Happy Holidays from your Snory Godmothers! Are you looking forward to celebrating the holiday traditions of your culture this season? OF COURSE YOU ARE! Whether it’s hanging a wreath, lighting holiday candles, opening presents, celebrating advent, eating yummy treats, or decorating the Christmas tree, we know you will enjoy sharing time with loved ones, perhaps while sipping a yummy hot chocolate or spiced apple cider!
Christmas is a holiday enjoyed by both Christians and non-Christians in many countries around the world, and it takes place on December 25th each year. It is actually a day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, in fact the word “Christmas” literally means “the Mass of Christ”, and it comes from the phrase “Cristes Maesse”.
But whatever your beliefs may be, Christmas is a time for families and friends to come together at the end of the year, get cozy, and celebrate! Many people decorate their homes with Christmas trees, lights, and ornaments. People often exchange gifts with each other. The story of Santa Claus is also associated with Christmas. Santa Claus is a jolly man who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. He rides in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and comes down the chimney to deliver presents, as you heard in our Snory, Twas the Night before Christmas.
What IS the Christmas story, anyway? Historians have shared different versions based on research, and are always discovering new information! According to the Bible version, Jesus’s parents, Mary and Joseph, were travelling to Bethlehem to “register for a census”.
What does that mean? Well, the ruler, Emperor Caesar, wanted all the citizens to put their names on a paper saying where they lived so they could pay taxes to him. Joseph was from Bethlehem, but he was working out of town. So even though Mary was pregnant, she and Joseph had to take the hard and dangerous journey to Bethlehem to register for the census.
But when they got to Bethlehem, it was time for Mary to give birth – and there was no room for them to stay at the inn, so she and Joseph were forced to stay in a stable – which is a kind of barn room for animals! Jesus’s bed was a “manger”, which means a trough used to feed animals. Did you know that the word “manger” comes from the Old French word “mangier”, which means to eat?
Have you ever seen a nativity?! A nativity is a special scene that shows the birth of baby Jesus. Sometimes churches put up a big nativity at Christmas time, and often families have their own small nativity that is passed down from generation to generation and is set up in a special place in the house, for all to see. You can even make your own! What are the parts of a nativity? Well, It has Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus, of course. Then there are the animals, perhaps a sheep, a cow, a donkey, and maybe some pigs. Sometimes there are shepherds, and wise men too! The wise men were the ones following a star to find baby Jesus to bring him gifts. A nativity is like a little picture of the very first Christmas.
Over time, Christmas has evolved into a cultural celebration that incorporates various traditions, including gift-giving, decorations, festive gatherings, and lots of delicious meals! Even though Christmas started as a special day for celebrating Jesus’ birthday, it’s also become a time for everyone to have fun, get together with loved ones, and be extra kind to each other, spreading goodwill and Christmas cheer! What’s your favorite tradition over the holidays? Is it spending time with your family? Drinking hot cocoa? Giving or receiving gifts?
The poem read during this Snoriezzz episode was “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” But it was called something else at first! It was originally titled “A Visit From St Nicholas”, because St. Nicholas is one of Santa Claus’ other names. That’s why sometimes people call him “jolly old St. Nick!” The poem was written by an American writer named Clement Clark Moore. Before this beautiful poem from Clement, people thought Santa Claus looked somewhat different than how we think of him now. They thought of him as a little bit thinner, a little bit less jolly, and maybe even riding a horse! But Clement set the story straight. The Santa clause that we know and love is a jolly old St. Nick with eight reindeer. So let’s learn more about the author, the poem, Christmas and other holidays celebrated this time of year!
Clement Clarke Moore was the author of “Twas the NIght Before Christmas!” He was from America and he not only wrote stories and poems but he was also a scholar, which means he loved to learn new things, and a real estate developer – that means he bought and developed land and properties to sell to other people! Clement grew up in New York City, on an estate called The Chelsea Estate. Today, there is an entire neighborhood in New York City named after Clement’s estate…And what do you think it’s called? Yep! You guessed it! Chelsea!
