Ten
Ages of Christmas: The celebrations we associate with Christmas
began way before Christianity developed, but by medieval times certain
traditions of feasting and drinking had been established. Despite
the Puritan ban on Christmas, 'holyday' pleasures survived. But it
was during Queen Victoria's reign that customs - such as sending cards,
decorating fir trees and mythologising Father Christmas - really took
off. This excellent BBC website provides details of how Christmas
was celebrated in ten different historical periods: Medieval, Elizabethan,
Restoration, Georgian, Early Victorian, Mid Victorian, Late Victorian,
Early 20th Century, World War Two and Post-War.
Santa
Penalty Shootout: In an update from previous versions, the hugely
popular Santa Penalty Shootout from SchoolHistory is now available
again for the Christmas season. Ideal for something a little different
at the end of term. With either Santa, or one of his helpers (complete
with Santa suit), in goal you are asked 10 random questions about
the history and traditions of Christmas. One and two player versions
add to the fun. However, as before, Santa isn't too generous in goal.
Christmas
in Europe: Did you know that in Spain children wait until January
6th for their Christmas presents. Children put shoes by the front
door to get their gifts which are brought by the Three Wise Men. This
website, created by Núria de Salvador for the Spring Europe
Project, explains the different ways that Christmas is celebrated
in Europe. The website is in English but the activities have been
constructed for modern language students.
Seasonal
Fun: A series of seasonal activities produced by Teaching and
Learning Resources. Includes a Christmas Wordsearch, Christmas Crossword,
Christmas Webquest (find the answers to these Christmas questions
by visiting a variety of Christmas websites) and the Christmas Pelmanism
Challenge.
How
Stuff Works: Marshall Brain's brilliant website How Stuff works
has a new section on Christmas. Questions answered includes What is
Christmas? Why is Christmas such a big deal? Why do people give each
other presents on Christmas day? Is December 25 really the day Jesus
was born? Why is there a small evergreen tree in your living room?
Why have you decorated this evergreen with ornaments, lights, fake
snow and Mylar plastic tinsel? Why do you have holly draped over the
mantel and staircase? Why is mistletoe hanging over the front door?
And what about this nativity scene in the corner? Why is there a big
log in the fireplace? Why are there oversized socks hanging on your
mantel? Why are Christmas cards scattered all over the coffee table?
Why do I keep hearing the same songs over and over again? What, exactly,
are the 12 days of Christmas? Why do Christmas carolers walk around
the neighborhood singing? Why is the day before Christmas, Christmas
Eve, celebrated? Who is this Santa Claus person?
What's with this reindeer named Rudolf?
The
Christmas Tree: The origin of the first Christmas tree dates back
to the Middle Ages in Western Germany. The people during this time
period participated in and watched dramatic plays called miracle and
mystery plays. These plays were performed to teach the common people
about religious truths that were contained in the bible. There were
no printed books available, and pictures were scarce during this period
of time. During the Christmas season, the Paradise play was presented.
This play depicted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. On stage was
an evergreen tree, covered in apples, which showed Adam and Eve's
sin and later banishment from the garden. The tree received particular
attention because it was the only prop on the stage. See this website
for a full history of the Christmas tree.
Many
Faces of Santa: The history of Santa Claus began with Saint Nicholas,
the Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. Saint Nicholas
was know for his charity and wisdom. Legends tell of him coming from
a wealthy family and giving all his money to the poor. In Europe during
the 12th century Saint Nicholas Day became a day of gift giving and
charity. In Germany, France and Holland celebrated December 6th as
a religious holiday and gave gifts to children and the poor. See this
website to find out how Christmas is celebrated throughout the world.
Christmas
Cookbook: This website provides a collection of recipes from all
over the world that are associated with the winter holiday. This includes
Cranberry Sauce with Walnuts, Mint Cookies, Mushroom Rice, Crunchy
Almond-Caramel Brittle, Blueberry Salad, Sweet Kugel, Peachy Bread
Pudding, Noodles and Mashed Potatoes and Mailseet Corn Soup.
Christmas
Commercialism: The Association for Media Literacy (AML) is a voluntary,
non-profit organization, made up of teachers, librarians, consultants,
media professionals, parents and cultural workers concerned about
the impact of the mass media and popular culture on young people.
This lesson on Christmas Commercialism originally appeared in the
Media Literary Resource Guide published by the Ontario Ministry of
Education.
Christmas
at the White House: You can currently take a panoramic tour of
the White House Holiday decorations. Other seasonal features include
a historic look at national Christmas trees and a collection of Presidential
holiday cards dating back from the Hoover Administration. The website
also includes biographies of all the Presidents of the United States
and an illustrated guide to the art in the White House.
Silent
Night Museum:
Silent Night has become an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout
the world. Its lullaby-like melody and simple message of heavenly
peace can be heard from small town street corners in mid-America to
magnificent cathedrals in Europe and from outdoor candlelight concerts
in Australia to palm thatched huts in northern Peru. This cyber-museum
was created by historian Bill Egan to provide a world wide audience
with the true story behind the composition of "Silent Night"
by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber.
Do you
want to have your website listed in our web directory? If so, send
a brief description (about 150 words) and the URL to spartacus@pavilion.co.uk.
