Winter Holidays In the U.S.A

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Winter Holidays In the U.S.A
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Table of Contents

• Slide 1 Title
• Slide 2 Table of Contents
• Slide 3 Objectives
• Slide 4 About Christmas
• Side 5 Christmas Symbols
• Slide 6 About Kwanzaa
• Slide 7 Kwanzaa Symbols
• Slide 8 About Hanukkah
• Slide 9 Hanukka Symbols
• Slide 10 Other Winter Holidays
• Slide 11-17 Quiz
• Slide 18 Journal Activity
• Slide 19 Websites Used

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Objectives

• The students will be able to demonstrate their
  understanding of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah
  by taking a short quiz.
• The students will be able to recognize symbols
  representing Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah.
• Students will be able to write a short passage
  about how they would celebrate one of the three
  winter holidays.

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All About Christmas

• In the United States we celebrate Christmas on
  December 25th each year, the day celebrates Jesus
  Christ's birth .
• In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day,
  many people decorate their homes and outside with
  different Christmas decorations such as lights,
  snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, and many more.
  Inside of the house the most common decoration is
  of course the Christmas tree. Many families cut
  down their own small evergreen Christmas tree and
  decorate them together while listening to
  Christmas music. On Christmas day it is common to
  organize a special meal and desert to share with
  family. Families and friends traditionally
  exchange gifts with each other. Children, in
  particular, often receive a lot of gifts from
  their parents and other relatives and of course
  from Santa Claus!
• The traditional colors of Christmas are red,
  green, and white.

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Christmas Symbols
Christmas Nativity Scene
Santa Claus
Christmas Tree
Christmas Presents
Stockings
Reindeer
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All About Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday honoring African
  culture and traditions. It falls between December
  26 and January 1 each year.
• Kwanzaa is celebrated by people from a range of
  African countries and their descendants. Kwanzaa
  consists of a week of celebrations, which ends
  with a feast and the exchange of gifts. During
  the celebrations, candles are lit and libations
  are poured. A libation is the name given to a
  ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a
  god. During Kwanzaa, a wooden unity cup is used
  to pour the libations.
• The colors of Kwanzaa are red, black and green.
  The Kwanzaa flag consists of three blocks, one in
  each of these colors. Three of the seven candles
  are red, three are green and one is black. Each
  candle represents one of the principles of
  Kwanzaa. The seven principles are unity
  self-determination collective work and
  responsibility co-operative economics purpose
  creativity and earth.

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Kwanzaa Symbols
Kwanzaa Flag
Kwanzaa Mat
Unity Cup
Kinara with seven candles
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All About Hanukkah

• Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish observance that
  remembers the Jewish peoples struggle for
  religious freedom.
• Jewish communities in the United States celebrate
  the first day of Hanukkah on the 25th day of the
  month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar. The
  Hanukkah period lasts for eight days and is
  celebrated from the 25th day of Kislev to the
  second day of Tevet. The first night of Hanukkah
  starts with special blessings at sunset the day
  before the 25th of Kislev. Many Jewish people
  light the menorah which is a type of
  candelabrum.
• Many Americans of Jewish faith also eat food
  fried in olive oil, such as potato cakes, and
  different fried breads. The first day of Hanukkah
  is the start of a celebratory period in which a
  four-sided toy called dreidel is used for games.
  The first night of Chanukah is also a night when
  people sing traditional songs to celebrate
  Chanukah. Gift-giving is also popular at this
  time of the year.
• Traditional Hanukkah colors are blue, white, and
  silver.

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Hanukkah Symbols
The Star of David
Dreidle
Menorah
Potato Latkes (Staple Hannukah dish)
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Other Important Winter Holidays

• New Years Eve/ New Years Day, December 31st/
  January 1st
• Martin Luther King Day, January 16th
• Valentines Day, February 14th
• Presidents Day, February 20th

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Quiz!!!
Click to Begin
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Question 1

• Which of the following dates is Christmas
  celebrated every year?

January 1st
No
October 12th
No
December 25th
YES!
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Question 2

• How many days is the celebration of Hanukkah?

14 days
Try Again
8 days
Great Job!
3 days
Try Again
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Question 3

• Where did the holiday of Kwanzaa come from?

Africa
Correct!
France
Try Again
Australia
Not Quite
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Question 4

• What are the traditional colors of Christmas?

Blue, Purple, Pink
Try Again
Red, Green, White
Great Job!
Orange, Yellow, Black
Try Again
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Question 5

• What is the name of the spinning toy children
  play with during Hanukkah?

Dreidle
Correct!
Teddy Bear
Try Again
Dolls
Not Quite
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Question 6

• What is the name of the wooden cup people drink
  out of throughout Kwanzaa?

Tea Cup
No
Coffee Mug
No
Unity Cup
YES!
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Journal Activity

• In your writing journals write a paragraph (5-7
  sentences) about how you would like to celebrate
  either Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah and why
  you chose that holiday. Use your imaginations and
  try to write about a holiday you do not
  celebrate. Be sure to include fun writing
  details!

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Websites Used

• www.timeanddate.com
• www.googleimages.com