The Chelsea neighborhood in New York looks much different than when Clement lived there, but to honor his legacy, (legacy means all the good things people remember about you even when you’re gone), New York City named a park after him!
FUN FACT: The correct name for Santa’s reindeer “Donner” is actually, DONDER! The name comes from the Dutch word donder, which means “thunder”. The names were originally Dunder and Blixem, which are Dutch words for “thunder” and “lightning”.
Did you know that it’s a tradition to put oranges in the bottom of Christmas stockings? But why? Well, some people say it’s because the oranges are a symbol of the bags of gold left by St. Nicholas! But other people think the tradition started during the Great Depression, a time in America when a lot of people didn’t have enough to eat, and couldn’t afford to buy holiday presents. So instead, they made a gift of sweet fruits that were hard to get then, so were considered very special! To wake up and find a sweet fresh orange in your stocking on christmas morning was a luxury!
In France, “Pere Noel”, or Father Christmas, wears a long red robe, usually with white fur trim, not pants and a jacket with white fur! The French have a yummy meal tradition too: after the family attends midnight mass at their church or cathedral, they often enjoy a very late dinner called, la reveillon, which almost always ends with a buche de Nol. Buche de Nol is a traditional Yule log-shaped cake specially prepared for Christmas.
IN ENGLAND, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria loved Christmas! Do you remember her from our Snoriezzz Deep Dive about England in the Goldilocks episode? Do you remember how she also loved English Tea Time and helped make it popular? Well, she and Prince Albert also popularized the Christmas tree! Gift giving was moved from New Year’s Day to Christmas morning, and they loved carols to be sung around the piano! The printing press made it possible to make a lot of cards quickly, with all kinds of lovely designs, and it became a holiday tradition to send cards to family and friends saying “Merry Christmas” .
Another fun custom in England is the “Christmas Cracker”. This isn’t a cracker to eat, but a paper roll that is filled with gifts and “pops” open with a bang!
There was an English baker named Tom Smith, and he just loved French Bon-Bons that were wrapped in pretty tissue. So he invented the Christmas cracker, it was an empty roll (kind of like an empty toilet paper roll) and he filled it with sweets, and wrapped it in pretty paper.
Later, he added a firecracker so it “bangs” open, and inside he put small paper crowns, tiny toys, and even little notes with jokes, affirmations, and nice sayings on them. To open them, everyone sits around the table, and each person holds one end of the cracker from the person next to them. They say “Merry Christmas!” and everyone pulls the cracker and whatever pops into your lap or on your plate is your prize!
In our play and learn, we will show you how to make a Christmas affirmation cracker!
IN UKRAINE: The Ukrainian tradition of decorating Christmas trees with spiderwebs is a unique and heartwarming story that comes from an old legend. The story is about a poor Ukrainian family who couldn’t afford to decorate their tree for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, while they were sleeping, some friendly spiders in their home spun beautiful webs all over the tree. When the family woke up on Christmas morning, the first rays of sunlight touched the webs, turning them into sparkling gold and silver threads! The family was so happy and thought it was a magical gift.
Because of this legend, Ukrainians believe that spiderwebs on a Christmas tree bring good luck and happiness. They even make ornaments called ‘pavuchky,’ which means ‘little spiders,’ and sometimes use tinsel to represent the sparkling webs!
This tradition is a beautiful reminder of finding joy and magic even in simple things!
Many years ago, people in Germany started decorating trees around Christmas. They believed that bringing a tree into their home would make them feel closer to nature and bring good luck. Do you remember learning about where the tradition of the Christmas tree originated in our very first Snoriezzz Deep Dive about Germany? It was from the Little Bo Peep episode! For a refresher click the link above to explore more!
Over time, Germans began to decorate the tree with lights, fruits, and shiny things like nuts to make it look beautiful.
The tradition of the Christmas tree spread to other countries, especially after a picture was published in England of Queen Victoria and her family gathered around a Christmas tree. People thought it looked so nice, they wanted to do it too!
