Christmas Around the World Printables & Activities

Published:
December 17, 2015

Sarah Shelton

Contributor:
Sarah Shelton

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Are you studying World History this year? How fun would it be to learn about how different parts of the world celebrate different holidays? These Christmas around the world printables PDF make the perfect unit for the holiday season. Learning about Christmas around the world can be a fun break from typical school around the holidays!

real images of Christmas traditions around the world with red and white text overlay

Christmas Around the World

One of the fondest memories of our homeschool group, was when we did a Christmas around the world celebration. Our group held a Christmas party and each of the families researched a country.

After researching our assigned country, we then provided a presentation of our country’s customs, fun facts, music, dress, and even food. It was such a fun time and we learned some really fun facts!

I thought it would be fun to gather a list of Christmas around the world printables and ideas to help you and your kids learn about how different parts of the world celebrate Christmas. Our families learned so much and know you will too.

Christmas Traditions Around the World

These are always fun and a great way your children will enjoy learning about them all! Here are just a few fun facts and interesting facts about Christmas Day celebrations for countries across the world.

Brazil

In Brazil, “secret” anonymous friends give gifts throughout the month to their friends using false names or no names. Then on Christmas Day, the secret friends reveal themselves!

China

In China, not much of the population celebrate Christmas at all as they are not Christian. Yet, they do give each other apples on Christmas Eve because Christmas Eve is translated into Ping An Ye a phrase similar to the word apple in Chinese – Ping Guo.

Egypt

For Egyptians, Christmas is celebrated by a Holy Nativity Fast for 43 days. The fast consists of a vegan diet with NO meat, eggs, or cheese of course. On Christmas Eve, people attend church until about 4 am then break their fast with a huge feast!

Germany

I always wondered where Christmas pickles came from. Here goes. On Christmas Eve in Germany, parents hide a pickle on their Christmas trees for children to find on Christmas morning. The first child to find the pickle gets a small gift.

Iceland

In Iceland, children in the home leave a shoe on their window sill for the duration of the 12 days of Christmas. Then for each day of those 12 days, kids wake up to a sweet treat.

Japan

Christmas Eve is celebrated more than Christmas Day. Young couples exchange gifts as it is looked at more like a romantic holiday for couples. Weird, I know.

Slovakia

I don’t suggest your family try this one. In Slovakia, the oldest male in the home takes a spoonful of pudding and — throws it at the ceiling. Don’t ask, I have no idea why they do this.

Ukraine

Not sure why this is either, but in Ukraine, a Christmas is decorated with artificial spiders and spider webs.

Venezuela

A fairly new tradition in Venezuela is for people to attend mass but on roller skates. No doubt you will get requests to wear roller skates to church. Get ready for it.

How do you teach Christmas around the world?

Thankfully, we have loads of resources for you to help your students learn about Christmas around the world. Here are a few ways to teach the different Christmas traditions across the globe:

  • Use Christmas around the world notebooking pages to capture information.
  • Have students complete a homeschool passport as they research country traditions.
  • Use printables and worksheets to add to your lesson plans.
  • Explore some hands-on activities like cooking or making crafts (especially ornaments).
  • Have a map handy, so kids can visually see where the country is located.

Recommended: Christmas Around the World

Christmas Around the World will transport your family through 10 countries learning about traditions, decorations, Christmas songs, and more!  Get Ready for a Christmas Adventure Around the World!

Your entire family will enjoy learning about Christmas traditions and celebrations around the world!

Christmas Around the World Printables PDF

Check out the free resources below with everything you need for your Christmas around the world lessons and great ideas to go alongside them.

Holiday Around the World Christmas Unit Studies

Holidays Around the World: America Freebie Unit – This freebie of the Holidays/Christmas in The United States is a part of a larger Holidays Around the World Unit. It provides a free look into the cultures the U.S has around the holidays and gives a sneak peek of the larger unit.

Christmas Around the World Unit Study

Christmas Around the World Unit Study – Check out an entire holiday unit study on how Christmas is observed across the world. Even your preschoolers can join in on the fun with a preschool activity pack to go alongside the Christmas Around the World Unit Study.

Germany and Italy All About Christmas Traditions – If there are just way too many countries to choose from then check out Christmas information in Germany and Italy. Limit your Christmas around the world lessons with just two amazing cultures.

Christmas Kindness Around the World Resources – Teach your children not just about Christmas Around the World but also to be aware of the kindness they can share during this time. Also, check out this resource for loads of free downloads and printable crafts to go with your lessons.

Christmas Around the World Printable PDFs

40 Resources for an Around the World Christmas Unit Study – A Christmas Around the World Unit study will prove to be one of the most fun unit studies for your homeschool year. With this resource, you can find over 40 resources that will help make the best free Christmas unit study ever.

