Learn About Christmas Around the World

One of the fun things about teaching during the holidays is getting to learn about traditions that come from other parts of the world from where you live. My daughter’s class last year learned about the Feast of St. Nicholas and the fun traditions that go along with that celebration from a classmate whose mother is from the Czech Republic. The school also does a Christmas around the world day, where each classroom represents a different country, which is a lot of fun.

Whether you have a class full of kids or your own children, learning about how other people celebrate Christmas and other holidays can add meaning to your own celebrations.

There’s a great collection of information on celebrating Christmas around the world at 123 Homeschool for Me. This fantastic resource includes a free ebook with coloring sheets and writing prompts, as well as links to information on the holidays in more than 30 countries, from Brazil to Scotland, Kenya to Egypt and many more.

Pick a couple of countries from your heritage or that your kids are particularly interested in to learn about, or tackle as many as you can between now and Christmas.

Does your family have any holiday traditions that have been passed down in your family or home country? I’d love to hear about them!

[Photo via 123 Homeschool for Me.]

As if Diwali weren’t colorful and fun enough, The Festival of Lights: A Lift-the-flap Diwali Celebration by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Darshika Varm, makes it even more fun to read about with flaps and things to lift and pull to see more information or details in the illustrations.

The book is a story about a family getting ready for Diwali and what happens on the different days of the five-day celebration. There’s cleaning, shopping, crafting, food preparation and getting the home altar ready for the big day.

It covers decorating the outside of the house with rangoli, diyas and lanterns, buying sweets to share with family and friends, the sights and scents of the mandir (home temple), getting dressed up in new fancy clothes, the story of Diwali and celebrations with relatives.

Flaps (there are more than 140 in all) give you vocabulary words for different foods and definitions, as well as fun things like what’s inside the shopping basket or where the cat is hanging out. They also help illuminate the story of Diwali, which is the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram defeated the demon Ravana to save his wife, Sita.

This pretty and colorful book helps kids understand what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, regardless of whether they practice it at home. This would be a nice book to keep in a classroom (it’s rated for kids ages 3-7) or to have at home to teach kids about Diwali even if it’s not something you celebrate. Where I live there are a lot of people from India so we are probably exposed to Diwali more than some other regions of America, but it’s a nice holiday to know about wherever you live.

Combine with the book Diwali and check out some fun lantern crafts and printables for kids to round out your experience.

About the book: 24 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail prices $22.99.

Have you read?

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