Celebrating Christmas

Celebrating Christmas

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Teac he r

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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A resource book exploding with ideas and activities for Christmas.

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes.

However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 1 86397 350 8

Teac he r

Dedication

To Mark and Molly, for your encouragement and patience, to Mandy and Kylie for your support and assistance and to Sharon and Kirsty, for helping to inspire me to write this book.

Thank you.

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Contents Preface - How to use this book. ......................................................................................................... 4 A Quick Christmas Quiz ....................................................................................................................... 5 The Christmas Story ........................................................................................................................... 6

Chapter 1 - Christmas P ast Past

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The Ghost of Christmas P ast: B ackground Notes ............................................................................................ 7-8 Past: Background Teaching Notes on Activities ................................................................................................................................. 9-10 Childr en’s Activity Sheets ....................................................................................................................................... 11-16 Children’s Sheets.......................................................................................................................................

Chapter 3 - The Nativity

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Getting Ready - Adv ent: B ackground Notes ......................................................................................................... 17 Advent: Background Teaching Notes on Activities ............................................................................................................................... 18-19 Childr en’s Activity Sheets ................................................................................................................................... 20-26 Children’s Sheets...................................................................................................................................

No Room! — The Nativity: B ackground Notes ............................................................................................... 27-29 Background ellers (P oem) ........................................................................................................................................... 30 10 Tir ed TTrrav Tired avellers (Poem) Teaching Notes on Activities .............................................................................................................................. 31-32 Childr en’s Activity Sheets ................................................................................................................................... 33-36 Children’s Sheets...................................................................................................................................

Re ad yEdPubl i cat i ons Chapter 4© - TTrrees and Tinsel

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Trees and Tinsel: B ackground Notes ................................................................................................................ 37-39 Background Teaching Notes on Activities .............................................................................................................................. 40-41 Childr en’s Activity Sheets ................................................................................................................................... 42-46 Children’s Sheets...................................................................................................................................

Chapter 5 - Car ds and Stamps Cards

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Chapter 6 - Christmas F ood Food

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The Christmas P ost - Christmas Car ds and Stamps: B ackground Notes .................................................. 47 Post Cards Background Teaching Notes on Activities ............................................................................................................................. 48-50 Childr en’s Activity Sheets .................................................................................................................................... 51-54 Children’s Sheets....................................................................................................................................

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Christmas Cakes and Cr ackers: B ackground Notes ................................................................................... 55-56 Crackers: Background Teaching Notes on Activities ............................................................................................................................. 57-58 Childr en’s Activity Sheets ................................................................................................................................... 59-62 Children’s Sheets...................................................................................................................................

End Notes ........................................................................................................................................................................ 63

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Preface As a child Christmas was a very special and magical time for me. The lead up to Christmas was a time filled with anticipation and preparation. My family celebrated a traditional English Christmas where the focus was on the family and sharing. On Christmas Eve my family and I would attend a Christmas church service and on Christmas Day we would congregate at my grandparents’ place with all the rellies. Christmas lunch was roasted chicken, ham on the bone and baked vegetables with all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding and brandy custard.

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As an adult and mother, Christmas remains a very special season for me. I still look forward to the preparations for Christmas as well as the family gatherings and the traditional baked dinner.

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As a teacher in the Australian education system, I find Christmas comes at a busy period of the school year. It falls at a time when student reports are due and end-of-year school concerts and presentation nights are being organised. At this time of the year, I often find myself giving the classroom a big clean-up and attempting to finalise any outstanding school business. Amongst all of this, I try to find time to focus on the meaning of Christmas with my students.

This book is written mindful of the many commitments which occur in mid to late December. It is designed to help teachers to gain a new perspective towards dealing with Christmas in the classroom. The book is exploding with ideas and activities to assist children of all creeds and cultures, to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of this special time of the year.

December 25th has long been celebrated as a day of festivities. This book explores the history and traditions that surround this season of promise and hope. It helps to illustrate that the “Australian Christmas” is really a multicultural celebration with many traditions borrowed from many parts of the globe.

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How to use this book

This book contains six chapters, each of which focuses on a different aspect of Christmas. The book follows the format of:

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Historical information and related stories and legends.

Suggested activities based upon the chapter’s theme. The activities have been designed to be incorporated across the curriculum and all are fun and educational.

Activity sheets that may be photocopied for classroom use.

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The activities can be adapted to suit children from kindergarten to year six. Teachers are encouraged to modify the activity sheets, adding or deleting written information and instructions where necessary.

Most of the art and craft activities in this book use recycled materials. To help gather these resources send a note home in early October informing parents and guardians of the type of materials that would be useful for the children’s Christmas art and craft activities, such as old Christmas cards, unloved Christmas decorations, Christmas stamps, buttons and fabric scraps.

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It is unfortunate that Christmas is at the end of the school year when display boards, walls and ceilings are cleared of the children’s work. Instead of restricting artwork to only ‘take-away’ art and craft and colour-in sheets, the activities provided allow you to put the children’s excitement and energy for Christmas into artwork that can be displayed around your school and local community. Choose places where the children’s talents can be appreciated, while at the same time spread a little Christmas spirit. For example, exhibit the children’s work on school notice boards, in the school office or outside on a portable pin board on assembly day. In the wider community places such as nursing homes, hospitals, post offices, the bank or your local church may also welcome a little festive cheer. These displays do not need to be elaborate or time consuming. Remember - children’s artwork is always appreciated for its originality and innocence, plus it does wonders for your children’s self esteem and your school’s image!

So … plan and get organised for your Christmas studies well in advance and you will find that you will have plenty of time to enjoy spreading the Christmas message of promise and joy, and in what better way than through the eyes of children whom you know and love.

Happy reading and have a wonderful Christmas!

Melinda Blyton Page 4

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A Quick Christmas Quiz Put your knowledge to the test!

Scoring 10/10 — Excellent (Go straight to the activities!)

7/10 — Very Good (But do read on!) less than 6/10 — READ ON!

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1. December 25th has been known as the birth date of the SUN or SON?

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2. Why is the day after Christmas called Boxing Day?

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3. Which country officially cancelled Christmas in the 17th century?

4. What are the traditional colours of the four candles on the Advent Wreath?

5. What do the Australian Aborigines have in common with one of the three gifts given to baby Jesus by the Wise Men?

6. When the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem, where did they find Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus? (a) in a house (b) in a cave (c) in a stable

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 9. In the song, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ what did ‘my trueo love’ send to me on • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s n l y • the fourth day of Christmas?

7. What country did the Christmas tree; as we know it, originate from?

8. In what year was the first Christmas card printed? (a) 1833 (b) 1843 (c) 1853

10. A baker by the name of Thomas Smith. (See chapter 6.)

9. Four ‘colly’ bird — black birds. (See chapter 6.)

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10.Who invented Christmas Crackers? (a) John Jones (b) Tom Smith (c) Bob Brown

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8. (b) 1843 — commisioned by Sir Henry Cole and designed by his friend John Horsley. (See chapter 5.)

7. Germany. (See chapter 4.)

6. (a) in a house. (See chapter 3.)

5. Frankincense (a sweet smelling smoke) is used during religious ceremonies as a medium for purification. Similarly some tribes of Australian Aborigines traditionally walked through smoke to cleanse their spirit. (See chapter 3.)

4. Three candles are purple and one is pink. (See chapter 2.)

3. England in 1647. (See chapter 1.)

2. It has got nothing to do with the sport boxing or family fights, but rather the opening of poor boxes and distribution of the money to the needy. (See chapter 1.)

1.

Both are correct. (See chapter 1.)

Answers Ready-Ed Publications

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The Christmas Story

(Good News, New Testament The Bible Society in Australia, Canberra)

This is how the birth of Jesus took place.

His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.

While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus — because he will save his people from their sins.”

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(Matt. 1.1-21)

At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

(Luke 2:1)

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Everyone then went to register himself, each to his own town. Joseph went from Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judaea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger — there was no room to stay at the inn.

There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them — they were terribly afraid. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all people. This day in David’s town your saviour was born — Christ the Lord! … You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing to God … When the angels went away from them back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord told us.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Jospeh and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the shepherds saw him they told them what the angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said — the shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

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(Luke 2.3-20)

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Jesus was born during the time when Herod was king. Soon afterwards, some men who studied the stars came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the baby born to be king of the Jews? We saw his start when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard about this he was very upset and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”

“In the town of Bethlehem in Judaea,” they answered.

(Matt. 2.1-5)

So Herod called the visitors from the east to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and make a careful search for the child and when you find him let me know so that I too may go and worship him.”

And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the east — it went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother, Mary, they knelt down and worshipped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and presented them to him.

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They returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Herod will be looking for the child in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave.”

Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod died.

(Matt. 2.7-15)

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Chapter 1

Background Notes

The Ghost of Christmas Past The magical season that surrounds December 25th has long been a celebration of light and hope and a festival of promise and imagination where gifts are exchanged and communities are decorated. In fact, it has been a time to feast, dance and be merry long before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Pre-Christian Europe

In pre-Christian Europe, the people held festivals to celebrate the end of the long cold, dark winter and the coming of the life-giving sun of spring. These celebrations marked the death of the old year and the beginning of the new.

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In northern Europe, the Celtic and Germanic tribes celebrated the festival of the Yuletide. It was a ritual to encourage the sun to make the days warmer at the darkest time of the year. Good fellowship, feasting, drinking and dancing, gifts and greenery were all part of Yuletide. The lighting of great fires, using enormous logs (sometimes decorated with colourful ribbons) was another part of the festival, which helped to ward off evil spirits and keep people warm. These logs were known as ‘Yule logs’ and are often today depicted on Christmas cards and made out of chocolate.

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For the Romans in southern Europe December was also a month of celebration. An important mid-winter festival, the Saturnalia, began on December 17th. It was named after Saturn, the god of farming. The Romans believed that this god could make their harvests plentiful or destroy their crops and harden their lives.

During this festive season, the birthday of the god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness was celebrated on December 25th. Mithra was a god worshipped by the Indo-Iranians. The Roman soldiers adopted the practice of this male-only cult from Persia. It quickly spread across the Roman Empire that stretched as far as North Africa, the middle east and large areas of Europe. As it is today, the celebrations carried over from December 25th to January 1st, the Roman New Year. Buildings were brightly lit and decorated with evergreens, street parades were organised and friends and families exchanged presents.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• So what about Jesus’ Birthday?

The early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Why?

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One suggestion is that the Christians thought that birthdays were too closely associated with pagan practices.

Another theory is that the Christians believed that the Second Coming of Christ was near and therefore saw little need to celebrate the first coming.1 Towards the end of the 3rd century the Roman Empire was divided, for administration and defence purposes, into two parts — east and west. Christian persecution was at its highest, though the Church still grew in numbers and it began to develop separately in these regions — the Roman church in the west, and the Orthodox church in the east.2 In 313 AD, a year after Emperor Constantine the Great was converted to Christianity, Constantine decreed that Christians were allowed to practice their faith openly. Christianity spread far and wide, reaching many parts of the Roman Empire. In the following decades Christianity became Rome’s official religion. Constantine, with his Christian faith and strong influence as a ruler, has been credited with “preparing the way for a distinctively Christian Western and Byzantine medieval culture”.3 You could say he gave Christmas its big start!

