Christmas

History of Christmas

In this section we'll look at when and where Christmas started. We'll also look at how the Christmas tree and other Christmas traditions started.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC resources, which is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

• Select the Primary level and type in the keyword 'Christmas' to bring up a list of results.

• The article Christmas (holiday) is about the history of Christmas and how it is celebrated around the world.

• Choose the article Santa Claus to read about the legend of Santa Claus.

• To find information suitable for older children choose Article Reading Level 2 from the top of the page.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

NZ History

NZ History is a great website for information about New Zealand Aotearoa. If we go all the way down the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

It has an excellent section that covers the history and special features of Christmas in New Zealand.

• Enter 'Christmas' in the search box at the top of the page to find the page Christmas in New Zealand.

• Here you will find a range of unique stories from the past and present on Christmas in New Zealand. Select any of the articles to read the full story.

Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

Wonderopolis

This is another site with lots of facts and interesting articles. Information is based on students’ questions or 'wonders'.

• Enter 'Christmas' in the search bar to see a collection of articles about Christmas.

• Choose from topics such as Why Do We Say Merry Christmas? or Why Are Red And Green Christmas Colours?

Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. Usually it’s better to leave out small words like ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘of’ and just choose the main ones, eg Christmas. We can always change our keywords if we need to.

Christmas around the world

Did you know that in Sweden, straw is used as a decoration in homes to remind them that Jesus was born in a manger? In this section we'll look at some Christmas traditions and customs around the world, including New Zealand.

WhyChristmas

This website is the work of a web designer from the United Kingdom who wants to share information on the story, customs and traditions of Christmas around the world.

• The section on Christmas Traditions and Customs has links to the history of Christmas traditions such as Christmas Trees, Christmas Cards and Santa Claus.

• Select the section on Christmas Around the World to read how Christmas is celebrated in other cultures, such as Brazil, Japan or Spain.

• You can also watch, listen or read The Christmas Story as it happened long ago in Bethlehem.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About this site link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

For Teachers for students (FTfs)

FTfs is an Australian website specially for teachers and primary and intermediate students.

• Enter 'Christmas' in the search box .

• Select the link Facts for students - Christmas Around the World (primary). This page has links to fast facts, traditions and Christmas in other countries.

Tips: Some websites have .au, .nz, .uk or other codes in their url. This can tell you which country this website comes from eg .au is from Australia or .nz is from New Zealand. You can check the About us link on the website for more information.

Books

There have been many books written about Christmas including Christmas craft and cookbooks. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles are:

• We wish you a Kiwi Christmas by Lynette Evans

• Christmas tree farm by Ann Purmell

• The Lion storyteller Christmas book retold by Bob Hartman

• Christmas traditions around the world by Ann Ingalls

• The Christmas book by Rita Storey.

SCIS no: 1956771