schools

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Welcome to the Euroclub Schools website! Digital educational resources in French, Spanish and Italian. Facts about France. Facts about Spain. Facts about Italy. Languages, culture, songs, music, recipes, quizzes, teaching resources.

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Signing Christmas songs and a 'sign a day' calendar.

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Have you thought about hosting a Christmas-themed fundraiser? SignHealth has commissioned two Christmas songs to be translated into sign language for anyone that signs up to sign2sing. So if you want a unique fundraising experience in the lead up to Christmas, sign2sing Christmas is for you.

What songs are available? Currently, we have

We've created an advent calendar of signs so that you can learn a sign a day in the lead up to Christmas and your fundraising concerts.

Sign a day advent calendar
Sign a day advent calendar
If Christmas isn't for you, sign up to the main sign2sing event by clicking here

Register

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Have you thought about hosting a Christmas-themed fundraiser? SignHealth has commissioned two Christmas songs to be translated into sign language for anyone that signs up to sign2sing. So if you want a unique fundraising experience in the lead up to Christmas, sign2sing Christmas is for you. What songs are available?

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Scotslanguage.com - Scots Christmas Activities

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Christmas is an excellent opportunity to use Scots with your learners. Some schools use Scots nativity plays, sing Scots versions of popular Christmas songs or create Christmas cards using Scots.Younger learners can listen to Susan Rennie reading an extract from her story, '12 Days o Yule', ...

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It is a PowerPoint presentation that tells a bit about Polish Christmas traditions and food. It lasts for about 6 minutes and might be played with music - ...

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Lots of great resources and ideas for the class and whole school from the BBC with videos & animations.

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To support teaching around the Jewish festival of Hanukkah here is a collection of BBC resources for primary schools that can be used in the classroom.

Hanukkah is observed for eight days and nights beginning on 28 November, 2021 .

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To support teaching around the Jewish festival of Hanukkah here is a collection of BBC resources for primary schools that can be used in the classroom. Hanukkah is observed for eight days and nights beginning on 28 November, 2021 .

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Great variety of resources mainly for upper primary and beyond including arts & crafts, revising numbers, stories, traditions and more.

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Traditional Scottish Recipes
- Index Page

Some Treats You Can Make

Here is a collection of traditional recipes from Scotland, ranging from drop scones and tablet to melting moments and whisky toddy. To help you with ingredients which may not be familiar to you, there is also a small dictionary of UK to US cooking terms>.

New recipes in this section are added regularly, so bookmark the page and come back for second helpings!

Abernethy Biscuits> - with caraway seeds and sugar.

Antipasto Picnic Bread with Smoked Chicken and Carpaccio - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Anzac Biscuits - a variation of Scottish oat cakes

Apple Butterscotch Pie - with a meringue topping.

Apple Scone - one of many versions of scone.

Arbroath Toasties - with smoked haddock, egg and cheese.

Arran Potato Salad - traditional potato salad.

Atholl Brose> - made from whisky and oatmeal.

"Auld Reekie" Cock-a-Leekie Soup> - chicken soup with whisky.

Baked Brown Trout - cooked in their own juices.

Baked Cod and Egg - Egg sauce and cod blend well.

Baked Salmon with Tarragon - with bacon and chopped onions.

Bannocks> - also known as oatcakes.

Barley Pudding - distinctive flavour in a simple recipe.

Beef Cooked in Claret - from the Auld Alliance?

Beer Battered Fish - Fried Fish battered and deep-fat fried.

Black Bun> - a New Year's Eve treat.

Brandy Wafers> - Delicious with ice cream.

Bread and Butter Pudding - A tangy version for using up stale bread.

Broken Biscuit Cake> - easy to make.

Butterscotch - a brittle sweet (candy) made from butter and sugar.

Caledonian Cream> - a refreshing dessert.

Caramel Shortbread> - sometimes called "Millionaires' Shortbread".

