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⭐ “Christmas Around the World”
“Christmas Aroun ⭐ “Christmas Around the World”
“Christmas Around the World” is an educational unit designed to teach students how different countries and cultures celebrate Christmas. It includes traditions, foods, decorations, holiday customs, gift-giving practices, and greetings from nine countries. The unit also contains hands-on crafts, recipes, and activities to help students experience global Christmas traditions.
The document begins by explaining that Christmas customs vary widely across the world due to culture, religion, history, and local beliefs. Students are encouraged to decorate an International Christmas Tree using ornament printables from the unit.
The main section covers how nine countries celebrate Christmas:
>🇯🇵 Japan
Christmas is mainly a commercial holiday. Though only 1% of the population is Christian, cities are decorated with lights. Homes may have trees, parties, and lanterns.
Gift-giving traditions include oseibo (end-of-year gifts), and the Japanese Santa, Hoteiosho, gives toys to well-behaved children.
>🇨🇳 China
Christmas is celebrated mostly in big cities, though the major winter holiday is Chinese New Year. Trees are decorated with lanterns, paper chains, and flowers.
Santa is called Dun Che Lao Ren (“Christmas Old Man”).
Children hang stockings, and homes display colorful paper lanterns.
>🇷🇺 Russia
Christmas is celebrated on January 7 (Orthodox calendar).
Families may fast before the Christmas Eve meal. Trees are decorated with fruit, candy, and dolls. A traditional gift is the Matryoshka (nested) doll.
Christmas was banned after 1917 and revived only in 1992.
>🇬🇧 Great Britain
Christmas traditions include decorating homes, making puddings, baking cookies, and placing lights on trees. The famous Christmas pudding uses 13 ingredients for Jesus and the disciples.
Families stir the pudding from east to west to honor the Wise Men’s journey.
Father Christmas brings gifts on Christmas Day.
>🇫🇷 France
Children set their shoes by the fireplace for Père Noël to fill with gifts. Père Fouettard punishes naughty children.
Trees are decorated with colorful stars, and the crèche (Nativity scene) is the main decoration.
Popular holiday desserts include Bûche de Noël and Galette des Rois.
>🇮🇹 Italy
Christmas season runs from December 14 to January 6.
Gifts are brought by La Befana on Epiphany.
The focus of decorations is the Nativity scene, a tradition begun by St. Francis of Assisi.
On Christmas Eve, families eat a meatless or seafood dinner, followed by midnight Mass.
>🇩🇪 Germany
Christmas begins with Advent. Families use advent calendars and light a candle each Sunday.
Germany is the birthplace of the Christmas tree tradition; Martin Luther first decorated an indoor tree with candles.
Trees are decorated with fruit, cookies, and small gifts, and the Christ Child brings presents.
>🇪🇸 Spain
Christmas Eve features fasting until midnight Mass, then a feast of seafood, sweets, and turrón (almond nougat).
Children receive gifts from the Three Kings on January 5.
Cities host large nativity displays and big parades where candy is thrown to children.
>🇲🇽 Mexico
Christmas celebration begins around December 15.
Families host Posadas, reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter.
There are piñatas, Pastorela plays, and plenty of family feasts.
Children get gifts on January 6 for El Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day).
The poinsettia, native to Mexico, is the main Christmas plant.
The unit also contains suggested crafts, recipes, and cultural projects for each country, giving students a hands-on way to learn about global holiday traditions.
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