Thank you!

More difficult for those who want to do more...

1. Go to our Padlet and open your own post.

2. Think of a simple idea from your post that you can show in Scratch.

3. Open Scratch → Create.

4. Choose a background and one or two characters.

5. Make your character say or show something from your Padlet post.

6. Add a little movement or sound if you want.

7. Record it in a video and attach.

(I used Elinas post as an example)

First up is all about Santa! So, before Coca Cola changed the costume's color, to the red Santa Claus we know and love today, his costume traditionally was green, and this tradition continues in Korea today!

Actually, Santa Claus is sometimes depicted wearing a green suit, and this variation, often called "Santa Haraboji" (Grandfather Santa), is a common sight in commercial decorations and media in Korea. He still brings gifts and cheer, but the slight color difference provides a unique, localized aesthetic to the classic figure, which we think is a great reflection on the past, while at the same time being open to embracing modern times.

Forget the traditional turkey, which is served in the West during this time of year, and instead adapt to the cultural difference of having a light, elaborately decorated, fresh sponge Christmas cake. Although it might sound really weird at first, if you buy one from a local bakery (like Paris Baguette or Tous les Jours) as the central festive food item in your celebrations, it will not disappoint you.

In Austria, St Nicholas has an evil counterpart called Krampus. He is the bad cop to St Nick’s good cop, a demon-like creature with one task: to punish bad children before Christmas.

People dressed in devil costumes roam the streets, carrying chains and a basket for abducting especially bad children and hauling them to hell. It’s certainly one way to keep the kids off the streets.

Welcome to the bizarre Catalan tradition of caga tió or ‘defecating log’.

Locals in Catalonia create a character out of a log, drawing a face on it and giving it a hat. Then they spend a fortnight ‘feeding’ it fruit, nuts and sweets.

On Christmas Eve, the entire family beats the log with sticks and sings a traditional song that translates to ‘if you don’t crap well, I’ll beat you with a stick’ until the log excretes all its treats. It’s hard to comprehend why this tradition hasn’t caught on elsewhere.

They also decorate their nativity scenes with small, pooping, ceramic caganers (figurines). Usually well-known characters, often drawn from that year’s news, the figurines always have their pants around their ankles

During consoda, the traditional Christmas feast in Portugal, families sometimes set extra places at the dining table for deceased relatives.

It’s thought that the practice will ensure good fortunes for the household. In some areas crumbs are left on the hearth as well. And you thought feeding all your living relatives was hard enough

But whether you're celebrating Sheng Dan Jieh in China or awaiting Pere Noel in France, you're sharing in the wonder and magic of the Christmas season. In the following pages, we'll take a look at Christmas traditions in countries around the world, from Sweden to Australia, from England to China.

• Christmas Traditions in Australia: In Australia, December 25 falls during summer vacation, so many of the country's Christmas festivities take place outdoors. The most popular event of the Christmas season is called Carols by Candlelight. People come together at night to light candles and sing Christmas carols outside. The stars shining above add to the sights and sounds of this wonderful outdoor concert.

• Christmas Traditions in China: The small number of Christians in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, which means Holy Birth Festival. They decorate their homes with evergreens, posters, and bright paper chains. Families put up a Christmas tree called a "tree of light" and decorate it with beautiful lanterns, flowers and red paper chains that symbolize happiness. They cut out red pagodas to paste on the windows, and they light their houses with paper lanterns, too.

• Christmas Traditions in England: It is cold, wet and foggy in England at Christmastime. The day before Christmas is very busy for families in England. They wrap presents, bake cookies, and hang stockings over the fireplace. Then everyone gathers around the tree as someone tells a classic holiday story, such as "A Christmas Carol." Children write a letter to Father Christmas with their wishes and toss their letter into the fire so their wishes can go up the chimney. After the children fall asleep on Christmas Eve, Father Christmas comes to visit.

• Christmas Traditions in Ethiopia: Ethiopia follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church. Everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma — a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ.

