We love Christmas traditions in the United States. We trim the Christmas tree, bake holiday sweets, and open presents, and those are just a few of our traditions. But how is Christmas celebrated in other countries?
Some Christmas rituals are similar, like singing Christmas songs, decorating the Christmas tree, and making baked cookies. But some traditions are very different, and they may surprise you. Take your middle schooler learners on a worldwide journey to learn about Christmas traditions and do a few activities to make your celebration a more global one. Choose a few of these Yuletide activities to use as lesson plans at school or to do with the kids at home. Get ready to talk about these holiday traditions and start the Christmas cheer off early this year.
1. Learn Different Country Traditions
Have your young minds work in teams or make completing this around-the-world Christmas activity a collaborative class project. Challenge them to get stuck into the activities contained in this Around the World research pack to help them discover more about Christmas traditions from across the globe.
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2. Create A French Nativity Scene
In France, one of the most important Christmas traditions is the placing of the Nativity scene. It is a representation of the baby Jesus manger scene. Middle school children can create a manger scene using cut-out paper, paper mache, modeling clay, cardboard boxes, paint, glitter, and craft sticks. Have them use their imagination to make the decorative scene as spectacular as they wish.
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3. Make an Edible Birdhouse
The first of these holiday celebrations that can make a fun holiday activity is the edible bird house. The Scandinavians have a tradition of making gifts for wild animals at Christmas. They place sheaves of wheat and barley in areas where the animals can access them. The gift helps animals survive during winter. To commemorate this tradition, make an edible birdhouse to feed the outdoor birds. Use a milk carton to shape the birdhouse. Use a hole punch to make two holes in the top of the carton and string a piece of twine through the hole. Tie the ends together to make a hanger. Cover the exterior of the milk carton in peanut butter and roll in bird seed.
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4. Amigo Secreto
You might have heard of Amigo Secreto before, but you probably called it Secret Santa! Pop everyone’s names into a hat and have your kiddos draw a name one at a time to find out who they’ll be getting a gift for! The gift is usually given on Christmas Eve, but you could do it on the last day of school, and the recipient can try to guess who their secret friend is!
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5. Design and Create The Five Star Piñata from Mexico
In Mexico the 7-point star piñata is a long-standing tradition. Each of the 7 poins represents the deadly sins and the candy inside represents the reward of Heaven. To make your very own you’ll need a balloon, some party hats, your paper mache skills, and don’t forget the candy!
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6. Make The Advent Calendar from Germany
Did you know that advent calendars originated from Germany in the 19th century? Get your kiddies learning about the origins of this household Christmas staple by having them make their own! Pick up some small boxes and let your students decorate them and pop in some candy, an illustration or maybe even some special inspiring quotes inside each one.
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7. Design Christmas Traditions Bingo Cards
This is one of the teacher’s favorite holiday ideas because you can involve the whole class to make lots of cards. Have the kids draw, write and use images to create the Bingo calling cards and the player cards. They can use anything they want to symbolize the tradition. Once they create the Bingo set, play the game in the classroom or at home with the family.
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8. Draw International Wrapping Paper
This group project is an excellent way to inspire your kiddos’ creativity just before the winter break. Engage them in designing a roll of international wrapping paper by allowing them to fill a sheet of white butcher paper with doodles and patterns that represent all the different Christmas traditions of various cultures.
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9. Celebrate Lillie Julaften from Norway
Here is a great hands-on activity for the kitchen or for your next cooking class. In Norway, they celebrate a little Christmas Eve on December 23. On that night, everyone stays home and makes a gingerbread man. This can be a great activity you can do with kids of all ages. All you need is a kitchen and a recipe. Explain the tradition and then build a gingerbread house together. If you need to go out and buy a premade gingerbread house and make it, that can be fun too. It is a great way to celebrate world Christmas traditions.
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10. Host A Santa Costume Night
Santa doesn’t wear a red coat and hat in every country. Different countries have different costumes. Find out where Santa dresses differently. Have each kid choose a country to represent and ask them to come dressed as the Santa representation for that country. It is a fun activity you can do as a great activity before winter break, even on the last day of school.
