Holidays Around New Year: Home

Young readers learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Christmas.

Out with the old and in with the new! It's time to celebrate Chinese New Year! Clean the house. Have a feast with relatives. Watch fireworks and dragon dances. Make paper lanterns. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is a celebration of new beginnings.

Christmas is about celebrating! It is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Some people mark the holiday with Christmas trees and other decorations. People gather with family and friends to eat meals and give gifts. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving presents. It is also a time of family gatherings and colorful decorations. Join in the fun in this illustrated song about one of the merriest winter holidays.

People pray or sing to presipios, mangers that remind them of where the baby Jesus slept. They decorate Christmas trees with angels, stars, and glass balls. Strings of lights hang from shop windows and decorate the streets. Musicians play in markets while shoppers buy gifts and food for the holiday. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Italy. Come explore the many Italian traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Ebenezer Scrooge has always hated Christmas, but in this particular Eve, he's given another reason to be wary of the holiday: the ghost of Jacob Marley comes to visit! Clad in heavy chains and burdensome weights, Marley's ghost warns Scrooge that three spirits will visit him over the next three nights, each with a ghastly story to share. Will Scrooge's ghoulish experience teach him to embrace the spirit of Christmas, or will he say "bah humbug" to the holidays for the last time? These full-color graphic novels feature enhanced Common Core State Standards support, including discussion and writing prompts developed by a Common Core expert, an expanded introduction, and bolded glossary words.

Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated all over India and in many other parts of the world. Sing along and join in the fun with this peppy illustrated song about one of the world's brightest and most colorful holidays.

It's time to celebrate Diwali! Light lamps. Exchange cards and presents. Dance and watch fireworks. Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, reminds Hindu people of the story of Rama and Sita. It is a story of how good beats evil.

Hanukkah is a time for family fun and also a time to remember a miracle that happened more than two thousand years ago! Join in the fun in this beautifully illustrated song about one of the best known Jewish holidays.

It's time to celebrate Hanukkah! Light the menorah. Sing songs and eat tasty treats. During Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, Jews remember a war they won. This allowed them to freely practice their beliefs.

Hanukkah is about celebrating! Often called the Festival of Lights, the eight-day celebration honors a miracle that happened long ago. During Hanukkah, people light the menorah. They sing songs. They gather with family and friends to eat special food and give gifts. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Ornaments and lights decorate Christmas trees. Small, painted figures of animals and people fill creches scenes that look like the place of Jesus birth. Children open gifts on Christmas Day. People eat roasted goose, turkey, chestnuts, and oysters. They go to Christmas plays and musical shows called pastorales. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in France. Come explore the many French traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Bright red poinsettias decorate homes and churches. Families gather together and sing songs during posadas. Children set out their shoes, hoping they will be filled with presents. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Mexico. Come explore the many Mexican traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Stalks of oats called juleneks hang outside for birds to eat. Homes are decorated with pinecones, heart shaped baskets, and colorful paper chains. On Christmas Eve people leave bowls of porridge for the nisse, an elf like spirit who protects farms. During the Christmas season, people bake many kinds of cookies. They eat pork, boiled potatoes, and a sweet bread with raisins called julekake. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Norway. Come explore the many Norwegian traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Decorations made of straw cover your Christmas tree. A girl dressed in a crown of candles sings songs as she visits people's homes.  People gather together to exchange gifts called julklappar. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Sweden. Come explore the many Swedish traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

It's time to celebrate Christmas. There's so much to do! Make cookies and decorate the Christmas tree. Have dinner with your family. Exchange presents. This important Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Chinese New Year is a time for new beginnings. Some people clean their homes from top to bottom or share meals with friends. Others pray, light fireworks, or give each other gifts. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Max helps his friend Lily and her family celebrate the Chinese New Year. Flowers, oranges, and special candy are all part of the fun!

Diwali is about celebrating! It honors the Hindu story of Rama. Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains also celebrate Diwali. To celebrate this Festival of Lights, people light lamps, watch fireworks, and dance. Others might exchange cards and presents. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Kwanzaa is about celebrating! It honors African American heritage. Some people mark the holiday by lighting the kinara. Families and friends gather to eat a big feast. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.