• Christmas Traditions in France: Christmas celebrations France begin on December 5, which is St. Nicholas Eve, but Christmas Eve is the most special time in the French celebration of Christmas. Church bells ring and voices sing French carols called noels. On Christmas Day, families go to church and then enjoy an abundant feast of wonderful dishes, ending with the traditional buche de Noel, a rich buttercream-filled cake shaped and frosted to look like a yule log.

• Christmas Traditions in Germany: German families prepare for Christmas throughout the cold December. Four Sundays before Christmas, they make an Advent wreath of fir or pine branches that has four colored candles. They light a candle on the wreath each Sunday, sing Christmas songs and eat Christmas cookies. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, homes are filled with the delightful smells of baking loaves of sweet bread, cakes filled with candied fruits, and spicy cookies called lebkuchen.

• Christmas Traditions in Holland: Dutch children in Holland, or the Netherlands, eagerly await the arrival of Sinterklaas on St. Nicholas Day on December 6. Sinterklaas is a kindly bishop. He wears red robes and a tall, pointed mitre on his head. Sinterklaas travels by ship from Spain to Amsterdam's harbor every winter. He brings his white horse and a huge sack full of gifts for the children. Families celebrate St. Nicholas Eve at home with lots of good food, hot chocolate and a letterbanket, a "letter cake" made in the shape of the first letter of the family's last name.

• Christmas Traditions in Italy: The Christmas season in Italy begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which is four Sundays before Christmas. Christmas fairs feature fireworks and bonfires along with holiday music. Families go to the Christmas markets to shop for gifts and new figures for the manger scene. Some families set up a Christmas tree and decorate it. Families set up their presepio, or manger scene, on the first day of the novena. They gather before the presepio each morning or evening of novena to light candles and pray.

• Christmas Traditions in Mexico: The weather is warm and mild in Mexico during the Christmas season. Families shop for gifts, ornaments, and good things to eat in the market stalls, called puestos. They decorate their homes with lilies and evergreens. Family members cut intricate designs in brown paper bags to make lanterns, or farolitos. They place a candle inside and then set the farolitos along sidewalks, on windowsills, and on rooftops and outdoor walls to illuminate the community with the spirit of Christmas.

• Christmas Traditions in Spain: The Christmas season begins in Spain on December 8, with a weeklong observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Evergreens decorate the churches and outdoor markets throughout the Christmas season. Tambourines, gourd rattles, castanets, and miniature guitars are offered for sale to enliven the singing and dancing in the streets. Children go from house to house reciting verses or singing carols for sweets, toys, or small instruments.

• Christmas Traditions in Sweden: In Sweden, the Christmas festivities begin on December 13 with St. Lucia's Day, which celebrates the patron saint of light. The eldest daughter gets up before dawn and dresses as the "Queen of Light" in a long, white dress. She wears a crown of leaves. Singing "Santa Lucia," the Lucia Queen goes to every bedroom to serve coffee and treats to each member of the family. The younger children in the family help, too. The whole family helps to select the Christmas tree just a day or two before Christmas.

• Karavaki (Decorated Boat): Instead of a Christmas tree, many Greeks decorate a wooden boat, symbolizing their maritime heritage and honoring Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.

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• Kalanta (Christmas Carols): Children go door-to-door singing traditional Christmas songs called Kalanta, spreading joy and receiving treats in return.

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• Twelve Dishes Feast: On Christmas Eve, families often prepare a meal featuring twelve different dishes, representing the apostles and symbolizing abundance and good fortune for the coming year.

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• Kallikantzaroi (Christmas Goblins): In Greek folklore, mischievous goblins known as kallikantzaroi are believed to visit homes during the twelve days of Christmas, adding a playful element to the festivities.

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This creamy, spicy, thick beverage can be homemade or store-bought, and you would not be remiss in adding a dram of bourbon, Bailey’s Irish Cream, brandy, or dark rum.

"Gleðileg jól" !