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11. Play a Netherlands Sinterklaas Scavenger Hunt
In the Netherlands, people believe Santa comes on December 5. He visits from Spain and comes to a different harbor in the Netherlands every year. Children place a carrot in their shoes next to the fireplace for Sinterklaas’s horse. Read about the Netherlands tradition on December 5, and then you can do a scavenger hunt as an activity to commemorate Sinterklaas day.
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12. Cut and Glue A Parol of The Philippines
People in the Philippines love Christmas and start celebrating as early as September. One of their common traditions is to light the streets with Parols, a type of outdoor paper, and a bamboo lantern. You can make parols out of colored paper and craft sticks to commemorate the tradition. The shape should be a star representing the star that guided the wise men. In the Philippines, they celebrate the hanging of the parols with rice cakes. You can hand out small rice crackers or cakes on the day you make the parols.
Learn More: Christmas In The Philippines
13. Celebrate Saint Lucie’s Day from Croatia
In Croatia, the Christmas season begins on December 13 with Saint Lucie. Ask students to research why Saint Lucy is important to the Croatians and their beliefs. As an activity to represent Saint Lucy’s day, you can grow wheat in a little plate or pot. The Christmas wheat is placed under the tree to bring the family future prosperity.
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14. Create A South African Christmas Decoration
Although places like South African and Australia celebrate Christmas in December, it’s actually their summertime! Have your learners look up the temperature in hotter climates on Christmas day and let them make a paper palm tree to decorate. They’ll use cardboard tubes, craft paper and glue for the tree and add lights and hanging decorations to make it Christmassy! What a fun way to explore Christmas in different climates!
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15. Make 13 French Desserts for Christmas
Christmas in the south of France is absolutely scrumptious. Every family in Provence makes 13 desserts to celebrate the holiday season. These desserts include nuts, olive oil bread, nougat, dried fruits, bread, and more. The 13 desserts vary for each family, but they must have 13. So this Christmas season, celebrate Christmas in Provence, France, by making 13 different desserts.
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16. The Christmas List: Shopping in Developing Countries
Having a hard time keeping kids focused on math this holiday season. Try an activity that will have them practice all their math skills in a real-world situation. Have students create a wish list and then interchange lists. Have the student look up the price and any sales and calculate the cost of the items. Find out what the average income for a family is in another country. Ask them how difficult they think it might be to fulfill this list if they lived in an emerging economy. Then tell them to go shopping for the items with the budget you have given them. If they can’t afford a certain item, have them consider an alternative to the item on the list.
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17. The Merry Christmas Board from Around The World
We’ve found the perfect Christmas bulletin board display! Get your kiddos involved in putting this one together as you work together to match up the countries with their language, then find them on the map! Just print out a few cards with “Merry Christmas” translated into your chosen counties’ languages, pin up a map, and start traveling all around the world!
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18. Celebrate the Mexican Posadas with Friends and Family
Celebrate Mexican Christmas traditions with your little ones by having them simulate the posadas. Start by inviting them to create a procession and then have an adult stand in different rooms or spaces in your class. You’ll then prompt your procession of kids to move to each adult who’ll then either shelter them or deny them shelter. Once complete, treat them to a Pinata-breaking contest to end their day off on a sweet note.
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19. Decorate Greek Boats For Christmas
Greece has always been a maritime country. They have Christmas boats. Historically, men were often gone for months at a time, returning during the winter. They commemorate the return with small models of decorated boats. Plan an activity where you decorate small model boats for Christmas and give a reward to the most beautifully designed boat.
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20. Create a Swedish Yule Goat
One of Sweden’s most popular Christmas symbols is the Yule Goat, which dates back to ancient times. It is a straw goat. Every year, Swedish people build a huge straw goat in the same spot on the first Sunday of advent, then take it down on New Year’s Day. Join the kids, get some straw and wire, and try to make your own straw goat to decorate the outdoor area of your house for Christmas.
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