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The Early Christian Church

It was in 336 AD that Christmas became an official feast of the Roman church. By now no one knew the exact date of Jesus’ birth, (day or year), as it was not recorded in the New Testament. It is believed that the early Roman church decided on December 25th as it was already a date of celebration, and it would be easier to help the newly converted in the transition.4 They carefully and ever so slightly changed the focus of the winter festivals, giving pagan symbols new Christian meanings, … so Roman citizens continued to prepare for and celebrate the birth of the new son, the ‘Light of the World’.

During the 4th century arguments began between the two churches regarding the date chosen to celebrate Jesus’ birth. The Eastern church believed the celebration of his birth and the date chosen by the Roman church, December 25th was too closely aligned with pagan practices. Instead they felt that January 6th — the feast of the Epiphany was more appropriate. This was Jesus’ spiritual birthday, when John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the river Jordan. In the west, the feast of the Epiphany (Greek for “to show”) was associated with the celebration of the Adoration of the Magi, — the arrival of the Wise Men to Bethlehem and the presentation of the three gifts.

Towards the end of the 4th century both churches had decided to acknowledge each other’s elected dates to celebrate the Nativity. The Christmas season would incorporate both dates — December 25 to January 6 — lasting 12 days.

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The Early Christian Church (cont.)

It is not really known when the celebration of Christ’s birth was affectionately referred to as ‘Christmas’. The word originates from old English (Cristes Maesse) and means “Christ’s Mass” — Christ’s celebration. It is thought that the term Christmas was first used around 600 AD when Saint Augustine of Canterbury and his monks travelled to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.5 Though another source suggests that it was not used until some time around 1123 AD.6

Christmas Cancelled!

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The Victorian Christmas

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Ironically, thirteen hundred years after the Roman Catholic church established December 25th as the date of Jesus’ birth, Christmas was cancelled by the British Parliament.

It was a time of reform across Europe and a return to the basic teachings of the church. The monarchy was overthrown by a Puritan government under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell. His government decided that the celebration of Christmas was a heathen practice and was forbidden. And so in 1647, shops and marketplaces were ordered to remain open and churches were closed.7 People were to fast, not feast. Soldiers were to sniff out any Christmas dinners that were being prepared! Many families still celebrated Christmas behind closed doors, knowing that if they were caught they faced severe punishment.

Sadly many beautiful old English sculptures and stained glass windows of Catholic churches and cathedrals that depicted the nativity were destroyed. The singing of Christmas carols was also banned and many of the carols that were committed to memory were forgotten forever.8 Christmas was officially banned until King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. People were then allowed to celebrate the birth of Jesus, though it was no longer a season of feasting and merry making. Christmas was no longer a street festival that went on for days. It had lost its community spirit and Christmas became a family affair that lasted only a day.

Fortunately Christmas made a strong revival in the 1840's thanks to Queen Victoria, her German husband Prince Albert, and Charles Dickens.

The Victorian Christmas is very much the traditional Christmas that many television commercials, department stores and Christmas cards depict. This is the ‘Old Christmas’ which we long to recreate.

In 1843, Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. This novel is probably one of the most renowned Christmas texts ever written. With this story Dickens helped to raise the conscience of his readers, to look at the many moral and social problems that existed around them … and at what better time of the year?

Many versions of his famous story line, of comparing the world as it is to the world as it could/should be, have been used in television programs. How many different television programs can you recall? The Christmas Giving Trees, which many charity organisations, church groups and large retail stores organise, instil the spirit of Christmas which Dickens so long ago had the urge and wit to write about.

Remembering and sharing with the less fortunate has become an important aspect of celebrating Christmas.

Boxing Day (though very few people realise) actually gets its name from the charitable act which occurred on the day after Christmas. Traditionally, Boxing Day was known only as Saint Stephen’s Day. Saint Stephen was the first saint to be martyred (around 36 AD) and so he was given the honour of having his feast day placed next to Jesus’ birthday.9 Saint Stephen was one of the seven chosen to manage the finances of the early church, which included distributing money to the needy.

Before government welfare the poor relied solely on the generosity of those around them. The poor boxes at the entrances of churches collected donations from parishioners. These boxes were opened on Saint Stephen’s Day and shared among the impoverished in the community. Later it became a tradition for servants and workers to be given a small box with money in it from their employer on this day. With time the money was placed into envelopes though the gift was still referred to as a “Christmas box”.10 Today the tradition lives on in the form of Christmas bonuses, given before Christmas.

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Activities CP AS — Christmas P ast Activity Sheet CPAS Past

Christmas Booklet

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(CP AS 1) (CPAS During Advent (the four weeks leading up to Christmas) a great way to record the children’s drawings and thoughts about the Christmas Season is to make a Christmas booklet.

The booklet is made up of a number of photocopied activity sheets (using this book and other sources) stapled together with a cover page. It is important to decide what purpose the booklet is going to serve in your classroom.

Will it be used for the children to complete on their own / with a friend during free time or when they finish their work early? Or for the class to complete together after discussions and verbal instructions? Perhaps a mixture of both!

Make the activities you choose challenging challenging, fun and informative informative.

Using old Christmas cards, direct the children to design, cut out and glue a Christmas collage onto the rectangle on CPAS 1. Colour the other pictures on the page to complete the cover. Alternatively the children may draw a picture of their family celebrating Christmas or their favourite part of the nativity story.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Family Celebrations

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How does your family celebrate Christmas?

Ask the children to share with the person sitting next to them two things that their family does each year to celebrate Christmas. Allow each child to share one of the things his or her family does to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the class. Record the answers on a large piece of paper. Tally the answers given if others in the class do the same things.

Discuss possible reasons as to why families do these things at Christmas time. Record answers. Encourage the children to ask their parents why their family celebrates Christmas this way?

Have the children write a poem or make a booklet titled “Christmas at My House”.

Example: Every year at Christmas time at my house We decorate the big old pine tree in our front yard with Christmas lights My little sister thinks we do this so that Santa knows where to find us But I know we do this because we like telling everyone that Jesus will soon be born!

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• A Christmas Game

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Make a class big book titled “Christmas in Australia”. Have each child contribute one of the things that his/her family does to help prepare for Christmas or something that they do on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. (A game for 3 - 4)

(CP AS 2) (CPAS Children colour in and cut out the category list from the page and glue or tape it to a cardboard roll.

Each child will need to make a scorecard from scrap paper. If four children are playing, eight lines will be required on the scorecard. (Refer to CPAS 2) The children take it in turns to roll the cardboard category roller. The category that is revealed facing up is the one that the roller reads out. The children have 30 seconds to think and write down one thing that fits into the category stated. Each child shares their answer and scores 5 points if no one else has the same answer and 1 point if someone else has the same. The game ends when everyone has two turns. The child with the most points wins.

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(CP AS 3) (CPAS Organise an excursion to your local nursing home for the children to meet with the residents and discuss Christmas when they were young. Children pair up with a resident to complete the survey sheet.

In return, the children could sing some Christmas carols, put on a Christmas play or organise a special morning tea for the residents. Take photos of the morning and make up a class Christmas newsletter or a display with the pictures and the information collected.

Alternatively, invite some members of your local Historical Society or some of the children’s grandparents in to talk to the children about Christmas when they were young.

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What does Christmas Mean?

Invite the children to share what Christmas means to them. The teacher, as scribe, records each answer on a large piece of paper in the shape of a tree, bell or star. The children could make up individual poems using various Christmas shapes. Publish them in your school’s newsletter, parish bulletin or local newspaper.

Christmas Cancelled!

Ask the class to imagine life without Christmas.

YWhat would it be like? What would you miss most?

YWhat do you think people might forget about Christmas as years go by?

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Record their responses. Discuss with the class that Christmas was cancelled many years ago because the government believed that the people had forgotten the real meaning of Christmas.

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What if Christmas was cancelled this year? Share with the class how newspapers often sensationalise events and news stories. Invite the children to design the front page of their own newspaper featuring the story of Christmas being cancelled.

A Christmas Carol

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Read or watch a video of the story A Christmas Carol. Discuss the children’s feelings and thoughts on the story and the title. What message do you think Dickens is sending to his readers? Why do you think he wrote this story?

What would be another title for the story?

Help the children make a Christmas Past, Present and Future collage or booklet. Using cards, catalogues and magazines, cut out pictures, words and phrases which illustrated Christmas being celebrated in the past, present, and in the future. The children may need to draw some of their own pictures to glue on for the future section. Glue the pictures onto a piece of A4 paper and write words around them that describe the Christmas season in each particular period. To make a booklet from the collages simply make a cover using another A4 sheet and staple the sheets together.

Feelings on Christmas Day © Read yEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

(CP AS 4) (CPAS Discuss different ways people spend Christmas — with their family, alone, in hospital. Using the feelings on CPAS 4 ask the children to think of a reason why a person may be feeling this way at Christmas. The children complete the activity on CPAS 4 individually or with a friend.

Make your own Find-A-Word

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Boxing Day Box Puzzle

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(CP AS 5) (CPAS Using the list on the sheet the children choose a topic and think of 12 words related to that topic. After checking spelling, carefully copy the words into the grid at the top of the page. The words may be written across, backwards, up, down and diagonally. Fill in the left over spaces with letters from the alphabet. Make photocopies of the children’s puzzles and keep them in a central area for children to complete when they finish their work early.

(CP AS 6) (CPAS Ask the class why the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. Share with them information about Saint Stephen and the poor boxes. As a class find pictures and information about Saint Stephen.

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To make a box puzzle using CPAS 6, each child will require 16 empty matchboxes, coloured pencils or Textas, scissors and glue. The children use the grid provided and a lead pencil to draw their Christmas picture. Encourage the children to use the entire space for their picture and to go over their lines so that they are thick and dark.

Photocopy each picture and have the children colour them brightly. The children then carefully cut out the 16 rectangles and glue them neatly onto the empty matchboxes.

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CPAS 1

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My Christmas Booklet

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Illustr ated & completed by ..............................................................

Illustrated in the year .......................................................... .

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CPAS 2

A Christmas Game Score Card Points

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Topic

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m Something green . u to do with Christmas

A Christmas Food.

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Someone or thing from the Nativity story.

A Christmas Carol.

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A Christmas Decoration.

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CPAS 3

Christmas Past Survey Name: .............................................

Year of Birth: ...............................

1. What do you remember most about Christmas when you were a child? ...........

r o e t s Bo r e p Christmas with? ................................................................ ok 2. Who would you celebrate u S ............................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................

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3. What would you eat on Christmas Day? .................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................

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4. What type of Christmas Tree would your family decorate? ..................................

5. What type of decorations would you use? .................................................................

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6. What sort of gifts would you make/buy for your family? .......................................

. t etradition your family practised each Christmas?........................ o 7. What was one c . c e her r ............................................................................................................................................... o t s super ............................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................

8. Do you know where this tradition might have come from or why your family did this each year? ............................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................

Thank you for taking the time to share these wonderful Christmas memories with me.

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CPAS 4

Feelings on Christmas D ay Day

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thankful lonely tired surprised delighted excited annoyed ill hungry jealous bloated happy angry sick sad

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons On the lines provided explain why they might be feeling these ways ways..

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• How ar tin and Malika feeling during Christmas D ay? aree Mar Martin Day?

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CPAS 5 ...............................................................................................

(topic)

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The words maybe hiding

horizontally

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Find the hidden words.

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o c . che e r o t r s super Choose A Topic

People you celebr ate Christmas with. celebrate Places wher ations wheree you hang decor decorations ations..

Authors or titles of Christmas stories stories..

