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December Holidays Lessons & Resources, Grades K-5

Curriculum Resources Covering Holidays & Observances from Around the World

By Phil Nast, retired middle school teacher and freelance writer

Found In: Grades preK-2, 3-5, Arts, Language Arts & Literature, Social Studies

Article Sections

Celebrate the holiday season and learn how others celebrate with these lessons and resources for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ashura, Pongal, and New Years.

Lesson Plans

Christmas

Wild Christmas Reindeer Lesson Plan
Students in grades K-3 listen as Jan Brett’s story is read aloud, and then discuss the story and its illustrations.

The Christmas Tree
Students in grades 4-5 work in small groups to investigate the origins and symbolism of the Christmas tree.

A Colonial Christmas in Williamsburg
Students in grades 5-8 plan and participate in a colonial Christmas event.

Hanukkah

Celebrate Hanukkah in Israel!
Children in PreK-K learn about Hanukkah, make a dreidel, and play the game.

How Do You Celebrate?
Students in grades 1-2 use a graphic organizer to compare the similarities and differences in Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa celebrations.

Hanukkah
In this mini-unit, Students in grades 4-5 learn why Hanukkah is celebrated and identify symbols associated with Hanukkah.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa Mini-Unit
In this mini-unit, students in grades 2-3 learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa and symbols associated with its celebration.

Diwali

Let's Celebrate Diwali!
Students in grades 1-2 learn about Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light.

 

Activities

Christmas Alliterations
Students write alliterative tongue twisters.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Students calculate the total cost of the items in the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas."

Natural Resources and Your Christmas Tree ( PDF, 2 pages, 132 KB)
Students research and list raw materials used to make some items associated with Christmas trees.

Dreidel Game
Two can play an online version of the dreidel game. The game requires Java.

 

Background & History

Celebrate Winter Holidays: Activities and Resources for Teachers
Online scrapbooks describe how children around the world celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Find articles, activities and crafts, printables, curriculum connections, clip art and images, and a teacher guide.

Celebrating December
Print information and audio clips about December holidays from around the world.

Hanukkah

Christmas for Jews: How Hanukkah became a major holiday.
Discover how Hanukkah, traditionally a minor Jewish festival, evolved into "the Jewish Christmas."

Chanukah 2011
Hanukkah basics, traditions, activities, and stories.

Chanukkah
About Chanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. Learn the rules for playing dreidel and try a recipe for latkes.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
The Official Kwanzaa Website.

Diwali

 

Printables

Christmas Printables

Hanukkah Printables

Kwanzaa Printables

 

Books

Christmas

Christmas in America: A History by Penne L. Restad
A look at our evolving Christmas holiday from colonial times to the present.

Hanukkah

The Story of Hanukkah by Norma Simon and Leonid Gore
The history and traditions of Hanukkah for grades 2-5.

Hanukkah Trivia: 150 Fun & Fascinating Facts About Hanukkah by Jennie Miller Helderman and Mary Caulkins
Facts about the midwinter Jewish holiday in multiple choice question format. Answers are provided at the end of the book.

Kwanzaa

The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest by D. Winbush Riley
Examines the seven principles of Kwanzaa-unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition by Keith A. Mayes
An examination of Kwanzaa from Black Power beginning to mainstream black holiday.

Diwali

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks by Deborah Heiligman
Explains the holiday’s traditions, food, and rituals.

 

Videos

Christmas

Hanukkah

Kwanzaa

Diwali

 

Audio

Jean Shepherd: A Christmas Story WOR Radio (1974): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
A Christmas Story has been a popular holiday movie since 1983. In this five part audio resource, the author reads the original story in a WOR radio broadcast from Christmas Eve 1974. (5 parts, 45 min. total)

 

Other Winter Holidays

Ashura

Ashura
Ashura, one of the major holidays of Islam, is a time of fasting and of inner thoughts. It is celebrated on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic Calendar.

Day of Ashura
Distinguishes Sunni and Shiite observances of Ashura.

Ashura – The Religious Holiday of Islam
Provides more historical background.

Pancha Ganapati

Pancha Ganapati: The Family Festival of Giving
Describes the holiday as the Hindu Christmas with five days of gifts for kids. Explains what happens on each of the five days and provides a recipe for Vadai, a spicy donut.

New Year

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

Ras as-Sana al-Hijreya

Pongal

  • What is Pongal?
    This comprehensive website explains traditions and provides recipes as well as other information.

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