Think for a minute: do you know someone who comes from another country? Maybe you have family living in a different country. If you know someone like that, ask them how they celebrate Christmas! Not everyone celebrates Christmas the same way we do here in Canada or the United States.
Did You Know?
Some families in a country called Norway hide their brooms at Christmastime. Wouldn't it be nice to skip sweeping for a few days?
Every Christmas in Caracas, Venezuela, families head to church in the early morning. That’s not so different, but for reasons no one seems to remember, they go to church on roller skates! How do you get to church? By car? Walking? Riding your bike?
In Iceland, 13 troll-like characters called Yule Lads come out to play. The Yule Lads visit children across the country for the 13 days leading up to Christmas. Each night of Yuletide, children place their best shoes by the window. And each night a different Yule Lad leaves gifts in the shoes of children who have been nice and rotting potatoes in the shoes of those who have been naughty. Hopefully you won’t get any potatoes!
People in the Philippines host a Giant Lantern Festival on the Saturday before Christmas Eve. The festival takes place in San Fernando, known as “The Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”
What’s the Reason for the Season?
We know that Christmas trees, presents, and spending time with family and friends are all wonderful things during the holidays. But why do we do all these things? Always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. On Christmas Day, Christians all around the world celebrate that Jesus was born. God sent his one and only son to take away our sins and bring us new life. When Jesus was born as a little baby to his human parents, Mary and Joseph, he was already the most important King on earth.
Here’s How to Make a Paper Lantern
Want to make a paper lantern? Visit this website to find out how: wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Lantern
About the Author
Liz Brown is the assistant principal at Living Stones Academy in Grand Rapids, Mich. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grand Valley State University in elementary education/instruction and curriculum. She is a native of Grand Rapids, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.