Countries that celebr ate Christmas in the summer celebrate summer..

(Make up your own topic) .................................................................................................................................

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CPAS 6

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Make sure you write your name on the back or inside each matchbox.

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Boxing Day Box Puzzle

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o c . che e r o You will need: What to do: t r s super • 16 empty match boxes.

1. Paint the empty matchboxes all the same colour • coloured pencils/Textas • scissors and PVA glue • paint (optional)

(optional).

2. Draw a Christmas picture using a lead pencil on the grid paper above. Make sure all the lines are thick and dark. Photocopy the picture and colour it brightly.

3. Carefully cut along the lines to make 16 neat rectangles.

4. Glue each rectangle to the top or bottom of a matchbox.

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Chapter 2

Background Notes

Getting Ready - Advent The word Advent comes from the Latin word advenire which means to come.11 The Advent season, similar to Lent, is a time set aside to prepare. Traditionally Christians prepared not only for Jesus’ first coming, but also more importantly for His Second Coming.

The liturgical colour for the season is violet, which symbolises mourning and penitence. Weddings and dancing were once forbidden during the four weeks of Advent, and Christians were encouraged to fast, meditate and repent.

Advent originally began on November 11th, Saint Martin’s Feast Day, and this date is still observed by the Orthodox church. Around 600 AD Pope Gregory I shortened the season, decreeing that it should begin on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.12 This is the date used by the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Episcopal churches for the commencement of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent is also the beginning of the liturgical year for these religions.

Advent Wreath

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The Advent Wreath, like the Christmas tree, originated in Germany. It is traditionally made using a circular wreath of pine branches with four candles positioned evenly around it and hung from the ceiling, using colourful ribbons or placed on the table. The American version of the Advent wreath, minus the candles, is usually hung on the front door to greet family and guests.

Like many of the Christmas traditions and decorations that we use, the Advent wreath is an adaptation of preChristian symbols. Circles, greenery and candles all offered protection from evil spirits that loomed at the darkest time of the year.13 Today the Christian meanings for these symbols are: The Circle —

God and His love Both have no beginning and no end.

The Greenery —

Everlasting life These plants remain alive during the bitterest winters, when other plants die.

Jesus came into the world to give us everlasting life.

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4 Candles —

4 Sundays during Advent to prepare for Jesus’ coming.

(3 are violet & 1 is pink)

Violet Candles —

Repentance Violet is used as a symbol of sorrow for wrong doings. During Advent we try to live as better people in order to prepare for Jesus’ next coming.

Pink Candle —

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Light Jesus is the Light of the World. He came to show us how to live.

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The Candles —

Hope and Joy Be happy and hopeful because Jesus brings with Him happiness and life.

(This pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent.)

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Another and perhaps a little more modern way of counting the weeks or days until Christmas is the Advent Calendar. It is said that the first Advent Calendar was made about one hundred years ago in Munich.14 Mrs Lang, the mother of a very inquisitive and lively young boy, was becoming frustrated by the constant chant of, “Mummy, how many more days till Christmas?”

She decided to draw up a large chart with 24 spaces on it - one for each day until Christmas. She lovingly decorated it and placed a lolly in each square. Every morning, Gerhard eagerly ate a lolly and marked off the days as they passed until Christmas morning finally arrived!

Apparently, Mrs Lang made Gerhard an Advent calendar each year, which he treasured.

Advent calendars are now a very popular part of Advent and are mass-produced all over the world. The range available varies enormously from simple charts to elaborate cardboard houses, covered with numerous doors and windows that open to reveal a Christmas picture or treat to eat. How many different types of Advent calendars have you encountered?

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Activities AAS — Advent Activity Sheet

Getting Ready Book The First Christmas

(AAS 1, 2, 3 & 4) Photocopy AAS 1 & 2 and AAS 3 & 4 back to back. Place AAS 3/4 on top of AAS 1/2 and fold in half to make the book.

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This fun little photocopy book is a great way to begin the season of Advent. It is also an economical and practical way for the class to read the Christmas Story together. Throughout the story, people are ‘getting ready’. At the end of each page discuss who, why and what needed to be prepared. Ask the children how they and their families may ‘get ready’ for Jesus’ birthday.

Are You Ready?

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Using the same pattern as ‘Getting Ready’ ask the children write and make their own ‘Getting Ready’ story book.

They may like to write individually, in a small group or as a class with an elected scribe. The topic may be — Christmas Day, a Birthday Party, a Baptism, a Wedding or the End of Year Class Party.

(AAS 5) Read AAS 5 as a class and discuss. Share with the children that when we prepare for special events we prepare physically - clean and decorate our homes, prepare special food, buy or make gifts etc. These are a more obvious sign of preparation. But we also prepare mentally and spiritually — that is our minds and our feelings. Many families light candles and pray together, make the effort to visit or phone family and friends that they have not seen for a long time. Many families go to ‘Carols by Candlelight’ and to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning to help prepare their minds and feelings. Ask the children to share the ways their family prepares for Christmas both physically and spiritually.

Miming Game - Preparing © Read yEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

During Advent we prepare ourselves in our own special ways. In fact every day we are preparing ourselves for something — sometimes consciously and other times subconsciously! Ask the children to write on a strip of paper one thing that they have to prepare to do and place it into a container. Give examples. Choose a child to begin. He or she pulls a topic out of the container and reads it — e.g. clean my teeth.

He or she then must think — I am going to clean my teeth.. What do I need to do?

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The child then mimes getting ready to clean his teeth but not the actual cleaning. Other children then try and guess what he or she is preparing to do. The student who guesses correctly then selects a topic from the container and the game begins again.

This game may be played in one sitting so that everyone in the class has a turn or it may be played for three turns, 5 minutes before lunch as a treat, everyday during Advent.

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Using a plastic or real Christmas tree, each morning choose a child to select a Christmas decoration or Jesse Tree character to hang on the tree. As each decoration is placed on the tree, sing a simple song or recite a special Christmas verse. If you are using bible characters perhaps the story about that person may be read or told by a class member.

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A Spicy Wall Wreath On a large sheet of paper or cardboard draw the outline of an Advent Wreath. Using blue and yellow paint direct the children to finger paint and/or sponge paint a variety of textured paper, i.e. A3 sheets of paper, newspaper, recycled paper and corrugated cardboard. When the paint has dried, have the children draw large leaf shapes on the back of the paintings. Cut out and glue around the wreath, over lapping as you go. Add leaf shapes cut out of tissue paper as well. When the leaves are dry apply small amounts of PVA glue evenly around the wreath and sprinkle on mixed spices, cloves and cinnamon sticks. For a bit of colour carefully peel four oranges and using small star biscuit cutters, cut out star shapes and glue them around the wreath. Add tartan or raffia bows, bells, pieces of red netted onion bags, small pine cones etc. to complete your wreath. Cut around your wreath or lightly sponge paint the background. In the centre write a Christmas message and hang in your classroom or present it to your local nursing home. Alternatively make individual smaller versions of the Spicy Wall Wreath for the children to take home.

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(AAS 6) Beginning on December 1 direct the children to choose, colour, cut out and glue a Christmas decoration onto the bare Advent tree, beginning with the tree skirt (number 25) and finishing with the star on the top of the tree.

Advent Activity Calendar

The Advent Angel

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(AAS 7) This calendar may be enlarged onto a poster sized sheet of paper for the whole class to work from or photocopied for each child. Time may be allocated each day to complete the activities or the children may complete the activity when they finish their work early. You may wish for the children to complete each activity starting in the top left hand corner and move along the top row or you may wish for the children to choose any one of the activities listed in the Monday column to complete on Monday, any activities in the Tuesday column to complete on Tuesday, etc.

Before you begin to make this Advent calendar decide if you wish to count the days that are left in the school year or days in Advent — if you would like each child to make a star then you may choose to count the days left until school ends, i.e. 30 children — 30 school days or if you would like to count the days in Advent, some children may like to pair up in making a star.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• A Starry Sky

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Give each child a numbered star, (approximately 10 cm across) to decorate with Textas, crayons, glitter, paper and fabric scraps. Prepare a long strip of paper, approximately 10 to 15 cm wide, divided into as many sections as stars. Colour or paint the sections different festive colours. Using a piece of cardboard, select a child or group of children to draw and decorate the class angel. Using strong glue or tape, attach a peg or bulldog clip to the back of the angel. Glue the stars onto the background strip, starting with the highest number at the top. At the bottom of the star strip, place a crib and nativity characters (commercial or class made). Each day a special member of the class is chosen to carefully move the angel down the strip indicating how many days are left. Discuss the factors or characteristics of each number as the angel moves down.

Similar to the Advent Angel activity, you will need to decide if you will count the days in Advent or days left in the school year. Each child makes a star from a variety of scrap materials, i.e. foil, cardboard, sticks, wool, ribbon, fabric etc. On a pin board write a Christmas message or verse and pin the stars around it. As each day passes a star is chosen from the notice board and hung from the ceiling using fishing line, ribbon, wool etc. As the star is moved to the ‘sky’ the class may say a simple prayer, sing a song or recite a verse of a poem. You may also like to decorate a special Advent candle that could be lit each morning as the star is moved.

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o c . che e r o t r s super The Advent Advertiser

Using the children’s artwork, stories, poems, quotes and facts that they have acquired about Christmas, construct a class or school Advent Newsletter that is issued every Friday in Advent. This may be a simple A4 photocopied sheet or a more elaborate A3 newsletter. Make sure the children are involved at every level of its creation, from the planning to the photocopying and distribution. You may like to send an advance copy to your local newspaper or parish bulletin.

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8 Three wise men, who studied the skies also saw the star that night.

They got their camels ready and gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

They set off to see the new born king.

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AAS 1

How are you and your family getting ready for Jesus?

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(This is not a story about grooming reindeers!)

by Melinda Blyton

Teac Getting Ready he r The First Christmas

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David

7 The same night some shepherds on a hill nearby saw a bright star in the sky. An angel appeared and told them about Jesus. The shepherds got their sheep ready and hurried off to Bethlehem to visit.

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Jonah

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For a long time God sent many men w e and women to help the people of vi e Israel get ready for r Jesus.

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6 Joseph made a comfortable bed in the hay ready for Mary. During the night baby Jesus was born.

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3 When everything was ready, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary and Joseph that they were going to have a baby!

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AAS 3

in the animals’ food trough - a manger.

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They had to get things ready.

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5 When they finally got to Bethlehem the town was very busy. All of the inns were full. A friendly innkeeper told Mary and Joseph they could sleep around the back.

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4 Many months later the Roman emperor told the people of Israel that they had to return to the town where they were born to be counted. Joseph was born in Bethlehem.

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He sent a boy with some blankets to get the stables ready for Mary and Joseph to sleep in.

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So Mary and Joseph had to get things ready to travel. They packed their clothes and food and set off on a donkey.

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AAS 5

Ar ou Ready?

Aree Y You

Imagine you are preparing a “SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY” for your sister / brother / friend. The big day is 4 weeks away.

That is a long time to wait BUT there are many things you will need to do in order to be ready. You will need to do a lot of thinking and a lot of organising.

On the back of this sheet make a list of what you will need to do.

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Advent is the time when we wait and get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

We prepare shopping lists, our homes and we also prepare ourselves — our minds and our feelings.

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In the spaces below draw 4 things you and your family do to get ready for Christmas.

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AAS 6

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Can you draw these pictures without lifting your pencil off the page?

