Holidays Around the

WorldMrs. Peters 1st Grade

Class

United States of AmericaChristmas on December 25• White House pastry team makes a

gingerbread white house replica that is over 400lbs.

• Decorate a Christmas Tree

• Decorate the outside with lights

• Hang up Christmas stockings

• Christian Holiday

Hanukah-”Festival of Lights”• 8 Day Celebration

• Light a Menorah-One candle each day

• Play Dreidel with gelt

• Jewish Holiday

United States of America (cont)Kwanzaa• African-American Celebration

• Celebrated for 7 days

• Each candle represents the principles or values to live by• Unity

• Self-Determination

• Collective work and responsibility

• Cooperative Economics

• Purpose

• Creativity

• Faith

Celebrates Diwali- Five Day Festival of Lights• Celebrated in October or November

• On the first day of Diwali, housewives consider it auspicious to spring clean the home and shop for gold or kitchen utensils.

On the second day, people decorate their homes with clay lamps and create design patterns called rangoli on the floor using colored powders or sand.

This is the main day of the festival when families gather together for Lakshmi puja, a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi followed by feasts and firework festivities.

On the last day of Diwali, brothers visit their married sisters who welcome them with love and a lavish meal.

India

Scotland• Celebrate Boxing Day on

December 26

• Originated centuries ago to pack or “box” necessary items to help the less fortunate.

• Boxing Day Today- is the hunting of bargains as many of the retailers sell their wares at 'sale' prices on this day

Germany• Celebrate Christmas

• Hide a pickle ornament in the tree

• Have a Christmas market

• Started Gingerbread house tradition

• Started decorating a Christmas tree with candles, paper roses, and dried fruit.

Brazil• Celebrate Christmas

• Papai Noel brings gifts to the children

• Have fireworks on Christmas

• There is folk dancing and singing and the festivities go on until January 6th, which the Brazilians refer to as Three Kings Day. January 6th is supposed to be the day when three wise men visited Jesus to bring him gifts.

Greece• St. Nicholas brings gifts for the

children.

• On Christmas Eve boys sing carols from house to house to the sounds of drums and triangles.

• The main symbol of the season is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire suspended across the rim; from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross.

• After 40 days of fasting, the Christmas feast is looked forward to.

Italy• The Christmas season in Italy goes

for three weeks, starting 8 days before Christmas.

• Children open presents on January 6th.

• The presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana on a broomstick.

• Presents are left for good children in their shoes or stockings.

• Coal is left for bad children.

Mexico• Celebrates Christmas

• A Poinsettia flower is a Christmas tradition started in Mexico

• The main Christmas celebration in Mexico is called las posadas.

• Children take turns trying to break open the piñata.

Australia• Celebrate Christmas

• Eat flaming plum pudding or mince meat pie for dessert.

• It’s the beginning of the summer season.

• Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve.

• At many beaches Santa Claus arrives on a surfboard.

China• Christians celebrate Christmas

• Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," are decorated with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns.

• Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man."

• The main winter festival in China is the Chinese New Year, which takes place toward the end of January.

Mrs. Peters First Grade Class2013-2014