Learn about the Aztec for Aztec New Year

Did you know that March 12 is considered the Aztec New Year? The holiday is still celebrated by some in Mexico, and even if you don’t have another New Year’s celebration to mark the occasion, it’s a fine time to learn about the Aztec.

The Aztec were the dominant culture in Mesoamerica (that’s the land from Northwest Mexico to current day El Salvador) before the Spanish colonizers came. In their own time they were known as Mexica or Tenochca, with the name Aztec being popularized in the 1800s. About 300,000 people lived in the capital of Tenochtitlan at its peak, making it one of the biggest cities in the world at the time. Tenochtitlan was located where Mexico City is today.

Words like chocolate, tomato and avocado are all derived from the Aztec language of Nahuatl. Some of their farming techniques are still used in Mexico, and their legal system is similar to that still used today. The symbol of the eagle eating a snake while sitting on a cactus, which is on Mexico’s flag, is a symbol the Aztec said was sent from the gods.

You can learn more basic facts about them from this page at Primary Topic Shop, or from National Geographic Kids.

Woo Jr also has some good information about the Aztec, including a sun stone activity, worksheets to use for learning about important animals, how to make chocolate and more.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has lots of great resources on the Aztec, including a printable reader with pictures for kids to color, printable worksheets and notebooking pages and a banner activity where kids can share what they learn about temples, clothing and other facts.

Learn some basic Aztec vocabulary at Storyboard That, and learn about Aztec codices (symbols to represent numbers and letters) and practice translating them with this activity from Teaching Ideas.

And you can learn more about Aztec New Year from Calpulli Tonalehqueh, a group in San Jose, California, where the oldest and largest Mexica New Year celebration in the United States is held. There’s a video there to show you a bit of what their celebration looks like.

To download these coloring sheets right click and save the image.

Guy Fawkes Night, otherwise known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night, is celebrated on Nov. 5 in the UK to mark the occasion in 1605 when Fawkes and other Catholic dissenters attempted to blow up Parliament and kill Protestant King James I. The plot was uncovered and stopped, but the day is still remembered and used as an occasion for bonfires, fireworks and fun, celebrating the nation’s (and the king’s) deliverance from a potentially fatal event.

Learn more about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, plus grab some worksheets if you’re a member (for example, this word search), from Activity Village. You’ll learn that using the word “guy” to refer to a man comes from Guy Fawkes, among other interesting facts. Kids Konnect also has some Guy Fawkes facts and worksheets for you to use in the classroom or at home.

Get some fun Guy Fawkes Night coloring pages from Coloring Pages Only. Admittedly some of these are a little silly but the whole idea of celebrating this day is a little weird to me so I’ll allow it.

Print out a Guy Fawkes mask from Twinkl, or you can do a full body scene to cut and paste from DLTK Kids. Check out more resources and some oddly cute 3D Guy Fawkes paper crafts that are also from Twinkl.

This is a great time to bring out all your fireworks and bonfire crafts (for example, this pointillist fireworks craft or a pretend play campfire). Find a few ideas for fireworks themed crafts for Guy Fawkes Day at Mud Mates. I love the look of the fireworks toast, pictured here.

EParenting has some more good ideas for ways to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night with kids. They also have a word search and have gathered some cute snack ideas for you to check out.

Have you read?

Leave a Reply