Winter Holidays Template
Celebrations Across the Globe
From Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa to Las Posadas to Hogmanay, December brings celebrations to every corner of the globe. With the holidays already on everyone's mind, why not turn them into a class adventure?
Use this template to share these cultural traditions with your students and families this winter.
🕎 Hanukkah (Dec. 4–12). The Festival of Lights begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 4. Families light one more candle on the nine-branched menorah each night, play dreidel and eat foods fried in oil, like latkes and sufganiyot. The Library of Congress explores the real history of the dreidel and the stories told about where it came from.
🕯️ St. Lucia Day (Dec. 13). In Sweden and across Scandinavia, children in white robes walk in candlelit processions, led by “Lucia” wearing a crown of candles. Saffron buns called lussekatter are a must! Sweden’s official site explains how the tradition began.
⭐ Las Posadas (Dec. 16–24). For nine nights, families in Mexico and Latin America reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, going door to door singing villancicos (carols) before sharing food and breaking piñatas. Smithsonian Folkways offers traditional Las Posadas songs students can listen to.
✊🏾 Kwanzaa (Dec. 26 – Jan. 1). The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture offers a free Kwanzaa hub with kid-friendly videos on each of the seven principles, printable activity sheets in English and Spanish, coloring pages and a reading list.
🎆 Hogmanay (Dec. 31). Scotland rings in the new year with fire festivals, ceilidh dancing and “first-footing,” where the first guest through the door after midnight brings gifts like shortbread or coal for good luck. Everyone joins hands to sing Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne.” VisitScotland shares Hogmanay traditions from across the country.
