Christmas Traditions Around the World

(Can be adapted to fit kindergarten through fifth grade)

This presentation is written word for word which makes preparation easier but requires one to read it several times ahead of time to avoid the look of reading it off of a paper.

Today we’re going to study how people celebrate Christmas in other lands.

Does everybody celebrate Christmas? (pause to wait for answers) No, Christmas is a Christian holiday. It celebrates the birth of Jesus. Not all countries celebrate it. But today, we’ll learn about countries that do.

           First, Mexico celebrates la Navidad (la na vee dod). That means "Christmas" in Spanish. In Mexico, they start to celebrate on December 16. That’s when the Posada begins. Posada is Spanish for "inn", a hotel. The posada acts out the story of Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary. They searched and searched for a place to stay in Bethlehem. All the inns were full, but they finally found room in a stable with the animals. Baby Jesus was born that night.

           The posada lasts nine nights. Each night, all of the families in a neighborhood join in a parade. Two children carry statues of Joseph and Mary. Other children carry candles. Everybody sings Christmas carols. The parade goes to a different house every night. The people in the house pretend to be innkeepers. When asked if there is room at the inn, the innkeepers say, “no”. But when they hear that Mary is ready to give birth to Jesus, they let the group in.

          Then there is a party with piñata. A piñata is a hollow container filled with candy and toys. It can be shaped like an animal, an elf, or even a star. The children take turns wearing blindfolds and swinging a stick at the piñata. Finally one of them breaks it. Then candy and toys come pouring out.

          Now, let’s go across the globe to Sweden. In Sweden, the fun begins on December 13. That is St. Lucia Day. St. Lucia is a favorite saint in Sweden. They say that long ago, she brought food to Christians who were hiding from danger. She wore candles on her head to light the way. On St. Lucia Day, the oldest girl in each family pretends to be St. Lucia.

          She wakes up very early on December 13 and puts on a long, white dress. She puts a wreath on her head. It’s decorated with evergreen and has seven candles on it. When she is ready, she brings hot coffee and buns to her parents in bed. Her siblings follow her singing about St. Lucia. Then on Christmas Eve, they have a special dinner, and after dinner they pass out gifts. On Christmas Day, they go to church.

          Let’s go to Zimbabwe. That’s a country in Africa. In Zimbabwe, Christmas is a very big holiday. Everyone looks forward to it. One day just before Christmas, they go into the town that is nearest them. They go for a big celebration. People laugh and sing carols, and Christmas lights are everywhere. Best of all, they get to see Father Christmas. He looks a little like Santa Claus, but he is not so fat, and he wears a long red coat.

          In Zimbabwe, the day after Christmas is also a holiday. It is the same holiday they celebrate in England. It is called Boxing Day. That’s because people used to put gifts in boxes and exchange them on that day. The English give gifts to people such as the milkman, grocer, or postman who have served them during the year.

          Our last stop is all the way over to the Philippines. In the Philippines, they start to celebrate nine days before Christmas, just like they do in Mexico. Each morning people wake up before dawn to go to church. Sometimes fireworks wake them up. Yes! Fireworks at Christmas! On Christmas Eve they go to church at midnight. Then they go home and have a big dinner.

          They decorate with a parol (pah role). It is a gold lantern with a gold star on the front of it. At Christmas time, you see them everywhere. People put candles or light bulbs inside. All of the kids in school make them before Christmas.

          We have learned a little about Mexico, Sweden, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and England. But what about America - do we have any traditions? Because many of our families came originally from other countries, our country has many different traditions. What are your traditions? What do you use to decorate? (Listen – after someone says something about a manger or nativity scene ask, “What’s in the manger scene?” It will help fill in some of the pieces of the story later.) Just like pasada in Mexico tells a piece of the story, I bet many of our traditions tell a piece of the story. Let’s see.

          (Try to use their names. For example, Johnny said he puts an angel on the tree. Or, who said they put an angel on the tree. Well, . . .)

Angel on the tree

The angel Gabriel appeared before Mary. Don’t be afraid, Mary, God has some thing special planned for you. You will have a baby boy and will name Him Jesus. He will be great, the Son of God. He will be a king forever.

Nativity scene

Caesar Augustus, ruler over much of the world at the time of this story, decided to take a census of all the people of his empire. The census required everyone to go back to the place where their ancestors had lived. There, people would register by families. Joseph was a member of the family that had come from King David. So he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, where King David had lived as a boy.

Manger and animals or lambs

So Joseph took Mary, who was almost ready to have her child, and made his way to Bethlehem. When they arrived, there was no room in the inn. So they had to stay in the stable with animals. That night, Mary’s baby was born. She wrapped him in long strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, where the animals ate.

Shepherds and Candy canes and Christmas lights

Not far away, in some fields out side town, shepherds watched their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared to the shepherds. A bright light shined upon them It was special light from God. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, I have wonderful news. It is the most wonderful news that anyone has ever heard. But this news is for all people everywhere. The Savior, God’s Son, has been born tonight in Bethlehem. You may see there, wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger. “Let’s go now to see Him!” the shepherds said to one another.

Star and Wise Men

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, some wise men lived in a faraway land to the east. One night they saw a bright star they had never seen before. They knew this star was special, for it told them that a great King had been born. The wise men set out at once to find this new King. They followed the star until it led them to the land of Israel. The wise men began asking people in Jerusalem, “Where is the new King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the East. We have come to worship Him.”

Giving of gifts

When the wise men went into the house, they saw little Jesus at last. Then they knelt down before Him and worshiped Him. These men had brought special gifts with them, which they gave to Jesus now. There was gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was used for money at that time. Frankincense and myrrh were expensive resins.  

The Christmas Tree (use if asked for)

In the 8^th century, the oak was sacred to the pagan religion. St. Boniface in Germany cut down an evergreen and said, “This . . . shall be your Holy tree. It is the sign of endless life, for its leaves are evergreen. Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child; gather about it in your homes and surround it with loving gifts and rites of kindness. However, it wasn’t until the early 17^th century that the Christmas tree really became a part of the holiday celebration. European families brought it into their homes and decorated tit with homemade ornaments, such as paper roses, candies and cookies, and with candles, which represented the stars in the sky over Bethlehem.)

Mexico: Feliz Navidad

Sweden: God Jul

Zimbabwe: Happy Christmas

Philippines: Merry Christmas

Top | Exit | Print
SITC-1.0-ENG-0003 17-Jul-2002