#29 | NOVEMBER 2025
For many children in Hancock County, a countdown will begin soon that leads to a favorite holiday: Christmas. But how do you know it is getting close to Christmas time? Besides the change in the seasons, are there symbols you can look for around your house or school and in shops and windows?
LEARNING THE REAL MEANING BEHIND THE MOST POPULAR SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS
What are some of your favorite signs that Christmas is approaching? A tree decorated in lights? Candy canes as treats in school? Pictures of Santa sliding down a chimney with a bag of toys? Each one of these symbols has a historical meaning that we can trace back in time to learn more about how those who came before us celebrated this time of year.
CHRISTMAS TREE
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree, would it? Evergreen trees have become one of the most beloved symbols of Christmas time. But how did they get into our homes?
In Pre-Christian times, Romans and other civilizations used evergreens to symbolize life and endurance, since they stayed green throughout the dark winter months. Some cultures took to decorating trees in the forests with candles, symbolizing a return of the light. Today, Christmas trees represent hope and joy, family memories and a time of year when many Christian families celebrate the birth of Jesus.
SANTA CLAUS
Santa Claus goes by many names throughout the world, including Father Christmas and St. Nicholas (or St. Nick for short). It is believed that St. Nicholas was a 4th-century Christian bishop who was known for his generosity to the poor. Today, for many families, Santa Claus represents the joy of giving and generosity of spirit we associate with the holiday season.
REINDEER
You couldn’t have Santa without reindeer, right? Like evergreen trees, reindeer symbolize endurance and strength because of their ability to survive harsh winters in the arctic. For many cultures who also lived in these harsh conditions and relied on these animals for transportation, reindeer also symbolized a safe journey home. Reindeer became associated with Santa through folklore and storytelling, like in the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” where they were said to be pulling a sleigh filled with toys.
CANDY CANES
This sweet, minty Christmas treat shows up everywhere during the holiday season. But did you know that it was originally created by a minister in Germany a long time ago, who gave candy canes to the children in church in order to keep them quiet? The shape of the candy cane represents a shepherd’s crook. The red stripes represent the sacrifices Jesus made and the white symbolizes his purity.
IN
THE COMING WEEKS, WHEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BEGIN TO DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS, YOU WILL KNOW THE STORIES BEHIND MANY OF OUR MOST POPULAR HOLIDAY SYMBOLS!
In America, we have lots of families who celebrate Christmas in December. However, throughout our country, and across the globe, there are many people taking part in other holidays at the same time of year. Like Christmas, these holidays are a celebration of hope and joy and a return of the light. And like the holidays of Christianity, they have rich traditions of foods, family, gifts and symbols as well.
Hanukkah literally means “Festival of Light” and is an eight-day Jewish festival celebrating a miracle that took place in the desert. The first day of Hanukkah changes each year and is based on the Jewish calendar, which relies on the moon. Each night, one candle is lit on a menorah until (on the eighth day) all eight candles can be seen flickering and sparkling in the dark. Families will say prayers and blessings, play games such as dreidel, exchange gifts and eat special foods.
Founded in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor and activist, Kwanzaa is a week-long festival spanning December 26th to January 1st. This celebration reaffirms African heritage, empowers the community and promotes cultural unity. There are seven principales of Kwanzaa, one for each day of the week. They
are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each night, families will light one candle on a Kinara, or candle holder, and reflect on the principle that day. A large feast, called Karamu, featuring music, dancing and African foods, is held on December 31st. Other activities include storytelling, poetry, music and drumming.
On December 13th, children in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland get to celebrate a very special festival of light called St. Lucia Day. The day commemorates Lucia, a martyr who provided food and aid to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs by wearing a candlelit wreath on her head. In preparation for the holiday, one girl in each family, church or
community is chosen to be St. Lucia. She wears a white dress with a red sash as well as a wreath on her head adorned with candles, representing light and faith. Participants sing songs and enjoy special foods called St. Lucia buns. This holiday is a time of togetherness for many families in Scandanavia.
An ancient celebration, Winter Solstice is thought to have been celebrated for thousands of years. On the day of Solstice, on or around December 21st, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day of the year. From that day forward, there will be a little bit more sunlight every day, which makes the Winter Solstice a true return of the light. Cultures from all over the world, especially in Europe, celebrate this changing of the seasons with warm and cozy foods, fires stoked with a Yule Log, feasts and nature rituals. Decorating with holly, ivy and evergreen are common practices.
THE STORY OF HANUKKAH
A long time ago, a powerful king named Antiochus tried to force the Jewish people to give up their religion by taking over their holy temple. A group of brave Jewish fighters, called the Maccabees, rose up and fought to defend their right to worship in their own way. Despite being outnumbered, the Maccabees won the war and kicked the king and his soldiers out of the temple.
Then, they set to work cleaning up their temple so it could be used again for worship. When they were done and it was time to light the lamp for their ceremony, they found just one small jar of oil, only enough for one day and night. But, by the miracle celebrated on Hanukkah, the lamp continued to burn for eight days and nights instead of only one, allowing them the time they needed to get more sacred oil.