Monday

If a = 1, b = 2, c = 3 etc. add the letters together to find the value of ox, camel, sheep sheep,, donkey donkey,, lamb

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Play Shepherds and Kings (noughts and crosses) where a is a nought and a is a cross.

Christmas Cancelled!

Write a letter or a list of reasons why Christmas should never be cancelled.

Choose your favourite person from the Christmas story.

Draw a picture of him/her using chalk and a patch of concrete in the playground.

Remember to use lots of detail and patterning!

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How many rhymes / songs do you know about stars?

Make up one of your own.

Using an atlas find Israel.

How many kilometres did Mary and Jospeh have to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem?

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Find a boy’s and a girl’s name in your class / year / school for every letter in the name Immanuel

If 6 donkeys, 4 camels and a goat with only 3 legs were tied up outside the “Best Bed in Bethlehem Inn” how many legs would you count?

Write your own number story!

Name all of the people in the Nativity story.

Put them into alphabetical order.

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Thursday

Wednesday

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• How many different forms of accommodation can you think of?

Make a list and write a short definition next to each.

Now put them into a poem.

BANG!

Thomas Smith made the first Christmas Cracker in the 1890's.

With a friend make a list of things that go

Being a baby today is a lot easier than being a baby 2000 years ago. Name 10 things babies have today that they didn’t have 2000 years ago.

What is the value of your name and the names of 3 of your good friends?

If vowels = 10 points and What are 3 differences consonants = 4 points, between a donkey and a horse? position these words in order What is a mule? from lowest point value to highest value: star, angel, sky, night

Secret Message 19 12 4 14 26 13 2 8 15 22 22 11 8 6 13 7 18 15 24 19 9 18 8 7 14 26 8?

Friday

30 excellent 35 fantastic!

Find, draw and colour the flag of Israel.

Can you make a 3D tree using only: a newspaper, a 12 cm piece of sticky-tape and a pair of scissors?

Did you know that the Christmas tree originated in Germany?

15 good 25 very good

Using the letters in “Merry Christmas” make as many words as you can.

BETHLEHEM

Find the name of a town / city for each letter in the word

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Adv ent Activity Calendar Advent

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Chapter 3

Background Notes

No Room! — The Nativity The Nativity story was only recorded by two of the New Testament Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke. Matthew was a disciple of Jesus and Luke was a gentile (not Jewish) who possibly never met Jesus. When you combine both Matthew and Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth the story is brief in description and many of the details that make up the Christmas story that we recite today are missing! So where have these extra details come from?

The Journey and the Census

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“Joseph went from Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judaea … he went to register with Mary.”

Luke 2.4, 5

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The Cave / Stable

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It is generally accepted that Mary would have rode on a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, as that was the most common mode of transport for both the rich and the poor during that period of time. They would have travelled a distance of about 110 km, which may have taken Mary and Joseph up to ten days or perhaps longer. They would have probably travelled with others making the same journey, as it would have been safer to travel such a long distance in a group. They were travelling to take part in a census. A census was held in some parts of Palestine every seven years. The men and their families would travel to their home town to have particular details recorded - so that the Romans could calculate how much tax they should be collecting.

“…and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger — there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2.6,7 If you travel to Bethlehem today you will find the Church of the Nativity built over the cave where it is thought that Jesus was born. Parts of the church date back to the 4th century. The numerous caves that covered the countryside were used to shelter domestic animals. The European version of the Palestinian cave is a wooden stable. It is not mentioned how long Mary and Joseph had to stay in the cave, though when the men who studied the stars later arrived they went to a house to pay homage.15

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Astronomers, Wise Men or Kings? “…some men who studied the stars came from the east…” Matt. 2.1 The bible tells us that the men who visited studied the stars so this is probably where the title of Wise Men comes from. They are most commonly referred to as “The Three Wise Men” because of their ability to interpret the stars and because of the three gifts presented, though some eastern cultures believe that there were as many as twelve Wise Men. Many traditions and legends have evolved over time regarding the Wise Men and receiving gifts. In Spain, on January 5th, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, children traditionally put out their shoes filled with hay for the camels of the three Wise Men to eat on their way to Bethlehem, and in return the children hope that the travellers will replace the hay with gifts. A Russian legend that involves the Wise Men tells of an old woman Babouschka, who was too busy spinning when the Wise Men called on her to travel with them to search for the Christ Child. Regretting her decision, the old woman packed up to follow the Wise Men, however it was too late, the snow had covered their footprints. As a result she now wanders forever delivering gifts to good children in the early hours of the morning of the Epiphany hoping that one of the presents may reach the baby Jesus.16

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Ian Guthridge, in his fabulous book “All About Christmas”, suggests that some of the details not mentioned in the bible come from the Apocryphal Gospels. These books were known and read by the early Christians. In the 4th century and early 5th century the church authorities chose which books should be placed together to form the New Testament and the Apocryphal Gospels were excluded. They were kept in circulation up until the 16th century when the Catholic and Protestant churches banned them. The Armenian Gospel of the Infancy (a later gospel of an uncertain date) refers to the “visitors from the east” as being kings - Melkon, the king of Persia, Gasper, the king of India, and Balthasar, the king of Arabia.

The spellings of the kings’ or Wise Men’s names have changed in translations over time and vary from country to country. During the Middle Ages more details about the kings’ appearances were added to the story. Melchoir was depicted as the oldest, with white hair and a flowing white beard, Balthazzar was a man in his prime with dark hair and a short dark beard, and Casper was the youngest of the three, beardless and dark skinned.

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The Shepherds “There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flock.” Luke 2.8

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It has been suggested that Jesus may have been born in the spring rather than in the winter. Luke tells us that the shepherds were spending the night in the fields, probably because it was lambing season and they needed to protect the lambs and their mothers from wild animals. During winter the sheep were often sheltered for the night and the shepherds slept inside. In regards to the census, spring would have also been a more appropriate time to expect families to travel long distances.

The Gifts

“They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and presented them to him.” Matt. 2.11

The gifts that were given to Jesus are said to be very symbolic. Gold was presented to symbolise that Jesus was royalty. Frankincense and myrrh are both tree resins. Frankincense, which means ‘pure incense’ was, and still is today, burnt during religious ceremonies. It was given to symbolise Jesus’ adult life of prayer and ministry. When frankincense is burnt it produces a sweet smelling smoke, which is said to purify. Similarly, some tribes of the Australian Aborigines traditionally used smoke from a fire to help cleanse a person’s spirit. Individuals would walk through smoke to help purify their soul during a special ceremony. Myrrh was used to help preserve the dead. This unusual gift for a newborn is said to have foretold Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion.

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Herod

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“Jesus was born … during the time when Herod was king.” Matt.2.1

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At the time that Jesus was born, the Romans ruled Palestine (now called Israel). In order to try and keep the regional leaders on side the Romans installed local kings called Herods. However because of their strong political ties to the Romans the Herods were very unpopular with the locals. Herod the Great reigned up until about 4 BC just after Jesus was born.17 He was very insecure about his ability to hold his position. Herod even organised the murders of three of his sons and his wife in fear of losing his throne! When the visitors from the east arrived enquiring the whereabouts of the new king of the Jews, Herod was “very upset”. He called the men to a secret meeting to find out the exact time the star had appeared. He then asked them to make a careful search of Bethlehem and when they found the Messiah to let him know. After a while, Herod realised that they were not coming back. He gave orders to kill every boy in Bethlehem and in the nearby towns, who was two years old or younger - “this was done in accordance with what he had learned from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared.” (Matt. 2.16) Does this suggest that the Wise Men had been following the star for quite some time, perhaps years? And that Jesus was perhaps not a small baby when the men arrived!

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The Nativity Scene

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On Christmas Eve, 1223, St Francis of Assisi helped to humanise the Nativity through recreating the events of that special night.18 St Francis, together with the locals, prepared a manger with a baby, people dressed up to represent Mary and Joseph as well as the visitors from the east. He called on real shepherds to come and pay homage. St Francis completed the scene with sheep, ox and a donkey to illustrate the Christmas story to the mostly illiterate crowd. St Francis continued this tradition every year and soon other villages adopted the practice. Later statues were made to represent each character in the Christmas story and Nativity scenes were set up in houses and towns all over Europe!

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 10 Tired Travellers

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10 tired travellers, all of different breeds rushing off to Bethlehem to obey the Emperor’s decree.

9 busy innkeepers, wealthy and well groomed turning away customers with shouts of No Room! No Room! NO ROOM! 8 anxious soldiers, of the Roman kind in Bethlehem on official business … watching the people of Palestine.

7 dazzling angels gave some shepherds a fright singing their important message … “GO! Follow that bright light!”

6 shaky shepherds, just waking from their sheep three will stay, three will go … I wonder who they’ll meet?

5 furry ox and asses resting on straw of new welcome two tired travellers - a worried man and a pregnant woman dressed in blue.

4 royal advisers, rushing around in a royal ding!

Herod’s had some visitors and news of a “Just born Jewish king!”

3 eastern visitors, dressed in turbans, silk and fur bearing gifts - a box of gold, a canister of frankincense and the unusual gift of myrrh!

2 proud parents exhausted and sigh “Yahweh has been good to us, on this still and starry night.”

1 tiny baby, a gift from above His message is for everyone - Love and BE LOVED!

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Activities NAS — Nativity Activity Sheet

The Journey Using a map of Palestine or of modern day Israel, plan with the children the path that Mary and Joseph may have taken. Calculate the approximate distance (about 110 km) they would have travelled. Point out the equivalent distance using familiar towns and cities that the children may have travelled to. What major rivers and regions would they have passed? In small groups ask the children to make up word problems, along with the answers, based on Mary and Joseph’s journey.

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For example: Mary and Joseph left on a Tuesday and they travelled 10 km per day. They travelled every day except Saturdays. What day would they have arrived in Bethlehem?

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Nativity Puppets

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Using the salt dough recipe below, allow the children to model small portions of the dough to make the heads of particular characters from the Nativity. When modelling the dough have the children make a hole at the base of the heads large enough for them to push their finger inside. Once the characters have been baked, painted and varnished, cut a piece of decorative fabric 10 cm × 12 cm (appropriate for the character). Beginning at the back of the head, smear craft glue on the inside of the finger hole and carefully place the fabric onto the glue to adhere. Lay the puppets on a flat surface to dry. Extra detail, such as wool for their hair etc. may be added.

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Ingredients 2 cups of plain flour 1 cup of salt 1 cup of water 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (optional - to make supple) 1 tablespoon of wallpaper glue (optional - to make elastic)

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Salt Dough

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Method 1. Combine all ingredients and kneed for 10 minutes.

Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes in an airtight container.

(It is important to keep the dough that is not being used stored in an airtight container to prevent drying. The dough will keep this way, in a refrigerator, for a week. If it becomes damp kneed in a little flour.)

2. Model the dough into the required shapes on a lightly floured table or baking paper. To join pieces of dough together, moisten the joining edges with a little water.

3. Place the shapes on a tray covered with foil. Bake at a low temperature (120°) until they are hard. (A shape that is 8 mm thick will take approximately 7 hours to bake.) When the heads are hard, turn off the oven and leave until cool to touch.

4. Apply the heads with an undercoat of white paint (optional). Once this is dry, paint with water based paints.

Finally give the heads up to 3 coats of matt, gloss or satin polyurethane varnish to help intensify the colours.