Free Online World Christmas Unit Studies – This free Christmas around the world unit studies resource is totally free and is no prep, especially for the busy families out there. It is completely online for countries like Ethiopia, Australia, Brazil, Italy, and so many more.

Christmas Around the World Printables

Around the World for the Holidays Mini Book – This Holidays Around the World ebook for social studies lessons contain 9 coloring pages of fun. Your young learners can observe the celebration of a Christmas holiday from other cultures but in a simple way.

Christmas Around the World Booklet Printable

Holidays Around the World Pocket Book – This free Holidays Around the World Unit also comes with craft ideas and coloring sheets to celebrate different holidays around the world for Christmas time. From fun facts about the holidays in Sweden to a poinsettia craft, your kids will enjoy every bit of this fun unit.

Christmas Around the World Worksheets

Kids Worksheets for Christmas Around the World – Want some printable worksheets for your unit? These resources are the perfect review, practice, and learning printables for a Christmas Around the World Unit in your homeschool.

Christmas Around the World Passport

Christmas Around the World Passport – Grab this little passport to use on your Christmas Around the World studies at home. This site shares how they do 12 different printable activities and activities for their Around the World in Christmas unit. Each time they stamp their passport. Check out the 12 activity ideas here as well.

Christmas Around the World Notebooking Pages

Around the World Christmas Notebooking Pages – Grab these notebooking pages to go alongside this holiday unit study perfect for your homeschool students. The notebooking pages help your students record information, write down recipes, and write down their assignments for each country they are studying for Christmas.

Christmas Around the World Printables PDF

Research Christmas Around the World Printables – You won’t want to miss these Christmas Around the World research printables your students can use to learn all about different countries. This massive 170-page printable resource includes graphic organizers, a world map,  blank lined sheets, passports, writing prompts, map/flag pages, and more.

Christmas Around the World Activities

Paper Dolls Around the World – This activity has 27 different paper dolls. To help your children celebrate an around the world unit in the holidays. This would be really fun to do if you were researching a particular country or making an around-the-world notebook.

Holidays Around the World Ideas and Free Flight Script – Yes, I said flight script. This resource shares some amazing and magical ways to teach about holidays around the world. These ideas will create a fun and memorable experience for your kids during the holidays.

Christmas Around the World Lapbooks

Christmas Around the World Free Lapbooks – If your homeschool students enjoy using lapbooks for learning then they will enjoy these lapbooks for the holidays. You will find Christmas Around the World lapbooks for The Philippines, Mexico, France, Australia, and Sweden.

Free Holiday Passport – This totally free holiday passport is loads of fun to make. Your children will enjoy this freebie holiday passport to go alongside their Christmas Around the World Unit.

Christmas Foods Around the World

Free Christmas Foods Around the World Guided Drawing – Your kids will love this guided drawing activity as they learn all about Christmas foods around the world. The guided drawing gets kids to learn and use a hands-on activity while being creative.

Christmas Around the World Cookbook for Kids – Cooking is a fun way to celebrate the Christmas season. Following recipes can be done with older kids and younger kids alike while making a great addition to an Around the World in Christmas unit.

Free Live Class Christmas Around the World – This recording of a free live class is an awesome take on a Christmas Around the World Unit. It comes with a PDF download with the information covered in the class to go alongside it.

Christmas Around the World Crafts

Crafts from Around the World on Christmas – These around the world crafts are perfect to add to any Christmas holiday unit. As you teach your students about different parts of the world during Christmas add these crafts for your kids at any grade level.

World Cultures Christmas Ornaments – Exploring Christmas can be even more special with keepsakes to see throughout the years to come. Add these special Around the World in Christmas ornament crafts to your traditional American Christmas, Christmas tree.

6 Crafts for Christmas Around the World Unit Studies – Christmas celebrations are different across the nations, whether it be China, Mexico, Germany, or elsewhere. Hands-on activities like making ornaments are a great starting point to learn different Christmas traditions worldwide.

One more thing…

You will NOT want to miss these Christmas Around the World Resources from WriteBonnieRose.

You can save 50% off with coupon code WorldChristmas.

The Christmas Around the World resources from WriteBonnieRose include 9 titles and 896 pages that explore Christmas in 20 different countries!

Introduce your kids to Christmas in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden.

There are materials for every age from 5-18 in this bundle, so the whole family can learn together! You can grab just the titles you need or choose from several bundle options.

Enjoy your homeschool journey around the world for the holidays – Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, Frohe Weinachten, Crăciun fericit, Buon Natale, and Merry Christmas!

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