Carpaccio Platter with Beetroot and Horseradish Relish - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Carrot Cake> - popular in "home baking" restaurants.

Carrot and Orange Soup - a tasty winter warmer.

Catriona's Chicken - chicken and vegetables with chilli and curry

Cauiliflower and Bacon Soup - adds a great flavour to plain cauliflower.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Cheese Soup - from a master chef.

Cauliflower Cheese and Whisky - an extra kick for a standard vegetable.

Cauliflower Cheese and Whisky - made with Caboc and Dunsyre Blue cheeses and whisky!

Cheese Scones - a tasty variation on standard scones.

Cheesecake "Never Fail" - a recipe that is claimed never to fail!

Chicken Bonnie Prince Charlie - with Drambuie.

Chicken in the Heather - basted with honey and other flavours.

Chocolate Fudge - who can resist it?

Chocolate, Orange and Whisky Mousse - an easy to make sweet.

Chocolate Velvet Cream Pie - from cookery expert Claire Macdonald.

Chocolate Whisky Gateau - perfect for parties.

Citrus Cake - a tasty, tangy, treat!

Clapshot> - potatoes, turnips and chives.

Cloutie Dumpling> - a Christmas favourite.

Cloutie Dumpling Parfait> - a new twist- iced dumpling.

Cock-a-Leekie Soup> - goes back to the 16th century.

Cocktails> - using some of Scotland's liquid gold.

Cocktails 2> - using whisky or Drambuie liqueur.

Colcannon or Rumbledethumps> - with potato and cabbage.

Corned Beef Soufflé> - low cost and nourishing.

Cottage Pie> - minced beef topped by potatoes.

Country Egg Casserole - with vegetables, eggs and cheese.

Crab Pâté Pasta> - a new pasta dish.

Cranachan> - oatmeal, cream and Drambuie.

Cranachan with Raspberries and Shortbread> - from an award-winning restaurant.

Crispie Mars Bars - children of all ages love them!

Crumpets> - soft, thin pancakes.

Cullen Skink> - a rich soup made from smoked haddock.

Date and Walnut Loaf> - popular in Scottish tea-rooms.

Devilled Chicken - chicken spiced up with mustard and Worcestershire sauce

Diet Loaf> - a very light sponge, known in the days of Sir Walter Scott.

Dornoch Dreams - with raspberries, cream and Drambuie liqueur.

Drambuie Cocktails - from Dancing Leprechaun to Warm Woolly Sheep!

Drambuie Ice Cream> - Bonnie Prince Charlie's legacy.

Duck, Fig and Mozarella Salad with an Orange Dressing - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Drop Scones> - even children can make this one!

Drunken Rhubarb Crumble> - whisky adds zest!

Dundee Cake> - a rich fruit cake.

Dundee Lamb Chops - made with that Dundonian invention, marmalade.

Dunesslin Pudding - made with jam (preserve) or stewed fruit.

Ecclefechan Butter Tart> - a fruity dessert.

Edinburgh Fog> - a rich dessert.

Edinburgh Rock - a popular confection.

Empire Biscuit - "Empire Cookie" doesn't sound right.

Finnan Haddie - a famous Scottish delicacy.

Fisherman's Pie - topped with potato and cheese.

Fish Sausages - a variation on fish cakes.

Flan Case - the base for many pies and desserts.

Flapjacks - made with rolled oats.

Forfar Bridies> - first made by Maggie Bridie from Forfarshire.

Friar's Omelette - a sweet omelette with apples.

Fruit Slice - also know as "Flies Cemetery"...

Gaelic Coffee & Café au Drambuie> - some good ways to round off a meal.

Gaelic Fruits - after-dinner sweets, using fruit, chocolate - and whisky.

Gingerbread - a popular and tasty cake.

Ginger Wine> - to mix with whisky for "Whisky Mac".

Goose and Papaya Salad - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Goose Breast on Waldorf Salad with Garlicky Walnuts - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Green Pea Soup - serve hot or cold.