Nativity Scene Using recycled materials - small boxes, cartons, cardboard rolls, straw, scraps of fabric, wool and buttons - allow the children to create a character from the Christmas story. Set aside a special place in the classroom for the children to prepare the Nativity scene and display their artwork.

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Stained Glass Window

(NAS 1) Organise an excursion to visit some of the local churches in your community, to study the stained glass windows that depict the Nativity. Perhaps you could organise the local priest or minister to talk to the children about the history and particular points of interest about the windows.

Using NAS 1 and a lead pencil, ask the children to design and draw their own Nativity picture. Encourage the children to add as much detail as possible in the style of a stained glass window. Photocopy the sheets so that the lines are dark and have the children colour their windows brightly.

A Different Perspective

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Read the children the biblical account of Jesus’ birth on page 6. Ask the children to imagine they are one of the people or animals in the story. Individually or in pairs ask the children to write or retell what they saw happen that night.

They may choose to tell the story from the perspective of: the donkey that carried Mary, a Wise Man’s camel, the shepherd’s dog, the angels, the innkeeper, the innkeeper’s wife, a shepherd, a Wise Man, Joseph or Mary.

Name Your Own Town

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Shooting & Falling Stars

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(NAS 2) (A game for 2) Using NAS 2 players take turns joining two dots horizontally or vertically on the dotted page. When a player can form a box, he or she writes his or her initials in it and makes a tally on the score card in the ‘Room’ column. When a player has five rooms he or she has enough to make an inn and tallys accordingly in the ‘Inn’ column. When a player has three inns he or she has enough to make a town and may choose a name - perhaps from Palestine/Israel or a made up one! The game is over when no more rooms may be made. The winner is the player with the most towns, inns and rooms.

(NAS 3) (A game for 2) Similar to Snakes & Ladders, the children follow the directions on the sheet to complete the game. Two counters and a die are required.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Study the Stars

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Become ‘Wise Men” and study the stars that are unique to the southern hemisphere. Find their names and map their position. Have a “Wise Men & Wise Women” day where the class dresses up and invites an astronomer in to discuss what a star is made of and other interesting information about the solar system.

o c . che e r o t r s super The Emperor’s Game

(NAS 4) (A game for 2 - 6) This game is based on an ancient Jewish game. Each player will require fourteen counters. Photocopy NAS 4 onto a thin piece of cardboard. Cut out the box and assemble. Using a sharp pencil, carefully pierce the holes indicated on two sides of the box and push the pencil through both holes, so that the box may spin. Each player places two counters in the middle before a player spins the box. The rules are as follows: If the emperor’s head faces up then the player who spun takes everything in the centre. If Herod’s head faces up the spinner may take half of what is in the centre. If the soldier’s head faces up the spinner takes nothing and if the innkeeper’s head faces up the spinner must put in two counters! Players take turns spinning until there is only one player left with counters.

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NAS 1

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NAS 2

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2b Name: .................................................... © ReadyEdPlayer Pu l i c at i ons Inns Towns Rooms Inns Towns •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Rooms

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NAS 3

Instructions 1. You will need as many counters as players, and a die.

2. RULES: Throw the die to begin and move the indicated number. If you land on a shooting star you may travel up. If you land on a falling star you must move your counter down. If you land on a question and answer it correctly you may move forward one space. If you answer incorrectly you must move back one space.

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3. Colour the stars and ENJOY!

The closest star to earth is the … sun or moon?

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Groups of stars are called … constellations or congratulations?

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NAS 4

The Emperor’s Game Instructions: Colour the box net Carefully cut along the solid lines.

Using a sharp pencil pierce the two holes indicated.

Fold along dotted lines to form a box.

Glue the flaps to make the box secure.

Gently push the pencil through the two holes to make your spinner.

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Players start with 14 counters.

To begin, each player must place two counters in the centre of the group.

Players take it in turns to spin the spinner. * If the emperor’s head faces up the player may take all of the counters in the centre! * If the Herod’s head faces up the player may take half of the counters in the centre! * If the soldier’s head faces up the player may not take any of the counters in the centre! * If the innkeeper’s head turns up the player must put two more counters in the centre!

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Inn Keeper

If you loose all your counters you are out of the game.

The winner is the last player left in the game!

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Chapter 4

Background Notes

Trees and Tinsel Holly, ivy, mistletoe and conifers are all evergreen plants that we use as decorations for Christmas. Did you know they have been used this way for thousands of years?

Throughout history, evergreen plants have been used to represent permanence. The Egyptians, Chinese and Hebrews used evergreen trees, wreaths and garlands as symbols of eternal life in their ancient customs. These plants were also recognised as symbols of hope and promise by the druids, Celts and Romans. Green was and still is the colour of life. During the long and bitter European winters most plants and animals perished or lay dormant.

You could imagine how the sight of a green plant would suggest strange powers, especially one which produces fruit.

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Today, whether plastic, a branch off a gum tree or a perfectly shaped potted pine, it is the Christmas tree that has become the universal symbol for Christmas. Even in many Asian countries where Christianity is not widely practised, the Christmas tree is recognised and respected as the symbol of the season.

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The Christmas tree as we know it today was first written about in Germany in 1510.19 Many believe that the tree is closely connected to the ‘Tree of Life’ from the Garden of Eden. The ‘Tree of Life’ grew the fruit that would allow man to live forever. The Christmas tree is a reminder of what could have been had Adam and Eve not eaten the apple from the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ (Genesis 3:22-23). It symbolises the faith that Christians share in eternal life.

The first recorded Christmas tree decorated in England was in 1829.20 The German Princess Lieven was living in England and organised for a Christmas tree to be put up for her children, as a reminder of the season in her home country.

In 1840 Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert popularised the custom and helped to make the Christmas tree (or the ‘German Tree’ as it was once known) an integral part of Christmas in Britain.21 The tree, positioned on a table, soon became the focal point for the household celebrations. The presents were attached to the branches or placed under the tree, as is the practice today.

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There have been many legends that seek to explain the Christian origins of the Christmas tree. Here are two German legends which share many similarities:

The Woodcutter and his Wife One cold and bitter winter’s night a woodcutter and his wife were resting by their fire when they heard a knock at the door. They opened it and to their surprise they found a small and very hungry child. The man and his wife felt sorry for the boy and welcomed him into their home.

The woodcutter’s wife quickly prepared a meal with the little food that they had. Seeing that the child was tired they gave him their warm bed to sleep in while they slept on a hard bench next to the fire.

In the morning they woke to find that the homeless child had turned into an angel, dressed in gold! He told the couple that he was the Christ Child and as a reward for their kindness, he broke a twig off a fir tree and gave it to them. He told them that if they planted and cared for it the tree would bear fruit every year.

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And so the first Christmas tree appeared decorated with golden apples and silver nuts and still it blossoms every year at Christmas!

The Gardener

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A small boy, poor and hungry, tried to sell a gardener two scraggy pine trees on the day before Christmas in an attempt to earn some money for his family. The gardener took pity on the boy and gave him a gold coin for the sad looking trees.

The gardener had no use for the trees and so he threw them onto his stack of firewood at the back of his house. It just so happened that the gardener’s children found them when they were playing and planted them behind the church.

That night the gardener and his children went to church. During the midnight mass the people in the church saw a wonderful light coming in through the church’s stained glass windows. They rushed outside and found two gigantic pines, higher than the church with bright lights all over them. The lights were in the shape of roses and the roses were burning on the branches.

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As everyone stood in awe looking up at the magnificent trees a white dove flew out of the church and extinguished the lights because the night had turned into day. The dove then swiftly flew back into the church. The gardener then realised that the small boy who had sold him the trees was the Christ Child.

Christmas Decorations

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Some children today think that it is the Christ Child, with angels as his helpers, who decorate Christmas trees. The shiny tinsel that is wrapped around the branches is the angels’ hair. It is left behind to remind little children of how the first Christmas tree came to be.

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Decorations originally were used on the tree to symbolise Old and New Testament characters from the Bible who helped prepare for the birth of the long awaited Saviour. In the Middle Ages many people were illiterate and so these first decorations were placed on the tree as stories were told from the Bible. Today many people place a Jesse tree next to their Christmas tree or tie a Jesse ribbon on their Christmas tree to remind them of these stories.

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During the 1800's fruit (mainly apples), nuts, biscuits (gingerbread), sweets and candles were the most popular ornaments used as tree decorations. The fruit and sweets were kept untouched on the tree until January 6th, (the day the Wise Men visited Jesus) when the decorations were taken off and eaten, and the tree was burnt or thrown out.

This was the climax of the season for many children, quite the opposite for a lot of children today.

Later, specially produced small toys, animals, birds, angels and instruments became popular. The first bauble was made around 1870 by glass blowers in Thuringia, Germany when they discovered how to decorate glass balls on the inside.22 No matter what decorations people use to decorate their Christmas trees, the one that brings the most excitement and smiles to both young and old alike, is the string of Christmas lights. Today lights not only decorate millions of Christmas trees all around the world, but also adorn shop fronts, roof tops and entire neigbourhoods. They are used as a modern symbol of the light that Jesus brought into the world and by dressing up our homes and gardens they help to spread the Christmas message of joy and wonder.

In 1894, 15 years after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, Christmas lights were first placed on the Christmas tree. They were priced at an equivalent value of $1000 to $2000 today!23 Unfortunately, at this price, only very wealthy people could afford to replace the dangerous candles (which had been the cause of many severe and fatal burns to mostly children) with Christmas lights.

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It is not known as to when tinsel was first put on the Christmas tree or who actually invented it though there are many legends. The following two legends make connections between the modern day tinsel with the ornate silvery web of the spider:

The Flight to Egypt When the Wise Men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph learnt of Herod’s anger and rage towards the birth of their son. Joseph then packed up Mary and Jesus and started to make their way for Egypt.

That afternoon as the sun began to set they took shelter in a cave. After they had finished their supper and settled down for the night a little spider spun her web across the cave’s entrance. The soldiers who were busy searching for the baby noticed the unbroken web across the mouth of the cave and decided that no one would be in there.

They continued their search further up the track and baby Jesus, His mother and father were saved.

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And so at Christmas time people drape and weave tinsel over their trees to remind them of the story of how a little spider saved baby Jesus from Herod’s soldiers.

The Widow and the Spiders

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A long time ago, there lived a poor widow who cared for her large family. She was determined that all of her children would enjoy Christmas and have a present to open on Christmas morning. The woman stayed up late every night in November and December, making gifts for her ten children.

On Christmas Eve the widow set up a Christmas tree and placed the presents under it, all ten of them, and went to bed. During the night some local spiders crawled into the house and began to spin their webs over the tree. They covered it from top to bottom in fine sticky webs! Also that night the Christ Child was passing by, as many people believe he does on Christmas Eve. He saw the webs over the tree and knew how upset the widow would be to find her beautiful tree in that awful state. He said a little prayer to His Father in heaven and changed the webs into fine threads of silver.

Christmas morning came and the widow got up early so that she could greet each of her children as they woke.

When she saw her tree she was so filled with joy that tears ran down her face.

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Do you know when the first Christmas tree was decorated in space?

It was December 1973, when Skylab was circling the Earth. The three astronauts living inside made up the first weightless Christmas tree from odds and ends of space life!

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Activities TAS — T rees/Tinsel Activity Sheet Trees/Tinsel

Shapes of Christmas Trees Collect a variety of pictures, catalogues, old Christmas cards and shopping bags etc. which depict the various shapes of pine trees. Sort them into groups, using different characteristics. Make a display on a notice board together with tinsel and other directions.