Today, people all around the world decorate Christmas trees in different ways, but it’s always a special part of celebrating Christmas with family and friends. We show you how to make a Christmas tree decoration in our play and learn!
Christmas treats are a big part of the holiday celebrations, and different countries and families have their own special goodies!
Gingerbread Cookies: Gingerbread cookies are made with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. People often make them in fun shapes like gingerbread men, stars, or Christmas trees. Sometimes, they decorate them with icing and candy! In some places, people even make big gingerbread houses, like a sweet little house made of cookies and frosting!
Candy Canes: Why are candy canes considered a Christmas tradition? Well, a popular legend says that they originated in Cologne, Germany because a choirmaster would give the children “sugar sticks” bent into a shepherds crook to keep them quiet during the VERY LONG Christmas Eve services!
AHA! So this is why candy canes are shaped like a shepherd’s crook and are sweet and minty! We learned about shepherds in the Little Bo Peep Deep Dive! They’ve been a Christmas treat for a long time, and the red and white stripes are fun to look at! Some people even hang them on their Christmas tree or give them as gifts.
Christmas Pudding: In places like the UK, people enjoy a special Christmas pudding. It’s a rich, fruity cake that’s usually made ahead of time and steamed. Some people even hide a coin in it, and whoever finds it is said to have good luck for the year! It’s often served with a warm sauce or custard.”
Fruitcake: Fruitcake is a cake full of dried fruits and nuts, and it’s a tradition in many countries. It’s sometimes soaked in a little bit of alcohol to give it a rich taste. People often decorate it with icing and fondant to make it look extra festive!
Eggnog: Eggnog is a creamy, sweet drink made with milk, sugar, eggs, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Sometimes, it’s served cold, and in some places, adults add a little bit of rum or whiskey to make it extra special.
Stollen: In Germany, people make a treat called Stollen, which is a fruity bread with nuts, dried fruits, and a little bit of sugar on top. It looks like a little loaf, and it’s sometimes dusted with powdered sugar to make it look snowy!
IN MEXICO: Christmas in Mexico is celebrated for almost 2 months! And just like in France, people often attend a Christmas Eve mass, and come home for a late dinner, where they serve tamales!
Tamales are a yummy traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating.
Arroz con leche, or rice with milk, is a classic Mexican Christmas dessert! It’s made with rice, and milk, cinnamon and raisins!
Sugar Cookies: Perhaps our favorite treat! You can’t have Christmas without decorated sugar cookies! Sugar cookies are simple, sweet cookies that people often cut into shapes like stars, hearts, or Christmas trees. Then they decorate them with colorful sprinkles or icing. They’re fun to make and eat with family! Remember the Sugar Drop Recipe from the Millions of Cats Play & Learn?! Click the link if you missed it!
Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate is a warm, chocolatey drink that’s perfect for cold winter days. People like to add whipped cream, marshmallows, or even a candy cane for extra sweetness. It’s a great treat to enjoy by the fire or after playing in the snow!
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Each treat has its own special place in different Christmas traditions, and they’re all about sharing with family and friends to make the holiday extra sweet!
Hanukkah (also called the Festival of Lights) is a special holiday that Jewish people celebrate. It is a winter holiday, and sometimes it actually overlaps with Christmas. Hanukkah, which is observed by lighting a menorah, reciting special prayers and eating holiday treats, lasts for 8 days, and can occur as early as Thanksgiving or as late as Christmas. The dates change every year because the Jewish calendar is based on the sun and the moon, while the Gregorian calendar is based only on the sun.
But what is the story behind Hanukkah? A long time ago, there was a group of Jewish people called the Maccabees who were very brave and fought to keep their religion and traditions alive. They won, and when they went to their temple, they wanted to light a special lamp called a menorah.
There are many wonderful similarities between winter holiday traditions and observances. It’s fun to learn and grow by celebrating the customs around the world!