Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa

Read about how winter holidays are celebrated all over the world.

Resources in this category:

Christmas in Mallorca
http://www.christmasarchives.com/mallorca.html

"Mallorca (or Majorca) is the largest of the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. The culture is old and has many different traditions to the rest of Spain. This page will tell you all about Christmas on the Island, particularly about La Sibil.la, a very ancient custom held on the 6th January."

A Chronological History of the Christmas Tree
http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html

"A different approach to the history of the Christmas Tree. Starting with early references and legends in the 7th century, this page looks at how the Christmas Tree has evolved, every era is illustrated with fine old engravings."

The Great British Christmas!
http://www.christmasarchives.com/gbx.html

Find out how Christmas is celebrated in the British Isles: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

HanuKat
http://www.hanukat.com/

Read the story of HanuKat and the DreiDells and enjoy some fun activities for you to do -- there is one for each night of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah - Festival of Lights
http://www.ort.org/ort/edu/festivals/hanukkah/index.html

"Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, involves the lighting of candles for eight days." Learn more about history of the holiday, terms, songs, games, and more.

The History of Christmas
http://www.history.com/minisites/christmas/

Provides the real story of Christmas throughout history along with Christmas videos, world traditions, and the evolution of Santa Claus. Site also provides information on Christmas trees, the Christmas Truce of 1914, holiday recipes, and more!

Holidays Around the World
http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/holid...

On this site you can learn about holidays from all over the world and how people celebrate them.

A Hungarian Christmas
http://www.christmasarchives.com/hungary.html

"Here you can read a reminiscence of a Hungarian Christmas by June Meyer and her recipe for poppyseed cake."

Many Ways to Say Merry Christmas
http://www.travlang.com/xmas.html

Did you know that Brazilians say "Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo" at Christmas? This site tells you how people from dozens of nations around the world say "Merry Christmas."

Polish Christmas Carols and Customs
http://www.christmasarchives.com/polishcarols.html

"Here you can read an extended account of the Polish carols arranged by Kazimierz Hubert. Also, an introduction to the beautiful Christmas music of Poland. Links to many other Polish carols and to many Polish sites." You will need a Midi player, such as QuickTime, to hear the music.

Saint Nicholas: Discovering the Truth about Santa Claus
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

Information about Saint Nicholas traditions from around the world. Includes activities, crafts, recipes, and stories for adults and kids.

Santa Claus at Claus.com
http://www.claus.com/village.php.htm

A fun site about Santa Claus. You can play games and do other activities, try out a recipe from Mrs. Claus' kitchen, find out tips on how to make Santa's nice list, learn about Christmas traditions, sing Christmas songs, and lots more.

SantaSpeaking.com
http://www.santaspeaking.com/

SantaSpeaking.com is a great place to play games and watch live web video of reindeer. Parents will also enjoy this Christmas website. It offers special e-greetings, Santa gifts, and letters from Santa.

Torah Tots: Chanukah Is Here
http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanuk.htm

Learn about Chanukah(Hanukkah) with games and activities. Learn the story of Chanukah, spin the dreidel, send a greeting card or print out and color a picture.