Plan a group excursion to your local nursery to look at the different shapes, sizes, textures and colours of conifers and the various cones they produce. Make sure that you inform the owner of the nursery what you hope the children will learn from the outing. Prepare a fun recording sheet for the children to complete at the nursery. Make a big book with the information collected by the children. Illustrate the book with drawings and photos of conifers in the school’s playground or local park, include bark and needle rubbings as well as measurements.

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(A game for 2 - 3) Children use a piece of paper and a pencil and work in small groups to design a ‘Hop-Scotch’ Christmas tree.

Children may wish to use old Christmas decorations as tokens or markers for the game. Encourage the children to be creative in their design — e.g. place a large star at the top for HOME. Using coloured chalk the children transfer their design to a designated part of the playground and enjoy their game.

(T AS 1) (TAS Using the picture on TAS 1 make several templates (depending on the size of your class) for children to trace around onto firm or corrugated cardboard. Each child will require two tree shapes. Paint both sides of each tree green or alternatively spray both sides of each tree with adhesive spray and lay them onto pieces of green fabric (felt, Christmas material or hessian). Cut neatly around both trees with pinking shears, for a different effect.

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Measure halfway up both trees and mark using a small dot. Draw a straight line on the first tree from the dot to the top of the tree. On the second tree mark the middle of the base and draw a straight line from the dot in the middle of the tree to the middle of the base at the bottom of the tree. Cut both lines carefully to form slits. Depending upon the thickness of the material used, a second cut may be required alongside the first to make the slits wide enough for the trees to slide into one another.

A Tinsel Tree

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Glue buttons and small pieces of tinsel onto both sides of each tree to decorate. Gently slide the two trees together to complete your table decoration.

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(T AS 1) (TAS Adult assistance may be necessary depending upon the age and ability of the children.

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Using a template (TAS 1) children trace the shape of a Christmas tree onto firm cardboard and cut out. Next take a large piece of aluminium foil and gently crumple it into a large ball. With patience and care straighten the foil ball and place the shiny side down facing the work surface. Cut around the tree leaving about 2 cm of foil to fold over. Gently wrap the excess foil around the shape, snipping the edges as necessary and attach with tape. Decorate the tree with coloured dots, stars or picture stickers.

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Alternatively, glue small squares from glossy cut up Christmas card or balls of Easter egg foil wrappers. Or paint the foil tree and staple short pieces of tinsel or a string of beads across the tree. Glue the tree onto a coloured background or staple a ribbon to the back to hang.

A Writing Tree

(T AS 2) (TAS Read the legends associated with the first Christmas tree and Tinsel in this chapter. In groups or individually ask the children to make up their own legends as to how the first Christmas tree, or one of its decorations, happened to be created. List a few suggestions on a board for those with temporary ‘writers block’. (Be creative - native animals could play a part in the legend.) After conferencing, have the children publish their legends on TAS 2, writing on the thick line that travels around the tree OR they may choose to write their legends in the shape of their own tree.

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A Classroom Christmas Tree Set up a plastic Christmas tree or bring in a potted pine tree and position it in a prominent yet accessible part of the classroom. Next to the tree place a box of decorations that the children may use to cover the tree during free time or at a particular time of the day. Depending upon the size and structure of your class you may choose to make up a roster for the children to follow, so that all students may have the chance to decorate the tree.

Light Up the Neigbourhood Organise a late afternoon bus excursion for the children and their families to visit streets in your neighbourhood which have spectacular Christmas light displays. The evening could start at the school with a BBQ (sausage sizzle).

Each person or family could be asked for a small donation to help cover the costs. This may also be used as part of your class’ end of year party and ‘Thank you’ get together for valuable parent helpers. Check in the local paper for suggested locations.

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(T AS 3) (TAS Cut out the templates on TAS 3 and glue onto thick cardboard (recycle an old box). Attach a loop of fuse wire onto the top of the cardboard shape with some masking tape. This will be used later to thread a small piece of ribbon through to hang. Using diluted PVA glue or wallpaper paste and short strips of newspaper, cover the shape evenly.

Allow an hour for the paper to dry before applying the second layer. Using short strips of white paper apply the third and final layer. The next day, gently smooth off any rough edges with very fine sandpaper and paint the decoration white. Draw a design onto the decoration with a lead pencil and then paint. To add extra detail, use a thin black felt tipped pen once the paint is dry. To give the decoration a professional look, apply a coat of clear gloss or mat varnish. Tie on a short piece of ribbon or a colourful pipe-cleaner to attach to the tree.

Using the instructions and recipe for salt dough given in Chapter 3 ‘No Room’ make and bake Christmas shapes.

Make sure a small hole is made at the top of the shapes so that a ribbon or pipe cleaner may be attached once the decoration has been painted.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr e vi ew pur posesonl y• Spot the Difference - Christmas Safety

Alternatively, glue a magnet on the back to make a refrigerator decoration. Instead of buying new magnets for the decorations ask the children to bring in any old and unwanted magnets that they have at home and give them a new life.

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The Gardener and the Pine Trees

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Ask the children to imagine that they were with the gardener and his children that special Christmas Eve. On a large piece of paper ask the children to draw what they saw.

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After the children are familiar with the legend titled The Journey to Egypt, ask them to retell the story in their own words and pictures.

The Widow and the Spiders

Once the children are familiar with this legend discuss with them how percussion instruments might be used in telling the story. Allow individuals to demonstrate their ideas in front of the class. Divide the children into small groups to dramatise the story using only percussion instruments as props. Alternatively, if the class is familiar with the other three legends in this chapter, allow them to choose the legend that they like best to retell. Record the children’s stories with a video camera for them to view and to play for parents who come to your End of Year ‘Thank You Party/Gettogether’.

Christmas Tree Noughts & Crosses

(T AS 5) (TAS Using TAS 5 each player decides which decoration is going to represent him or her and draws four decorations.

The object of the game is the same as traditional noughts and crosses — to be the first to place three decorations in a row. Once it is decided who is going first, each player takes a turn in placing his/her marker on a circle in the tree. A tally column is provided for score keeping purposes.

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TAS 1

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TAS 2

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Name: ..................................................

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A Writing Tree Ready-Ed Publications

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TAS 3

Painless Papier-mâché Templates

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Attach a piece of fuse wire for a halo.

Glue a piece of lace, foil or corrugated cardboard onto the back for wings.

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1. Many of the green and red plants used to decorate our homes at Christmas time are poisonous.

2. Glass decorations which are cracked may shatter when touched. 3. Decorations which are not securely tied may fall and break. 4. Decorations may have small parts that are not secure. 5. Christmas lights may overheat if decorations are touching or wrapped around them. 5. Old Christmas lights may have exposed wires. 7. Candles may start fires.

Talk About It: Why might these things be dangerous?

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Sometimes Christmas decorations become dangerous for little children and adults.

Find and circle 7 things in the bottom picture that are ‘dangerous differences’.

Spot the Differences

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Noughts & Crosses Christmas Style

Player 2 Tally

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Player 1 Tally

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The first to place 3 in a row is the winner.

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Player 2

Choose your favourite Christmas tree decoration and draw four. Colour and cut them out.

Choose your favourite Christmas tree decoration and draw four. Colour and cut them out.

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Chapter 5

Background Notes

The Christmas Post - Christmas Cards and Stamps In Europe, during the Middle Ages, Christians gave woodprints of religious images as gifts of well wishing for the Christmas season.24 Today, sending Christmas greetings via a card has become an important aspect of celebrating Christmas. Every year millions of cards are sent around the country and overseas. In December 1999, Australia Post delivered a record 485 million letters, cards and parcels.25

The First Christmas Card

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The first Christmas card mass-produced and sold commercially was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole. Cole was the director of a London museum and quite a socialite. He found that he had too many friends and too little time to personally write a Christmas letter to each of them so in 1843, Cole commissioned his friend and artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card to send instead.

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Horsley created a very thoughtful picture that captured the spirit of Christmas. He made a ‘triptych’ card — that is a card that displayed three scenes or panels. In the centre panel, Horsley drew a large family seated around a table enjoying a hot Christmas dinner, while in the left and right panels, either side of the family, he drew people feeding and clothing the poor. On the banner that was draped over the end of the table was the greeting ‘A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You’. All Cole had to do was write a short personal message on the back of the 13 × 8.5 cm card.

Cole, very pleased with his friend’s work, ordered 1000 cards to be printed. Those that he didn’t use he apparently sold in a shop for a nice profit. You can find a picture of Horsley’s card in the World Book encyclopedia.

The Christmas card has changed quite a lot over time as printing techniques improved. During the mid to late 1800’s, when Christmas was making its revival, cards were folded so that the message could be written inside rather than on the back. Pictures depicted on the front of the cards were often of children playing, robins, and horse drawn coaches. They were everyday scenes and very different to today’s cards!

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The first Australian designed and printed cards were made in the 1880’s after a countrywide competition initiated

by John Sands. Soon cards depicting Australian scenes of native flora and fauna, swagmen and Aborigines were being sent around the world. European cards picturing a white Christmas were still in demand by many who longed for a traditional wintry Christmas in their homeland.

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‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men’ is a very traditional Christmas verse, though the most popular verses used today would be ‘Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year’ and ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’. Ironically, many Christmas cards and verses made today are non-religious, made for those who wish to celebrate the season but perhaps not the reason.

Canada was the first country to produce a special stamp just for the Christmas season. It was during 1898 to commemorate the official opening of the Imperial Penny Postal System. Australia issued its first Christmas stamp on November 6, 1957 and the United States of America followed five years later in 1962. Today most prominently Christian countries issue a series of Christmas stamps.

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The pictures on the stamps vary from year to year. Some Australian stamps have featured indigenous paintings, children’s drawings, 15th century paintings and pictures illustrating different parts of the Nativity story. Australia Post commissions artists each year to design a series of stamps. Some years they organise competitions for school children to draw or paint pictures, as was the case in 1988 and 2000

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Activities CAS - Cards & Stamps Activity Sheet

Types of Christmas Cards Collect new and/or used Christmas cards that vary in shape, colour, size, theme and cultural origin. Display the cards and ask the children to discuss how the cards are similar and how they are different. Ask the children to suggest ways of classifying or sorting them. In small groups allow the children to sort ten Christmas cards. Each group may then present their cards to the class and explain their classifications.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Messages and Graph

Using the Christmas cards that have been collected ask the children to read and tally different printed Christmas messages inside the cards. Make a graph using old cards cut up for units.

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From your card collection record the printed Christmas greetings and distribute one card to each child. Copy each word onto a separate piece of paper. Place the words into a container. Call out the word as it is pulled out of the container. If a child has that word in his or her Christmas greeting, he or she may underline it. The first child to have all of his or her greeting underlined calls out BINGO or MERRY CHRISTMAS. Cards may be swapped amongst the children and used again, this time the words may be crossed out.

Seasons Greeting And Best Wishes For The New Year

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• The First Christmas Card

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(CAS 1) Find a picture of the first commercially produced Christmas card in the World Book encyclopaedia and show it to the class. Discuss its size, colouring and pictures. Using CAS 1, point out the similarities between the first card and the picture drawn on the activity sheet. Ask the children to draw their family sharing a Christmas dinner in the centre panel and ways in which they may share the Christmas spirit of goodwill with others in the two outer panels. On the banner ask the children to write their own Christmas message. Invite an antique dealer or collector to talk to the children and to show some old Christmas Cards from the 1800’s. How have Christmas cards changed over the decades?

o c . che e r o t r s super Send a Card to a ‘Sister School’

Organise a Sister School for the children to make and send Christmas cards to. The school may be in another town, city, state or country. Plan an excursion to the post office, to post the cards and to find out what happens to all of the letters and cards that get posted. Before you go to the post office ask the children to prepare questions that they would like to ask.

