Christmas Around the World

We started our Christmas Around the World Unit this week.  I will admit this is something I like to spend at least 2 weeks on, so the poor kiddos are having to do it at hyper speed with me.  Yesterday we started by "visiting" Mexico.  We talked about the story of the poinsettia and their focus on the religious alters of the holiday.  I played Feliz Navidad while they worked on their scrapbook page.  Our classroom aide is from Columbia and was able to share more of the intimate Spanish traditions with us.  The holiday begins for them on Wednesday the 16th and will go through February 2nd. 

In the afternoon we "traveled" to England.  While listening to The Holy and the Ivy we learned that the Christmas card started in England.  We also talked about the foods they ate and the Christmas cracker they had at dinner.  The cracker is not in fact something you eat, but a wrapped tube that is 'cracked' open to reveal a paper hat and small trinkets.  I looked high and low, but couldn't find any to bring in for the students to have. 

Stay tuned for our exciting adventures to come!