Christmas Lesson Plans
Students learn about the Christmas season through music, research, and other activities.
By Lesley Roberts
From its modest beginnings, Christmas has evolved into one of the biggest celebrations in the world. Christmas is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25. This day may have initially been chosen to correspond with either a Roman festival or the winter solstice. Christmas is one of a number of important Christian observances, which includes Easter, Pentecost, and the Epiphany, a feast held January 6 to commemorate the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Many Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, which places Christmas around January 6.
Christmas is central to the holiday season, and for Christians marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and many of its popular customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs include gift-giving, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations, including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in North America and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure often associated with Christmas, and is usually incorporated into the celebrations of families with young children.
December 25 was a significant date for various early cultures as well. The ancient Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven was born on December 25. The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of the fertility goddess Isis on the same date, and ancient Arabs contended that the moon was born on December 24. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a feast named for Saturn, god of agriculture, on December 21, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. They believed the shortest day of the year was the birthday of the sun. The Roman emperor Constantine was a member of the sun-cult before converting to Christianity in 312.
Gradually, Christmas celebrations began to adopt the joyful, often boisterous, holiday traditions of pagan cultures. The story of the nativity was told through music, art, and dance. Some Medieval Christians objected, however, maintaining that Christmas should be a somber religious day, not a secular festival. After the Reformation, certain Protestant groups opposed Christmas celebrations. Oliver Cromwell banned them in England. King Charles II restored Christmas when he took the throne. Because gift-giving, and several other aspects of Christmas, involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a major event for many retailers and businesses. Christmas celebrations became more common in America during the mid-1800s. The introduction of Christmas services in Sunday schools reduced religious opposition, while the Charles Dickens novel "A Christmas Carol" popularized the holiday as a family event. Christmas and its many accompanying celebrations are an excellent way to encourage students to explore the diversity of the world around them. They can also discuss other celebrations like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. The lesson plans below include Christmas worksheets, activities, and vocabulary.
Christmas Activities and Lesson Plans:
Students listen to the different types of music used throughout the world for Christmas. Before listening to the music, they research the country they are interested in, and practice singing the songs in a sing-a-long. They discuss and identify themes used in the music and describe music that illustrates fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low sounds.
Students recognize that the Christmas tree is one symbol of Christmas, then demonstrate their ability to identify symbols. They compare the lightstock (Christmas pyramid) with the Paradise tree and apply their knowledge about the history of ornaments.
How Do You Celebrate Christmas?:
Students identify Christmas traditions in their home country, as well as here, and compare them.
World Celebrations-Focus on Christmas around the World:
Students, in groups, research Christmas celebrations in countries from around the world. They follow guidelines to create PowerPoint presentations with their findings.
Students explore December holidays that are celebrated in different parts of the world by researching using various sources, and examine the meaning of Christmas Day as it was perceived by the early Christians.
Students use the Internet to examine how other countries celebrate Christmas. They practice saying "Merry Christmas" in different languages and create a flyer about the benefits of having a tree for the holidays. They also write a story about Santa Claus
Students consider the meanings of Christmas by reading an op-ed. As a class, they then create a sequel to the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," in which "Mamma" tells a story about the history of Christmas.