Grilled Salmon Balmoral - coated in oatmeal.

Grilled Salmon Trout - with leek and ginger bouillon.

Haggis - great chieftain o' the puddin' race.

Haggis Millefeuille - a fancy recipe from Turnberry Hotel.

Ham and Haddie Pie - haddock and bacon go well together.

Helensburgh Toffee - with the consistency of thick fudge.

Herring in Oatmeal> - two staples of old Scottish diet.

Herring and Drambuie Butter> - a modern addition.

Het Pint - a traditional New Year drink.

Honey and Lemon Chicken - succulent, tasty chicken, cooked in a casserole.

Honey Creams - with whisky too!

Honey Sauce - serve with puddings, pancakes or sweet omelettes.

Honey and Whisky Cake> - uses that popular Scottish ingredient - whisky!

Iced Cherry Cake> - popular in Scottish tearooms.

Island Creams - with honey and whisky

Jam Roly-Poly - also known as shirt-sleeve pudding.

Kedgeree> - smoked haddock and curry!

Lamb Desi - a traditional Indian recipe.

Leek and Potato Soup - a hearty, tasty soup.

Lentil Soup - Thick and warming, a great start to a meal on a winter evening.

Love Apple Soup with Claret - "Love apples" are tomatoes.

Macallan`s Whisky Chocolate Pudding> - from grandma's recipe book.

Marmalade Cake> - Mrs Keiller made marmalade in Dundee in 1797.

Marzipan Dates> - simple to make candies.

Melrose Creams - uses tinned pineapple and apricots.

Montrose Cakes - these "afternoon tea" cakes originated in Montrose on the east coast of Scotland

Melting Moments> - small fancy cakes.

Meringues - crumbly but delicious.

Oatmeal Cakes > - a sweet oatcake which is more like a biscuit.

Oatmeal Gingerbread > - oatmeal is often used in Scottish recipes.

Oatmeal Posset - a hot drink remedy for a head-cold, with honey and whisky.

Oatmeal Potatoes> - liven up your potatoes.

Oats and Apples Topping - layers of toasted oats and apple.

Oranges an' Whisky - perfect partners.

Pan Fried Partridge - from master chef Nick Nairn.

Paradise Cake> - an easy to prepare recipe.

"Parlies"> - biscuits first supplied to Members of Parliament.

Partan Bree - Scottish crab soup.

Pears with Cream Cheese Balls - and a spicy mayonnaise sauce.

Peppermint Creams> - easy to make candy/sweets.

Peppermint Slice - a delicious confection.

Pickled Onions> - traditional with fish 'n chips.

Pork Apricot à la Crème - a great way to add some extra flavour to pork.

Porridge> - backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman.

Poached Breast of Pheasant, Mushroom and Shallot Couscous - from an AA 3-rosette resataurant.

Potato Scones> - made from potato and flour.

Potato Cheese Cakes> - a variation on potato scones.

Potato Soup> - a hearty soup for winter.

Prawns in Whisky Cream - a tasty, rich, starter.

Prince Charlie's Pancakes - with his liqueur recipe - Drambuie.

Raspberry and Whisky Cheesecake> - using two popular Scottish ingredients.

Raspberry Creams - Home grown raspberries are popular in Scotland.

Ratafia Biscuits> - almond flavoured biscuits/cookies.

Rhubarb Oatmeal Crumble - a lovely crisp, nutty top.

Roasted Grouse - with black pudding and griddled green vegetables.

Roastit Bubbly-Jock> - more commonly known as roast turkey.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust - from cookery expert Claire Macdonald.

Rolls> - White bread rolls are a Scottish specialty.

Rumbled Smoked Salmon - Turns "Rumledthumps" into something special.

Salmon and Whisky Sauce - Get that special taste of Scotland.

Scallops Salad with Perthshire Asparagus - from the Head Chef of Enverdale House Hotel, Coupar Angus.

