Festival WebQuests: Christmas

Christmas is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. How much do you really know about how Christmas is celebrated around the world? In this month's WebQuest you will examine famous Christmas traditions and study how Christmas is celebrated in various countries.

Activity 1: Christmas traditions

Choose one or more of the traditions below and investigate it using the websites provided. For each tradition complete a note card. (See questions below). You can use the cards to give an oral presentation or write a composition.

1. Candy canes
2. Christmas cards
3. Christmas trees
4. Poinsettias
5. Santa Claus
6. Christmas carols
7. Christmas stockings
8. Mistletoe and holly
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Hoover Library: The Legends of Christmas

Soon Online Magazine: Christmas

Wilstar: Symbols and Traditions of Christmas

Note card questions:

1. What is your tradition called?
2. Describe your tradition.
3. What is the origin of your tradition?
4. When is your tradition held?
5. Where is your tradition held?
6. What is the symbolism behind your tradition?

Activity 2: Christmas around the world: Treasure hunt

Use the following websites to find out the answers to the questions below:

Christmas Worldview

Why Christmas?

Holiday Traditions
www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/Home.htm

1. In India, what type of tree is decorated for Christmas? 
2. Russians celebrate Christmas eating kutya. What is it and what does it symbolize?
3. Mexicans celebrate Christmas with posadas. What is a posada? 
4. In Rome, Italy, capitone is served on Christmas Eve. What is capitone?
5. In Venezuela people listen to aguinaldos. What are aguinaldos?
6. In Provence, France, people put santons in a crèche. What are santons and what is a crèche? 
7. In Japan, people are visited by Hoteiosho. Who is he, and why is he special?
8. In Greece people have to protect themselves from Killantzaroi. What are Killantzaroi and how can you keep them away?
9. Germans call Christmas Eve Dickbauch. Why is Christmas Eve called Dickbauch?
10. In China, a very important person is named Dun Che Lao Ren. Who is it?