Christmas Around the World with CurrClick has partnered with myself and nine other homeschool bloggers this week. Each of us will be hosting giveaways away during this special holiday event so be sure to check the schedule and stop by each site to learn about Christmas in other countries, enter the giveaways and maybe even make some new friends!
Christmas in Brazil
A common greeting heard in Brazil around Christmastime is Boas Festas (Good holidays) or Feliz Natal! (Happy Christmas)!
Religious significance/Celebration
Many Brazilians are Catholic, and as Christians they believe in upholding a tradition of helping the poor at Christmastime by giving white gifts at the Christmas Eve midnight mass. These gifts are often food items which can be used for a Christmas dinner. During the service, people walk forward and place their gifts wrapped in white paper in a straw-filled manger. Usually a light is shining on the manger to celebrate the light of Christ.
Presebres (manger scenes) are very common in Brazil. The word origins from the Hebrew word "presepium" which means the bed of straw upon which Jesus first slept in Bethlehem. Most households have them and children often make the figurines and move them forward each day to show the journey to Bethlehem.
Gift Giving
Another popular tradition involving gifts is called amigo secreto (secret friend) similar to "Secret Santa" in the United States. At the beginning of December, participants in the game write their name on a piece of paper. Each participant draws a paper with the name of the person they will correspond with throughout the month using apelidos (fake names) . On Christmas, family and friends gather to reveal their secret friends and offer them a special gift.
As is common with most South American countries, families generally gather together on Christmas Eve (at midnight) and sleep in on Christmas Day. Often the Christmas Eve Feast is laid out before they leave for midnight mass so that Mary, Joseph and Jesus may come and eat.
Children in Brazil wait for Papa Noel, the gift giver, to come in through an open window and place gifts in the children's shoes, which they leave under the Christmas tree. Because Christmas falls during the Brazilian Summer Papa Noel wears silk clothing!
Decorating
A highlight of Christmas celebrations in Brazil is making huge Christmas "trees" of electric lights. These "electric trees" can be seen against the night skies in major cities such as Brasilia, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro throughout the season. As is the custom in the United States, families also set up and decorate Christmas trees.
Currclick is sponsoring this giveaway and is offering 5 prizes to THREE winners. To enter the giveaway please specify which prize you are interested in (1, 2, or 3) and leave one comment about something you learned from this study or would like to add about this study (some fact you would like to share). Giveaway will be open until Sunday, December 12th, at 6pm (EST). If you don't have a blog please be sure to leave some way to contact you in your comment.
Prize ONE
Let your child learn the true story of Christmas as they practice their writing skills. This file contains fourteen different copywork pages with verses from the KJV Bible and one with a verse from a hymn. Each page is illustrated with black and white drawings and comes with both primary and straight lines.
PRIZE TWO
A comprehensive Unit Study of the 12 Days of Christmas (Includes the Biblical interpretation). This unit is suitable for preschool children to around Grade 3 as it includes activities that can be adapted for younger or older children. Some educator/parental guidance and discussion will make this fun unit study even more interesting as the various verses are discussed. The main focus is on Copywork, number practice and number/picture recognition and comprehension.
PRIZE THREE
outh America has about six percent of the world's population and covers approximately one-eighth of the land surface on earth. The people of South America represent a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The continent's geography ranges from tropical rainforest to dry deserts to tall mountains. Join our discovery about the fascinating cultures and beautiful geography of South America. Lesson Plans Include: Espanol and Portugues, A Taste of South America, Where in the World is South America?, Celebrate Brazil, Exploring the Amazon, Holidays in South America
Take a virtual journey around the world to expand your children's understanding of the world around them. Our focus is on drawing connections between the lives of your children and the lives of children on other continents. With over 68 activities and 36 hands-on exercises, your children will learn about physical geography and landforms as well as human and animal life on each continent. Each chapter includes multiple videos, hands-on activities, music, maps, readings, worksheets, charts, interactive websites, games, full-color high resolution graphics, and more to provide a multisensory approach to learning about life on our planet.
Bring the world a little closer with these multicultural books. An excellent way for students to appreciate and learn cultural diversity in an exciting hands-on format. Each book explores the history, language, holidays, festivals, customs, legends, foods, creative arts, lifestyles, and games of the title country. A creative alternative to student research reports and a time-saver for teachers since the activities and resource material are contained in one book.
Free Online Educational Resources for Parents, Teachers & home educators. Automatically updated and available in your browser toolbar
Christmas Copywork by Lilliput Station
South America: Culture and Geography Unit Study by Homeschool Learning Network
K-2 Geography: Continents and Cultures by Intellego Unit Studies