Scallops Wrapped in Parma Ham with Stuffing - a recipe from "Two Fat Ladies"

Scones> - Delicious with butter and jam (preserves).

Scones - Gluten Free> - - suitable for coeliacs.

Scotch Broth> - soup made with mutton.

Scotch Collop - veal and cream sauce.

Scotch Eggs> - boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat.

Scotch Mist - cream, strawberries and whisky.

Scotch Pie - the original fast food?

Scotch Trifle> - particularly popular at Christmas.

Scottish Beef Fillet with Wild Mushroom & Tarragon Mash - a variation on an old favourite.

Scottish Fruits and Whisky - Scottish Strawberries, raspberries - and whisky!

Sea Bream, Pan Fried> - with Chargrilled Sweet Potatoes.

Sea Bream with Tomatoes and Artichoke Puree> - from Reid's Hotel, Madeira.

Selkirk Bannock> - not an oatcake bannock but a fruit cake.

Shepherd's Pie> - minced lamb topped by potatoes.

Shortbread> - a traditional biscuit/cookie.

Shortbread - Gluten Free> - suitable for coeliacs.

Skirlie - made with oatmeal and beef dripping as a side dish or as stuffing for poultry and turkey.

Sliced Sausage> - also known as Lorne sausage.

Smoked Goose with Houmous, Olives, Peppadews and Scattered Seeds in Toasted Pitta. - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Smoked Goose Breast on Waldorf Salad with Garlicky Walnuts - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Smoked Haddock Mornay - smoked fish and cheese make a great combination.

Smoked Haddock Parcels - with prawns and spinach.

Smoked Salmon Omelette> - with Watercress Cream.

Smoked Salmon Paté - Much better than buying it from a supermarket.

Smoked Venison, Rocket and Cream Cheese Roulade - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Spicy Meatloaf> - from "A Taste of Scotland".

St Fillan's Fruit Pudding - a recipe from the Scottish Women's Rural Institute.

Steak Auld Reekie - made with whisky and smoked cheese sauce.

Steak Balmoral> - made with a whisky sauce.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - lots of calories.

Stovies - with sliced potato, onions and diced meat.

Strathbogie Mist> - with pears and ginger wine.

Stuffing - for turkey, chicken, duck or goose.

Sultana Cake> - a moist cake which stores well.

Summer Dessert> - with summer fruits.

Tablet> - a traditional sweet confection.

Tantallon Cakes> - named after the ruined castle of Tantallon.

Tayside Tang> - a starter to get any meal off with a zing.

Tian Of White Crab, Avocado and Langoustine Emulsion - from a top chef.

Tiffin - chocolate and crushed biscuits.

Tipsy Cake - a dessert made with sherry and trifle sponges.

Tipsy Oranges> - made with Drambuie liqueur.

Toad-in-the-Hole - with sausages and egg.

Toasted Cheese> - Scots Rarebit and Welsh Rarebit too.

Toffee Apples - a great hit with the kids!

Treacle Scones> - treacle is also known as molasses.

Treacle Toffee - just like granny used to make.

Trout in Oatmeal> - with Parsley Butter.

Tweed Kettle> - a salmon hash.

US/UK Cooking Terms> - a translation.

Venison and Peppered Pear Salad - based on a Rannoch Smokery recipe.

Venison in Red Wine - tender, tasty venison.

Viennese Whirls - melt in the mouth biscuits (cookies)

Whisky and Chocolate Crunch> - a deadly combination.

Whisky and Apple Jelly> - a delicious tasting jelly.

Whisky-Mac Prawns> - drunken prawns!

Whisky Toddy> - a cure for colds and 'flu.

Whisky Punch> - makes the party sparkle!

White Wine Sauce - for puddings and pancakes.

Wholemeal Scones - another scone variation.

Where else would you like to go in Scotland?