E-Cards

Send an E-card to a friend or family member. The children may like to make their own using a scanned picture and a typed verse. For free ready made interactive E-cards, log onto: http://www .bluemountain.com/eng3/christmas/index.html http://www.bluemountain.com/eng3/christmas/index.html This website is well worth exploring even if E-cards are not sent.

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A Christmas ‘Card’ Box 1. Cut a Christmas card in half, separating the front from the back. Put the back piece of the card aside and work on the front. The measurements and instructions are the same for both pieces of card. All measuring and drawing should be done on the ‘inside’ of the card pieces.

2. Measure 2 cm in from the left and right sides of the card and rule a line down.

3. Measure 2 cm from the top and bottom of the card and rule a line. Measure 4 cm from the top and bottom of the card and rule a second line.

4. Cut a 4 cm line from the top and bottom of the card, on both sides.

5. Fold along the 2 cm lines that you ruled first. Fold the newly created flaps in towards the centre of the card.

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6. Now fold the top and bottom sections over the flaps and tape, to form the top of the box.

Do the same for the back piece of card. When completed gently push the top and bottom of the box together to form a colourful Card Box. b

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A Card Art Gallery

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Collect famous Nativity paintings on Christmas cards or old calendars. Compare the ways in which the artists have depicted Mary and baby Jesus, i.e. facial expressions, ages, setting, clothes and nationality. Make frames to put around each picture using cardboard, strong glue, pasta and gold spray paint. Cut the cardboard into a frame shape that will fit around the picture. Glue various shaped pasta onto the frame to make ornate patterns. When the glue has dried, spray the frame gold. Allow the frame to dry for a day and then attach it to the Nativity picture with tape.

Underneath each picture pin a piece of paper that states the title, artist, and year that the picture was painted. Invite other classes to come and view your Gallery.

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There are many games that you can easily make for children to play using Christmas cards. Here are three suggestions: Concentration Find cards that are the same or similar in theme. Using five pairs, the children place the pictures face down and take turns in turning two over at a time to find pictures that match.

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Tell Me a Story A child is given a selection of Christmas cards that, when sequenced correctly, tells the Nativity story. He or she will then need to place the cards in the correct order and retell the Christmas story.

Jigsaw Puzzles Cut a Christmas card up into pieces and place it into an envelope. Write the subject of the puzzle on the front of the envelope. Children put the puzzle together in pairs or individually. For older children place two cut up cards in the envelope to make the puzzle a little more challenging!

Make your own Special Cards

(CAS 2) Using the pictures on CAS 2, the children assemble their own angel and/or Wise Man Christmas card. Two heads have been provided to choose from for the wise man. The children need to cut on the dotted line and fold the bodies vertically in half at the points indicated. This will allow the card to stand up on its own. The heads are attached to the bodies via the two slits, positioned below the face. Glue or tape a flattened ‘foil cup chocolate mould’ or a brightly coloured patty cake paper to the back of the angel for a halo. Glue sequins onto the Wise Man’s crown for jewels. The children may write their Christmas message on the front of the characters, or on the back.

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Nativity Cards Organise the class into small groups (friendship, reading etc.) and dress the children to represent characters from the Nativity, i.e. Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Wise Men, sheep etc. Take a photo of the group standing around a manger. Make enough copies of the photo for each child in the group. The children then glue their photo onto a piece of thin cardboard folded in half to make a card. The children may write a personal Christmas message to their parents.

Christmas Stamp Cards

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Place used Christmas stamps that are still attached to paper into a bowl of very hot water and leave them there until the paper has separated from the back of the stamp. Carefully lift the stamps out of the water and lay them on a flat towel to dry. To make the card you will need either colourful thin cardboard 24 × 17 cm, or plain cards available from craft shops and small pieces of coloured corrugated cardboard. The children choose the stamp that they would like to use and a piece of coloured corrugated cardboard that complements the stamp. The corrugated cardboard needs to be 5 mm - 10 mm larger than the stamp. Glue the stamp onto the corrugated cardboard and then glue the corrugated cardboard onto the front of the card. This may be positioned in the centre of the card or slightly higher than centre. On the inside of the card, the children may like to write their own Christmas message or stamp a verse using a stamp block and ink, available from craft shops.

© Ready EdPubl i cat i ons Christmas Cardholder •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

(CAS 3) Follow the directions and diagrams on CAS 3 to make a decorative cardholder. It is strongly recommended that an adult cut the three 45 degree angles that are required for each cardholder, for safety and accuracy reasons.

Make Your Own Christmas Stamp

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(CAS 4) Invite a stamp dealer or a collector into your class to show and talk about Australian Christmas stamps and Christmas stamps from other countries. Using CAS 4 ask the children to design, colour or collage their own Christmas stamp. Ask your local Post Office if they would like you to display the designs on their notice board along with a Christmas message from your school.

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Using a sheet of brown paper, glue and used stamps, the children glue the stamps onto the paper randomly or in a pattern to make unique Christmas wrapping paper.

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The First Christmas TeacCard he in The first Christmas card was printed r It was designed by .

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45º

5 cm 1. Cut a strip of red or green cardboard 60 cm x 10 cm.

2. Draw and cut three 45 degree angles as indicated on the diagram.

3. Decorate the star and attach it to the top of the holder.

4. Staple or tape short pieces of tinsel to the bottom of the holder.

5. Attach a loop of ribbon at the back of the star to hang.

6. Position three cards in the holder and hang.

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Chapter 6

Background Notes

Christmas Cakes and Crackers For thousands of years people from all cultures have participated in communal meals as a means of celebrating and commemorating important occasions such as the beginning of spring, the end of a harvest, the defeat and death of an enemy or the birth of a child.

Christmas Dinner Christmas has long been a time for families to gather and feast on the best food and drinks available. Long ago, the very wealthy ate birds for Christmas dinner. Swans and pheasants were fattened, slaughtered and carefully prepared for the table. One prized dish during the medieval period was roasted peacock. The male peacock was skinned and cooked. It was then placed back into the skin with its feathers still intact. Before being placed on the table, the beak and feet were gilded and the tail feathers fanned out for display.

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Another interesting Christmas bird dish was a Christmas pie. It consisted of a pigeon placed inside a partridge, which was placed inside a chicken, which was placed inside a goose, which was placed inside a turkey! The turkey was then placed in a pastry shell, along with pieces of rabbit or hare and other available small birds. The pie was seasoned with spices before it was covered with a pastry lid and oven baked.

Roasted boar was a favourite dish for many. A boar is a wild pig and it was roasted whole. The head was garnished with sprigs of holly and rosemary. An apple, orange or a lemon was placed in the boar’s opened mouth as a decoration. Eventually, because of the wild boars’ popularity as a delicacy, they were hunted to extinction during the 17th century.

Today the meat prepared for the Christmas table is usually roast chicken, ham and/or roast turkey. Turkeys originate from North America. They first became a popular choice for Christmas dinner when sailors brought them back to England.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

As generations come and go, priorities change and so do the characteristics of our celebrations. New traditions emerge and older ones become loved memories. This is true for the foods used for Christmas dinners. When immigrants arrived in Australia, many continued their family’s tradition of celebrating Christmas with a hot roast dinner even when it was 40 degrees outside. This tradition has been passed down for many generations, and is still a ritual practised today. For other families, new traditions have developed to suit the Australian summer. Many families celebrate Christmas with a seafood barbecue and salads, or a picnic at the beach. Some even dine at restaurants.

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AT raditional Nursery Rhyme Traditional ‘Flour of England, fruit of Spain, Met together in a shower of rain; Put in a bag, tied round with string; If you tell me this riddle, I’ll give you a ring!’

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Plum Puddings & Christmas Cakes

Answer: A Christmas P udding.

Pudding.

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The Christmas pudding was originally known as ‘Plumb Porridge’. It was a thick soup made from meat boiled in wine, old hock, sherry, lemon and orange juice. To this was added sugar, raisins, currants, dried plums or prunes, cinnamon and cloves. The soup was then thickened with brown bread. During the 18th century the mixture was made stiffer with the addition of flour and became known as a ‘plum pudding’. By the 19th century meat was no longer an ingredient.

The Christmas cake was made popular by Queen Victoria and is another distinctive symbol of the Christmas season. It was during her reign that she introduced high tea — an early evening meal made up of cakes, bread and tea. The Christmas cake evolved from the Christmas pudding to be eaten in late afternoon. It was essentially a plum pudding made with a lot more flour, a lot less alcohol and baked rather than boiled.

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Mince Pies Mince pies were traditionally made from a mixture of minced meats and bird flesh. They were made in a large rectangular shape to remind people of the manger and Jesus’ humble birth. More elaborate pies had a little pastry figure of the baby Jesus on top. People believed that if you ate twelve mince pies in twelve different houses during the twelve days of Christmas, you could expect the next twelve months to be generous!

Did you know that ‘Little Jack Horner who sat in a corner’, owes his good fortunes to a large Christmas minced pie? During King Henry VIII’s campaign to seize control of the churches in England, he ordered all of the monasteries to be looted and burnt to the ground. The Abbot of Glastonbury, desperate to save his monastery and position, arranged for a large mince pie to be prepared, minus the mince meat! He placed inside the pie the title deeds of twelve manors, hoping that King Henry would be satisfied with a trade off. The special job of delivering this ‘precious pie’ to London was given to a ‘trustworthy’ caretaker named Jack Horner. Curiosity got the better of Jack on his long journey and he decided to take a look. On finding the twelve deeds under the pastry, Jack thought that King Henry would not miss one. He took the title deed to the manor of Mells in Somerset. Sadly for the Abbot, the Christmas pie did not save his monastery or his belongings. Jack however, succeeded in keeping the manor of Mells and his descendants still own and care for the property today!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

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Today, mince pies not only look but also taste very different from the original Christmas pie. They are much smaller and round and made from a mixture of dried fruits and spices.

During the Middle Ages, Christmas was a community celebration that involved huge feasts, plenty of drinking and ‘merry making’ and very little work (except for those preparing all of the food!). The festivities went for twelve days and thirteen nights. Celebrations began on December 24, Christmas Eve and finished on January 5, the eve of the Epiphany. Traditionally, this period was known as a ‘year within a year’. Farmers believed that the weather during these twelve days would influence the type of weather that they would experience for the next twelve months.27 (See page 7 for the origins of the Twelve Days of Christmas) The feast on the eve of the Epiphany was said to have been the most lavish of the season, as strenuous work would begin the next day, ploughing the field for the spring.28 It was customary for families to share a “Twelfth Cake’ which was eaten at the party. Placed inside the cake as it was being prepared, was a dried bean or pea. Whoever was lucky enough to find the bean or pea was made king or queen for the night. He or she, regardless of age, was allowed to do as he or she pleased. During the late Victorian period, a silver coin or charm was hidden inside the Christmas pudding. Some families continue this tradition today using a specially produced coin that will not blacken when baked.

