Christmas Around the World

To take a break from the very serious, somber mood of my social studies class (refugee crisis) I'd thought I'd incorporate Christmas. Learning how other cultures celebrate Christmas can also incorporate geography too. Like all the units, the students will get a hand-out of the vocabulary, writing exercises and the readings, as well as a map.

How is Christmas celebrated in Taiwan? Asia? I found out that most of the students werent familiar with the Nativity story, so I had to show them a little cartoon with Chinese subs, as well as one with easy English.

 Reading: Christmas Traditions Around the World

Vocabulary:

1.     a Feast (n.)

2.   a  Saint (n.)

3.   an  Event (n.)

4.    Mass (n.) 彌撒；彌撒曲 to go to Mass 參加彌撒

5.    a hymn (n.)

6.    celebrate (v.)

7.    Pilgrims (pl. n.)  a pilgrim

8.   the  Host (n.)

9.    a Shelter (n.)

10.  Priests (pl. n.) a priest

11.   Decorated (past tense verb or adj.)   we decorated the tree/ the decorated tree

12.  the Winter solstice (n.)

The Philippines: Christmas season begins in September with the feast of Saint Pio (畢奧神父) and ends in January, meaning nearly half the year is Christmas in the Philippines. The event closest to December 25th is a nine-day mass called Simbang Gabi, which includes hymns and Filipino foods. Christmas Eve is celebrated all night and then followed by a day of family talks and gift giving. Maligayang pasko (Merry Christmas)! Mexico: In the nine days before Christmas, children and adults dress up as Mary and Joseph and visit different neighborhoods ("Las Posadas"). These “pilgrims” sing songs at houses to ask for shelter. The host replies in song and offers drink and food. Children try to break a star-shaped piñata and do not receive gifts until January 4th. Feliz Navidad! Ethiopia: Christmas Eve is celebrated on January 6th in accordance with the local Ge’ez calendar. On that night, priests carry nicely decorated umbrellas and wear traditional clothing. They march through cities with large groups of people. In the morning, people feast, presents are exchanged, and some people play sports. During the Timkat parade, held 12 days later, a stone石頭  replica 複製品 of the 10 Commandments (十誡（指《聖經》中，上帝透過摩西頒布給猶太人的行為準則) is wrapped in rich fabrics and carried by priests on their heads. Melkam Ganna! Finland: Finns believe that the Winter Solstice brings out the spirits of the dead. On Christmas Eve, celebrated at roughly (about) the same time, Finns place candles around the graves of relatives. Hyvää Joulua! Vietnam: Christmas was only recently reintroduced to largely Buddhist佛教徒 Vietnam after a relaxation of restrictions受約束的 in the early 1980s. It is a mainly a Jesus-free event. Santa is sometimes shown on a scooter instead of a sleigh and Vietnamese Catholics天主教徒 gather in churches that look like temples. Citizens visit crowded city centers and later eat Christmas chicken soup. Chúc Giáng Sinh Vui Vẻ!

Answer the questions:

1)     Which country has the longest Christmas holiday season?

2)     In Mexico, what should you do if Mary and Joseph show up at your door?

3)     What do priests carry on their heads during Timkat?

4)     Your opinion: Which celebration sounds most interesting to you?

II.          Festival of Lights

Central to the Christmas theme is the importance of light at the darkest time of the year. Baby Jesus is the light in a dark world. Even before Christianity, ancient people celebrated light during winter solstices.

 Reading 2: Festivals of Light

Vocabulary:

1.     Wreath

2.    To honor (v.)

3.    Choir

4.    To light (v.) past= lit

5.    Yule log

6.    Mistletoe

7.    Temple

8.    Sacred (adj.)

9.    dreidle

Festival of Light: St. Lucia's Day in Sweden  According to folk tradition, December 13th follows the longest night of the year in Sweden. During the winter there are only a few hours of sunlight each day. St. Lucia is honored this day with her wreath of candles. The oldest girl in the family is declared St. Lucia on December 13th. On this day she dresses up wearing a white robe with a red sash and a wreath with candles on her head. The "St. Lucia" of the family serves everyone a special  (saffron 番紅花粉 ) bun called Lussekatter. Schools have a celebration with a St. Lucia choir. All the girls dress up as St. Lucia and the boys are "Star Boys." Traditions of light: Christmas in France Bon Noël ! The Christian tradition of light during the Christmas season is celebrated by the Advent Candles which are lit for the next four following Sundays before Christmas Day. Families also burn a yule log. This tradition goes back pre-Christian celebrations during Winter Solstice. French children put their shoes by the fireplace on Christmas Eve in hopes that "Pere Noel" (Santa Claus) will bring them some toys. They leave a snack and a glass of wine for Pere Noel and beet greens for the donkey that travels with him. Pere Noel is tall and thin. He has a long red robe trimmed with fur. Pere Noel brings toys to children in a sack. As he comes, he calls out “tralala, tralala, bouli, bouli, boulah.” Families go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. After church everyone eats a huge dinner called "Le Reveillon." After this large dinner of goose, turkey, chicken, or beef; a fish dish, cheese, bread, wine, and fruit, many families serve a "Buche de Noel." The Buche de Noel is a sponge cake decorated like a yule log. Some families burn a real log in the fireplace. French families think that mistletoe is also lucky and hang it everywhere. If a man or woman are under the mistletoe at the same time, they must kiss. Traditions of light: Hanukkah （猶太教的）獻殿節，光明節（在12月，爲期八天） Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights celebrated in countries all over the world. In 165 B.C. there was a great battle  戰役 between the Maccabees and the Syrians 敘利亞人／敘利亞的. The Jews won the battle  and when they went to their temple, they found that the Syrians had allowed使有可能 their sacred light to go out. They only had oil for one day. The miracle奇跡 of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted 8 days until a messenger could return with more. There are nine candles in the menorah大燭台. One is used to light the other candles and the other eight stand for the eight days that the oil kept burning. Children play a game with a spinning top called a dreidl. Everyone eats special foods such as potato pancakes. On Hanukkah it is traditional for parents to give their children money or "gelt."

1 1. Which traditions are similar to Taiwanese Chinese New Year?

22. Which Christmas foods would you like to try? I would like to try...

13. What might Light be a symbol for? Light can represent...

Resources:
http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/light_festivals.php

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/spanish_christmas.php

Torah Tots