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scottish recipes oatmeal abernethy atholl black bun brose bannocks brandy snaps broken biscuit carrot clapshot cloutie dumpling cocktails colcannon cottage pie cranachan cullen skink drop scones dundee gaelic coffee herring oatmeal hogmanay honey whisky marmalade melting moments gingerbread parlies peppermint creams potato cheese ratafia rolls scotch broth eggs rolls trifle selkirk bannock shepherd's pie smoked haddock steak balmoral tablet tantallon treacle trout tweed kettle cooking terms toddy cake prawns

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Traditional Scottish Recipes - Scottish Culture

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Traditional Scottish Recipes - Index Page Some Treats You Can Make Here is a collection of traditional recipes from Scotland, ranging from drop scones and tablet to melting moments and whisky toddy. To help you with ingredients which may not be familiar to you, there is also a small dictionary of UK to US cooking terms>.

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Hindu Winter festival of Lights

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Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. Scroll or swipe down to find out more about Diwali.

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The Jewish Festival of Lights

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KS1 Religious Education: The Jewish Story of Hanukkah

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An animated film for primary schools narrating the Jewish story of Hanukkah. This video will be relevant for teaching KS1 and early and first level religious education.

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In 2019 Hanukkah begins on the evening of Sunday 22 December. See how much you know about the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

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Let's Celebrate - Chinese and Lunar New Year

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Scroll or swipe down to find out more about Chinese and Lunar New Year.

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What's carnival all about?

Carnival is a festival that happens over a few days, usually just before Lent, in February or March. Because traditionally many people go on a fast during Lent, giving up meat, sugar or other foods and drink, carnival is an opportunity to enjoy these treats for the last time. It is a time to celebrate and party, with music and dancing in the streets. Some people believe that carnival is actually older than the Christian period of Lent, and that it started as the Roman festival of Saturnalia.

New Orleans

One of the most famous carnivals in the world is in New Orleans, USA. It is called Mardi Gras, which is French for 'Fat Tuesday', the day when people would traditionally eat up all the fat before starting the Lent fast. The celebration in New Orleans lasts around two weeks, with a parade every day. Groups of people, called 'krewes', dress up in special costumes and ride on decorated floats. They throw small gifts to the people watching, especially strings of beads. There are also many balls, especially masked balls. Mardi Gras is very popular with tourists, and it is estimated that well over a million people visit every year to join the celebrations.

Rio de Janeiro

The carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is considered the biggest in the world, with around two million people celebrating on the streets each day. Rio Carnival is famous for its samba music and for the amazing costumes and floats. In 1984, the government decided to give the carnival a special stadium, called the Sambadrome, where people could buy tickets to go and see the parades. However, there are still plenty of street parties and parades happening all over the city.

The parades are a kind of competition and the samba 'schools', or groups, are judged on their costumes, dancing, floats and music. Some samba schools spend millions of dollars on their preparations, but it is estimated that carnival makes over $40 million from ticket sales and advertising.

Venice

Carnival in Venice is a much quieter celebration, but it is still very famous, mainly for the beautiful masks that people wear. Traditionally, the masks are made and decorated by hand, with gold, jewels and feathers. There is a competition for the most beautiful mask, and there are many masked balls and other celebrations.

In St Mark's Square, there is an open-air theatre where you can watch traditional plays, and there are also classical music concerts. Because the streets are very narrow, there are candlelit parades on boats through the canals of the city. Watching all the people dressed in masks and costumes wandering through the city makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time to the 18th century.

Binche

The carnival in Binche, Belgium, is not as famous as some of the others, but it may have the longest history. It dates back to the 14th century. Up to 1,000 men and boys, called 'Gilles', dress up in masks, costumes and wooden shoes. They also wear very tall feather hats, up to 90cm tall. The Gilles dance through the streets and throw oranges at the crowd. This can sometimes cause accidents and break windows, but it is supposed to be good luck if you are hit by an orange.