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The exact origins to the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ are not known. Though some believe that it may have began as a memory game played during the twelve days of Christmas, as recorded in the 1780 children’s book ‘Mirth Without Mischief’.29 The leader recited a line and each player took it in turns to also recite the line. Then the leader added another line and the players repeated the verse. This continued until a player made a mistake. The player who made the mistake would have to offer up a kiss or a sweet or was considered to be out of the game.

The English version of this song has apparently changed slightly over time. The gift given on the fourth day of Christmas was originally four ‘colly birds’, not ‘calling birds’. The word ‘colly’ means ‘black as coal’ and probably derives from ‘collier’ or ‘colliery’. So the fourth gift was originally blackbirds not ‘calling birds’. The fifth gift ‘golden rings’ apparently does not refer to jewellery, but to five ‘ring-necked pheasants’.30 Therefore the first seven gifts refer to different types of birds, perhaps seven different Christmas dishes? Other sources believe that the gifts eight to twelve refer to the festivities that occurred on the eve of the Epiphany, the party to end all parties!

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No family Christmas table is completely set until Christmas crackers are placed around it. Crackers are a Victorian invention and were created by a baker named Thomas Smith. The idea came to him after a holiday in France with his wife in the 1890’s. Being a baker, Thomas was very interested in discovering new pastries and types of breads that he may take back with him to help develop his own bakery. During his holiday, Thomas discovered a confectionery that the French called a ‘bonbon’. It was made from an almond coated in sugar and wrapped in colourful paper. He bought a large quantity of the bonbons to sell in his shop. They were a huge success. Soon however, the novelty of a wrapped sweet wore off and sales dropped. Smith decided to add a little piece of paper with a verse or motto written on it. As expected, sales improved and once again slowly declined. Then one Christmas, so the story goes, Thomas was sitting in front of his open fire when some resin caught alight with a BANG! Instantly, the idea came to him to make a large bonbon with a surprise cracker inside it, along with a verse and a small gift. By 1898, Thomas Smith owned the only cracker company in the world. He produced thirteen million handmade crackers each year, selling them all over the world.

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Activities CF AS - Christmas F ood Activity Sheet CFAS Food

My Christmas Dinner

(CF AS 1) (CFAS Discuss with the children how some cultures eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas Day. In small groups, ask the children to share the types of food that their family usually prepares for Christmas dinner and when this special meal is usually eaten. Using large pieces of paper and markers, ask the groups to record their findings and to report back to the class. Ask the children to imagine that they were in charge of preparing Christmas dinner this year. Using CFAS 1 the children write, draw or cut out and glue pictures from magazines of their perfect Christmas dinner menu.

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(CF AS 2) (CFAS Discuss with the class the two bird dishes mentioned in this chapter. Make Christmas Birds using the same technique for Painless Papier- mâché Decorations in Chapter 4 and the template on CFAS 2. When the paint and clear gloss or mat varnish (optional) has dried glue on brightly coloured feathers (available from craft shops) or make paper feathers using crepe paper. Attach a piece of colourful ribbon to the bird to hang.

Discuss with the children what Christmas mince pies originally were made from and why they were once made rectangular. Using frozen ‘party pies’ and home-made pastry or pastry mix (available at supermarkets) make a traditional Christmas mince pie. Give each child a small amount of pastry to model into the shape of baby Jesus. Attach each model to a frozen party pie with a pastry brush and a little milk. Bake the pies as instructed on the packaging. To make sure that each child receives his or her own Christmas pie, record each child’s name on a large sheet of paper in the position that the pie was placed on the baking tray. Buy or ask a parent to make today’s Christmas mince pies for the children to taste and compare with the meat mince pies.

King or Queen for — Twelfth Cakes © Re ad yE da Day Pu bl i c at i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Wash and peel an orange. Using a knife or a small biscuit cutter cut out two crown, heart or star shapes from the peel. These shapes will be used in the Twelfth Cakes, instead of the traditional pea or bean. Make and bake enough chocolate patty cakes or muffins for each child in the class. The patty cakes or muffins may be baked the night before or during class, with the children assisting. Place the orange peel shapes in two patty cakes or muffins, just before you place the trays into the oven. Prepare a large bowl of chocolate icing, a bowl of confectionery spearmint leaves and a bowl of red Smarties, M&M’s or Jaffas. The children decorate the top of their cake with icing, two spearmint leaves to represent holly leaves and three red confectionery for berries. When everyone in the class has decorated their cake, the children may eat and enjoy their Twelfth Cakes. The two children who find the shapes in their cakes are crowned kings or queens for the day. With the whole class, prepare a list of activities that the kings or queens may choose from.

Whatever they decide, the rest of the class must follow. Activities may include: watch a favourite video, play softball, paint, dress up, draw chalk pictures on the footpath etc.

o c . che e r o t r s super Christmas Serviette Rings

To make Christmas serviette rings, each child will need six brightly coloured strips of thin cardboard, (14 x 5 cm), strong glue and a variety of colourful collage materials such as buttons, rick-rack braid, dyed pasta, cotton wool and match sticks, used Christmas stamps, old Christmas cards, glitter and sequins, coloured paper, Christmas coloured fabrics, Christmas stickers, felt tipped pens and paint. On a large work surface, the children lay their strips of cardboard out to decorate with the collage material. When all of the strips are dry, staple or tape the ends of the cardboard together to form serviette rings.

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White Christmas

Ingredients

2 cups of rice bubbles 1 cup of coconut 1 cup of full cream powdered milk 1 cup of icing sugar ½ cup of red and green jelly babies (cut in half) 250 grams of copha 150 grams of milk chocolate (optional)

Method

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Grease and line a rectangular slice tin, 19 cm × 29 cm.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Melt the copha in a saucepan and pour over the dry ingredients.

Stir the mixture well.

Spoon the mixture into the slice tin and gently push it down with the back of a large spoon.

Place the tin in the refrigerator until the mixture has set.

Melt the chocolate in a double saucepan and drizzle over the set mixture. Place the tin back in the refrigerator to set.

Cut into 28 squares.

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To make a small gift, place squares of White Christmas into a Christmas ‘Card’ Box lined with tissue paper. Tie a piece of ribbon around the box and secure it with a bow.

Draw and Colour

(CF AS 3) (CFAS Using CFAS 3, the children draw and colour according to the description given for each activity.

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(CF AS 4) (CFAS This activity requires the children to copy the cracker, pictured at the top of CFAS 4, onto the different grids provided. A demonstration for younger children may be useful.

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Ask the children to bring in storybooks that are based on the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Read and discuss how the stories are the same and how they are different. As a class, write your own version of this song. The children may like to: Place all of their gifts in a ‘Christmas tree’ instead of a ‘pear tree’.

Change the gifts to Australian birds and animals.

Change ‘my true love’ to ‘my teacher’ or use your name; ‘Mrs Miller’ or ‘my friend’.

Make all of the gifts edible.

Present your class’ version of The Twelve Days of Christmas to the rest of the school during assembly, or act the song out in class, using percussion instruments, and video the performance. Publish your story in a Big Book or on a large poster. Use the children’s drawings and collage material to illustrate each verse.

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Paint your own design or use the one provided.

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CFAS 3

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Draw and Colour

George

1. Draw and colour the missing Christmas hats.

Angus has the tallest hat. It is green with a yellow star in the middle.

Kacie’s hat is shorter than George’s. It is pink with blue spots all over it.

George’s hat is red with a Christmas tree on the front.

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2. Write the correct names on the place cards next to the crackers.

Molly’s cracker has stars on it.

Harry’s cracker has stripes on it.

Amelia’s cracker is the longest.

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Madeline’s pudding

William’s pudding

Gabrielle’s pudding

3. Draw and colour the Christmas puddings.

Madeline’s pudding is the hottest and has a small cherry on top.

William’s pudding is warmer than Gabrielle’s. It has a large cherry on top.

Gabrielle’s pudding has the largest cherry on top.

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CFAS 4

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ENDNOTES

W. Sansom, Christmas, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1968 Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. “Byzantine Empire (330-1453)”. 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation 3 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia Vol. III, Page 102 4 I. Guthridge, All About Christmas, Medici Publications, Melbourne, 1990 5 Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. “Saint Augustine of Canterbury”. 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation 6 P. Stravinskas (Rev), Our Sunday Visitors, Catholic Encyclopedia, Revised Ed. Our Sunday Visitor Inc. Indiana, 1998, p. 233 7 P. Watkins & E. Hughes, Here’s the Year, Julia MacRae Books, Southampton, 1981, p.21 8 P. Watkins & E. Hughes, loc.cit 9 id., p.24 For details about St Stephen read Acts of the Apostles 6-7 in the Bible 10 P. Watkins & E. Hughes, loc.cit 11 W.A. Krebs Ed., The Collins Australian Pocket Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers, Sydney, 1991, p. 11 12 Microsoft® Encarta®98 Encyclopedia. “Advent”. 1993 - 1997 Microsoft Corporation 13 J. Russ, German Festivals and Customs, Oswald Wolff. London 1982 14 Ibid 15 Matthew 2.11 16 B. Overgsten Stevens, Celebrate Christmas Around the World, Hawker Brownlow Education, 1995 17 Dr S. Motyer, Who’s Who in the Bible, Dorling Kindersley Ltd. London, 1998 18 Christmas Carols, MQ Publications Ltd. London, 1997, p. 10 19 I. Guthridge, All About Christmas, Medici Publications, Melbourne, 1990, p. 27 20 J. Russ, German Festivals and Customs, Oswald Wolff. London 1982 21 Ibid 22 Ibid 23 I. Guthridge, All About Christmas, Medici Publications, Melbourne, 1990, p. 27 24 “Christmas” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000 25 www. stampsau.com. au 26 A. Druitt, C. Fynes-Clinton, M. Rowling, All Year Round, Hawthorn Press, Gloucestershire, p.223 27 P. Watkins & E. Hughes, Here’s the Year, Julia MacRae Books, Southhampton, 1981, p. 34 28 www.snopes.com/holidays/xmas/12days. htm 29 Ibid 30 P. Watkins & E. Hughes, Here’s the Year, Julia MacRae Books, Southhampton, 1981, p. 34 1

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1. Druitt, A. Fynes-Clinton, C. & Rowling, M. All Year Round, Hawthorn Press, Gloucestershire 2. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia Vol. Ill, Page 102 3. Guthridge, I. 1990, All About Christmas, Medici Publications, Melbourne.

4. Good News New Testament, 1976, The Bible Society in Australia, Canberra 5. Krebs, W. A. (Ed.) 1991, The Collins Australian Pocket Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers, Sydney 6. Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. “Byzantine Empire (330-1453)”. 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation 7. Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. “Advent”. 1993 - 1997 Microsoft Corporation 8. Motyer, S. 1998, Who’s Who in the Bible, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, London 9. MQ Publications Ltd. 1997, Christmas Carols, London 10. Overgsten Stevens, B. 1995, Celebrate Christmas Around the World, Hawker Brownlow Education 11. Russ, J. 1982, German Festivals and Customs, Oswald Wolff, London 12. Sansom, W. 1968, Christmas, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London.

13. Stravinskas, P. 1998, Our Sunday Visitors’ Catholic Encyclopedia, Revised Ed. Our Sunday Visitor Inc. Indiana 14. Watkins, P. & Hughes, E. 1981, Here’s the Year, Julia MacRae Books, Southampton

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INTERNET ADDRESSES

1. www.stampsau.com.au 2. www.snopes.com/holidays/xmas/12days.htm 3. “Christmas” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000

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