CHRISTMAS BCNC Foundations 3 / Caitlin Jacobs

Yankee Swap  A Yankee Swap is a gift-giving activity.  You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to.  Participants buy a small gift worth $5-$10. Wrap it.  Bring the gift on Thursday, December 18 th. They will be put in a big pile.  Participants will take a number from a hat and choose a gift. #1 picks first, #10 picks tenth, and so on.  Everyone opens their gifts. Surprise!

Secret Santa  Secret Santa is another kind of gift- giving activity.  You don’t know who will get you a gift.  BCNC did a Secret Santa; here’s what I got.

What is Christmas?  December 25 th  It is a national holiday, and the biggest holiday of the year in America.  Christmas is both a religious and secular holiday.  Religious: relating to religion  Secular: not religious

Religion in America  People practice many different religions in America.  The biggest religion is Christianity.  Therefore, many aspects of America’s culture relate to Christianity.

Christmas as a Religious Holiday  Christians believe Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day.  They believe Jesus is the son of God.  Christians go to church on Christmas day or Christmas eve.  A nativity scene is a very common image during Christmastime.  A nativity scene shows when Jesus was born.

Christmas as a Secular Holiday  People celebrate Christmas as a time of peace, goodwill, and happiness.  Giving gifts is very popular. Christmas is the biggest commercial holiday in America.  That means people spend the most money!  Families spend time together and eat a special dinner.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Lights

Christmas Stockings

Christmas Trees

My Tree

Christmas Carols  There are many, many Christmas songs.  People enjoy singing these songs together.  Some examples of popular songs:  Jingle Bells  We Wish You a Merry Christmas  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  Silent Night  Deck The Halls People who sing Christmas carols are called carolers.

A cappella  A cappella is when people sing without any musical instruments.  The group Pentatonix is a famous a cappella group.  All the music is made with only their voices.

Christmas Treats Candy canes Eggnog Fruitcake Christmas cookies

Santa Claus  Santa Claus is the secular symbol of Christmas.  He is a fictional (not real) man who delivers gifts to good children.  Children leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas eve.  You can visit Santa at malls. Children can tell him what they want for Christmas and take a picture with him.

Santa’s Characteristics  He rides in a sleigh pulled by 8 reindeer.  He delivers gifts by going up and down chimneys.

Santa’s Personality  Watch the short clip from the famous movie, “Miracle on 34 th Street”. (1994)  What kind of person is Santa?

A Christmas Story  “A Christmas Story” is another very famous Christmas movie.  Made in 1983  It shows a middle-class American family’s life and Christmas experience in the 1940s.

Plot  The main character, Ralphie, really wants a BB gun for Christmas.  BB guns are also called “air rifles”.  Everyone tells him no. They say “You’ll shoot your eye out.”

The Wizard of Oz  You will see some Wizard of Oz characters in the clip from the movie.  “The Wizard of Oz” was one of the first color movies ever made (1939).  It’s one of the most famous stories in American culture.

Questions 1. When is Christmas? 2. What do Christians believe happened on Christmas? 3. Why do non-Christians celebrate Christmas? 4. Name two Christmas traditions. 5. Name one Christmas treat. 6. Tell me two facts about Santa Claus.