All over the world, carnival is a time to celebrate and have a good time with friends and family. Have a great carnival, if you're celebrating this year!

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Carnival is an annual festival celebrated in many different ways in many countries around the world. Some of the world's most famous carnivals are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, New Orleans, USA, and Venice, Italy. Find out what happens in these and one other carnival you may not have heard of.

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10 Famous Carnivals around the World - Festival Facts | Educational Videos by Mocomi

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A few songs to enjoy.

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A few songs to enjoy,

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Aimed at lower primary - a pick and mix PPT with images & words, a video with mimes & a simple story. Please note that you need to download the PPTs to get the sound files to work.

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Listen to the start of a story for Advent - what will happen? How would you describe the characters? Get some other ideas for activities & access some for free in French, German & Spanish.

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A lovely animated Christmas story which tells the tale of what happens when some unexpected visitors arrive to help Santa and Mrs Claus prepare for the big day!

The story focuses on the wayward grandchildren and their progress through the tasks which they are set each day via a note on the fridge.

Language is presented in small, manageable chunks and the animation supports understanding, allowing language learners an opportunity to develop their understanding of language patterns, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Also available in French, German & Spanish.

Click image for video preview. Log in for the full story!

Preview the first 3 minutes of the story...

Log in or subscribe to enjoy the rest!
Subscribers view full versions of all stories and have access to all resources.

A set of 28 cards with text and pictures showing the 14 tasks Lolly and Larkin carry out in the story, with 2 spares for you to add your own tasks! Click to preview or log in to download and print.

Colour the star polishing machine!

Print out on to card, colour in, cut and stick!

The introduction to the story - click to preview or log in to download and print.

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A lovely animated Christmas story which tells the tale of what happens when some unexpected visitors arrive to help Santa and Mrs Claus prepare for the big day! The story focuses on the wayward grandchildren and their progress through the tasks which they are set each day via a note on the fridge.

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Ideas & activities for the classroom and the local community.

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Everything about St Nicholas: stories, customs, crafts & more.

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Learn & share some facts. Why not create a quiz to test what your learners know? Or ask learners to do some research & give a short presentation in English.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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How many can you & your class learn? How many do your learners already know?

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Enjoy some music & songs from different countries. Can you work out the language? Which one is your favourite & why?

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Songs for the festive season in 10 different languages, to help you practise your language skills while joining in the festivities.

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Listen to this short story. How many words can you recognise or learn?

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Learn about the traditions with this video. Invite learners to create their own short presentation about what they do to celebrate this special day & share it with the class.

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Learn some words & play some games!

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Facts About Christmas in Spain | Euroclub Schools

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Christmas in Spain. During the Christmas period, most Spanish houses will have un portal de Belén (a Christmas Nativity Scene). You can say un belén for short. El belén can be very beautiful and elaborate. It is a model of the stable with la Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family)

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Listen & watch this short story. How many words can you learn/recognise? Why not create a visual dictionary of the new words.

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Adornos navideños - Angelito navideño - Christmas ornaments Manualidades para todos

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Learn How To Say "Merry Christmas" in Chinese

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Chinese Culture - Do Chinese People Celebrate Christmas in China?

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Advent calendar

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© Tobias Schrank

Naughty! Check back later, and see what we have left for you!

© Tobias Schrank

Don't miss a door!

Unsplash | Photo: Mohd Zuber Saifi

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German Online Training

Take part in the Goethe Advent calendar raffle and win one of three German Online Trainings. Start at language levels A1, A2, B1 or C1 and learn German independently anytime and anywhere.

Learn more about the German Online Trainings

Makers

Christina Benesch, Antonie Habermas, Lisa Meyer, Aljona Heorhinska, Svenja Hoffmann and Natascha Holstein designed, edited and managed the advent calendar with lots of love and Christmas sweat. Tobias Schrank conjured up the key visual, Schneider Media developed the Advent calendar script.

