Official Kids Mag

costumes who perform comedy sketches until you can guess who they are. Even countries with few Christians celebrate Christmas. India is less than three percent Christian, but Christmas is a national holiday. Only one percent of Japan's population is Christian, but department store Santas and holiday music are in all the stores. In every country, food is an important part of the celebration. In Ukraine, they enjoy a 12-course meal. In Japan, families get a meal from the American fast-food chain KFC for dinner. The tradition started in the 1970s after the first KFC opened in Japan. It's now so popular that Christmas orders are placed up to two months in advance. In Poland, carp that are eaten during Christmas dinner are often kept in the family bathtub for days beforehand. Afterwards, the fish scales are kept for good luck! In many Spanish-speaking countries, tamales are eaten on Christmas Day. In England, they enjoy Christmas Pudding, a brown pudding with raisins, nuts, and cherries. In France, they eat Buche de Noël, which is a cake that looks like a log. In Australia, since it's in the southern hemisphere, Christmas falls in the middle of summer, so many people grill their dinner. Yes…they will have shrimp on the barbie! Hanukkah Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. The Hebrew word for Hanukkah means "dedication." It is a holiday celebrating victory over King Antiochus, who would not allow Jews to practice their religion. For eight nights, candles are lit in a special candleholder called a menorah. Every evening after sunset, one more candle is added and lit while people recite special blessings and prayers. Families play games, sing songs, and exchange gifts. Potato pancakes, known as latkes in Yiddish, are traditionally eaten with applesauce and sour cream during Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. That's why the holiday starts on a different date each year. In 2021, Hanukkah begins the By Karen Rice Official Kids Mag During this time of year, you may see other kids and families celebrating in different ways. Besides Christmas, the winter holidays include many other celebrations: Hanukkah, St. Lucia's Day, Three Kings Day, Kwanzaa, Mawlid, Watch Night, and more. Among different religions and cultures, many winter holidays and traditions are focused on giving—which is always a good idea! This is a perfect season to give back to your community or those in need. We may have different celebrations and traditions but giving brings everyone together. christmas Christmas Day, December 25, is a holiday among Christians that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Some Christian families have Advent wreaths to anticipate the coming of Christmas, and some celebrate St. Nicholas day. Some families open presents every night of Christmastide or the Twelve Days of Christmas, beginning on Christmas day and ending on January 5. Some go to a midnight mass as the clock strikes 12. What are some of your Christmas traditions? Christmas is celebrated in different ways around the world. If you're in the United States, and you hear a knock at the door on Christmas Eve, it may be carolers who have come to sing Christmas carols for you. If you're in Argentina, it might be neighbors arriving to exchange gifts and light fireworks. If you're in Newfoundland, it could be friends dressed up in clever evening of Sunday, November 28 and ends on Monday, December 6. st. Lucia's Day St. Lucia's Day is a festival of lights celebrated in Scandinavia on December 13. The festival begins with a procession led by someone chosen to portray St. Lucia. Girls dress up in white gowns with red sashes and wear wreaths of candles on their heads, and boys dress in white pajama-like costumes and sing traditional songs. Kwanzaa Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration (December 26- January 1) that celebrates African-American culture and unity. Family and friends exchange gifts and light a series of black, red, and green candles. The candles symbolize the seven basic values of African-American family life: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa celebrations include African dances, drums, storytelling and poetry. Diwali: Festival of Lights India's biggest and most important holiday of the year is celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika (between mid- October and mid-November.) The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians. Diwali continues for five days, each one celebrated in a different way, including cleaning, decorating, prayers, feasts, fireworks and gift-giving. Watch Night Watch Night, also called Freedom's Eve is a religious service held on New Year's Eve in many African American churches, to celebrate and remember the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation that freed slaves in Confederate States was issued by Hanukkah st. Lucia's Day Holiday celebrations around the world 26 • December 2021 • www.OfficialKidsmag.com

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