Hanukkah means “festival of light” and is a time of joy, miracles and hope for the people who practice Judaism.
One of the most beloved games of Hanukkah is Dreidel. A Dreidel is a small spinning top, usually made from wood, that has four sides, each with a different symbol in Hebrew, the language of the Jewish people:
Nun - do nothing
Gimmel - get all
Hey - take half
Shin - share by adding a coin to the middle
HOW IS HANUKKAH CELEBRATED?
At the center of this festival of light is a menorah, which holds nine candles - eight to recognize each night that the oil burned and one “helper” candle, called a shamash, that lights the others. On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, an additional candle is lit until, at last, the entire menorah is aglow.
Each night of Hanukkah is a celebration and families hold feasts with special foods, such as potato pancakes, called “latkes,” and jelly doughnuts, known as “sufgnaiyot.” Many of the special foods are fried in oil to celebrate the miraculous oil that kept the lamp burning.
SEE PAGE 12 FOR A FUN HANUKKAH RECIPE!
Families, especially children, give each other gifts for each night of Hanukkah. Donations to charities are also made to ignite a spirit of generosity within the wider community. Blessings, prayers, songs and special games are a big part of this Jewish holiday.
Each person is given a pile of golden, wrapped chocolate coins, called “gelt.” When they take turns spinning the Dreidel, it lands on different symbols, telling the player to do different things. The player who gets all the gelt wins!
If you want to play a game of Dreidel, you can ask your grown up to purchase a plastic or wooden Dreidel as well as golden-wrapped chocolate coins. You can also find templates online for creating your very own Dreidel. Just have your parents head here to print off this easy-to-use template: https://www.scholastic.com/ content/dam/parents/migrated-assets/printables/ pdfs/Printables-Holiday2-Dreidel.pdf
One of the funnest parts of learning about new cultural and religious traditions is trying new things, such as games and foods. Here, we have a few delicious recipes for you to try this season in honor of learning more about the festivals celebrated by other people in the world. Make sure to ask your grown up for help!
Solstice celebrates the darkest day of the year and the return of the light. This cozy, delicious drink is made with fruit juices and special spices that warm the body and help you to stay healthy all winter long. This makes a large batch, so enjoy with your family and friends around a fire, just like some people in Europe still do today!
INGREDIENTS:
• 7-8 cups apple cider
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 10 whole cloves
• 10 allspice berries
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange, cut into circular slices
*Optional honey to sweeten if needed
DIRECTIONS:
• Tie cloves and allspice into a small cheesecloth bag so they are easier to remove later.
• Put everything into a crock pot or stock pot on the stove and have an adult help you bring it to a low simmer.
• Allow to simmer for 2 hours before ladling into mugs.
• Add honey if desired.
Every year on Hanukkah, families enjoy delicious plates of latkes, or potato pancakes. These are fairly simple to make, but you will definitely need a grown up’s help. These are fried in oil, which gets hot and is not easy to work with. If you want to eat them the traditional way, top them with sour cream or even applesauce!
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 onion
• 4 Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp flour
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil
• *Sour cream and/or applesauce for serving
DIRECTIONS:
• Have an adult help you chop the onion into small dices while you peel and grate the potatoes using a box grater (watch your fingers!).
• Add the onion, shredded potatoes, flour and egg into a bowl and mix
thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Have an adult heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet to coat the bottom.
• Place 2 Tbsp to ¼ cup of potato mixture in heaping piles in the pan and press down. Allow to fry on one side for 2-3 minutes or until golden before flipping them to fry on the other side.
• When they are done, transfer them to a plate or a sheet pan in an oven preheated to 300 degrees to keep them warm before serving.
It’s only November, but once December 1st hits, the Christmas countdown begins! This year, you won’t need to ask your parents how many days are left because you will have your very own countdown chain! Choose from a reindeer, snowman, santa or even a Christmas tree theme.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
• Construction paper/card stock
• Glue
• Scissors
1. Choose your theme and paper colors:
• Christmas theme: red, green and white
• Reindeer: brown or tan
• Snowman: white
• Santa: red and white
2. Using scissors, cut your paper into strips that are about an inch wide (but it doesn’t need to be perfect!). If it helps, you can use a ruler to draw straight lines so you know where to cut. This will likely take 2-3 pieces of paper and maybe more.
3. To create your chain, take a strip of paper and glue the ends together, overlapping them. You might need to hold it in place for a few seconds. Then, take a new strip of paper and insert it
through the first ring you created before gluing the ends together. You will have two circles that are linked now.
4. Continue this process until you get a long chain with 25 rings!
5. When you are done, choose which end will be the top of your chain and decorate that ring. If you are making a reindeer, you can add antlers and a face. A snowman might need a carrot nose and a hat!
6. Have your adult help you hang up your Christmas countdown chain. Every day, rip one of the rings off!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS!
PRESENTS | WASSAIL | FAMILY | WREATH
SANTA CLAUS | MIRACLE | KWANZAA | FAITH
SNOWMAN | LIGHT | CANDLES | SOLSTICE
LATKE | EVERGREEN | HANUKKAH