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On the Goethe-Institut's Advent Calendar, you can read daily instalments of a Christmas tale about the residents of a city street. You can take part in a contest and win presents every day as well as three online German language courses!

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ChocolART (Tübingen)

If you want to feel how Charlie must have felt in the chocolate factory, head to Tübingen, near ChocolART in the quaint town of Stuttgart. Held over five days in the first half of December, ChocolART is the biggest ever treat for your sweet tooth. The largest chocolate festival in the country offers all things chocolate across a sprawling 10,000 sq.m. of area - chocolate tastings, cooking, workshops, courses, theater, shopping, and lots more. Entry is free.

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10 German Winter Activities That Aren't Christmas Markets

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If you want to feel how Charlie must have felt in the chocolate factory, head to Tübingen, near ChocolART in the quaint town of Stuttgart. Held over five days in the first half of December, ChocolART is the biggest ever treat for your sweet tooth.

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In the UK, many of us enjoy turkey, mince pies and presents on 25 December. But for some children they get presents much sooner.

Christmas is celebrated differently all over the world - you might have some of your own special family traditions that come from other countries too.

So how is Christmas celebrated outside of the UK? We've got ten festive traditions from across Europe for you to learn about!

St Nicholas Day - 6 December

You might know other names for Father Christmas such as Santa Claus or even Jolly Saint Nic?

But did you know that the name comes from European traditions such as the feast of Sinterklaas or St Nicholas Day.

Christmas celebrations start early in the Netherlands, and parts of Belgium, as Sinterklaas - that is St Nicholas - arrives by boat on the last Saturday in November.

He travels across the Netherlands dressed in red bishops robes. He also doesn't ride in a sleigh like Father Christmas does on Christmas Eve in the UK, instead, he travels on a white horse called Amerigo.

When he arrives, children leave out a shoe with a carrot inside for his horse Amerigo.

Children usually get their presents on the evening of 5 December, which is known as Sinterklaas Eve.

St Nicholas Day celebrations also start in Germany on 6 December.

Children tidy their rooms, clean their toys, and shoes and boots are polished and placed outside by the door.

The next morning, the boots are filled with sweets, nuts, and small gifts if the children have been good.

If they've been naughty, St Nicholas' servant Knecht Ruprecht will leave twigs for them!

In Germany a meal is eaten on Christmas Eve, which won't contain any meat and children will also open their main Christmas presents on 24 December.

Meat can be eaten in a feast on Christmas Day.

Some children in Poland might receive presents on the 6 December for St Nicholas day also known as Sw Mikolaj in the country.

Christmas Eve is also a big deal in Poland where families traditionally gather for a meal known as Wigilia.

They will start eating when they see the first star in the night sky.

The meal has 12 courses, which will traditionally include carp fish.

It will also include the family sharing a special bread wafer called "Oplatek", which symbolises forgiveness and grown-ups give out presents.

Christmas starts on 8 December in Spain with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In Catalonia, on 8 December, there is a special celebration called the beating of the Christmas log.

Every night until the 24th of December, children 'feed' the happy log with dried fruit and nuts. They also cover up the log - called Tió de Nadal - with a blanket so it stays warm.

Then on Christmas Eve the little log is brought out and beaten with sticks by children while they sing a traditional song.

After this the children look under the blanket to find that Tió de Nadal has 'pooped' out lots of treats!

Like in Poland, the main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve, called la Nochebuena.

Another tradition happens on 22 December.

There is a big lottery draw called El Gordo, which is covered on the television and on radio, where lots of people win money.

On 28 December, Spain has their equivalent of April Fools' Day, called Holy Innocents' Day, when people play jokes on each other.

Children may be given some presents on Christmas Day, but traditionally they are opened on 6 January.

This is called Epiphany, when the Three Kings are said to have visited the baby Jesus and given him their gifts.

Again, Christmas Eve is a big celebration in Finland, while Christmas Day is quieter and spent relaxing at home with family.

In a city called Turku, a special ceremony happens, which many people watch on television or listen to on the radio.

At the ceremony, the beginning of the Christmas peace period is announced, which lasts from midday on Christmas Eve for 20 days.

Traditionally, people will eat special rice porridge and have plum fruit juice for breakfast on Christmas Eve. There is a tradition to hide almonds in the porridge and whoever finds them will have a lucky year ahead of them.

They may also visit a sauna to relax during the day, before the big celebrations in the evening.

Father Christmas is known as Joulupukki, which means "Christmas Goat". Because of this, people dress up in goat masks to deliver presents.

In Sweden, there is a special celebration on St Lucia Day, which is 13 December.

It isn't completely clear where the tradition of St Lucia came from, as there's a few stories that could have mixed together.

One story says that St Lucia was young Christian girl who was killed in the 4th Century because of what she believed in.

Swedish people mark this with many Lucia processions, led by a girl in a white dress with a crown of candles.

Children open their presents on Christmas Eve. The night before, they are expected to leave a bowl of porridge out for Tomten - their name for Father Christmas - so that he will leave presents for them.

Swedish people also have their main meal on Christmas Eve. This tends to be a big buffet called Julbord, which people are encouraged to visit several times to eat lots of food!

Norwegian children look out for two creatures at Christmas.

First is a creature like a goat called Julebukk, who is a present-carrying gnome. Then there is Jul Nisse, who guards farm animals and plays tricks on children if they don't leave porridge out for him.

They have to do this if they want presents to be left for them, which they open on Christmas Eve after the main meal.

Norway also gives the UK a Christmas tree every year, which stands in Trafalgar Square in London.

This is to say thank you for helping Norway during World War II.

Epiphany (6 January) is marked in Italy when children will receive a stocking of sweets if they've been good or a stocking full of coal if they haven't.

This is brought by the Italian Christmas witch, who is called La Befana.

Some say she accompanied the Wise Men on their way to baby Jesus on Epiphany.

She is said to be old, ugly and wears bad clothes, because she is a symbol for the old year which has ended.

A bit like people in the UK might leave a carrot for Rudolph and a mince pie for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve, some families will leave a glass of wine and some food for La Befana.

Like with many families in the UK, lunch on Christmas Day is the most important meal.

Children in Iceland have to wait until the Christmas Eve meal is finished before they are allowed to open their presents.

Traditionally, the main dish of the meal is called Hangikjot, which is a leg of roast lamb.

They actually have 13 Father Christmases, called Yule Lads!

These mischievous characters are said to live in the mountains and visit towns one by one in the 13 days leading up to Christmas.

Children leave shoes out for the Yule lads, who will leave presents in them if they've been good, or rotten potatoes if they've been bad.

There is a tradition that says everyone must receive a new piece of clothing for Christmas.

If they don't, they might be eaten by a giant Christmas cat who belongs to the Yule lads' mum called Grýla!

In many places in Greece, Easter is celebrated more than Christmas.

However, Christmas is still important. Children go from house to house on Christmas Eve, playing music and singing carols in return for treats to eat.

Before Christmas, fresh basil is wrapped around a wooden cross, which is used to sprinkle water around the house to keep away mischievous goblins called Killantzaroi.

Some people might also keep a fire lit which they think will stop the goblins causing chaos!

Presents are usually given on 1 January.

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St Nicholas Day: Ten European Christmas traditions you may not know - CBBC Newsround

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In the UK, many of us enjoy turkey, mince pies and presents on 25 December. But for some children they get presents much sooner. Christmas is celebrated differently all over the world - you might have some of your own special family traditions that come from other countries too.

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Say hello around the world at Christmas time - Advent calendar (direct link)

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Art, craft and colouring Display Intercultural Number activities Puzzles and games Reading activities Speaking activities Translation activities Video and audio Word lists and mats Writing activities

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German Christmas Wall quiz (MS PowerPoint 131 KB) added 17.12.19