Elaine Landau - What Is Christmas?

CAROLS, SANTA, AND JOY!

HOW DO PEOPLE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS HOLIDAY? LEARN ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN THIS FUN AND EASY-TO-READ BOOK. ENJOY A HANDS-ON ACTIVITY, TOO!

"YOUNG READERS WILL FIND FASCINATING INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICAN HOLIDAYS IN THESE DELIGHTFUL BOOKS."

"BEGINNING READERS WILL FIND MUCH TO CELEBRATE IN THIS SERIES OF INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ABOUT OUR NATIONAL HOLIDAYS."

About the Author

Award-winning author Elaine Landau has written more than two hundred books for children. She received a bachelor's degree in English and Journalism and an MLS in Library and Information Science.

carol (KA ruhl)A song of praise or joy. Some Christmas carols celebrate the birth of Jesus.

choir (KWYE ur)A group of singers who sing together. Many churches have choirs.

Christian (KRIS chin)A person who believes in Jesus and follows his teachings.

Children write lists for Santa Claus. People sing carols. They mail cards to their friends. Lights are hung on trees. What time of year is this? It must be Christmas time!

Christmas is December 25. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. They believe He is the son of God. For four weeks before Christmas, they get ready. They light candles on a wreath.

The last candle on an Advent wreath is lit on the Sunday before Christmas.

Lots of homes have Christmas trees. People hang lights and shiny balls on the branches. They bake cookies. They make or buy presents. They wrap the presents in pretty paper.

Some schools have Christmas concerts. Children play music and sing. They may act out a play. Some classes have parties. Children may dress up as candy canes!

Kids wait for Santa on Christmas Eve. Some leave cookies for him. They hope he brings them toys. Children hang up stockings, too. Will these be filled with treats?

Many people go to church. They pray for peace on earth. They hear the story of the birth of Jesus. Church choirs sing songs. Everyone feels the joy of Christmas.

People come from near and far to be together. They sing songs. They give each other gifts and hugs. Some cook large dinners. There may be turkey, fish, vegetables, or pasta.

People help those who have less. They bring food, blankets, and clothes to those who need them. It feels special to help one another at Christmas.

This year have your Christmas tree look better than ever. Make a popcorn and cranberry string to hang on it!

1. Tie a knot at one end of a dental floss string.
2. Ask an adult to thread the other end through a needle.
3. Ask an adult to help you put the needle through a cranberry and push it to the end of the string.
4. Do the same with a piece of popcorn.
5. Repeat until the dental floss string is nearly filled with cranberries and popcorn.
6. Leave a few inches at the top of the string and knot it.
7. Place the string on your Christmas tree where you think it will look best.
8. When the tree comes down, do not throw your popcorn and cranberry string away. Take the popcorn and berries off the string. Toss them in your yard or park. It will be a late Christmas gift for the birds!

BOOKS

Butler, Dori Hillestad. Christmas: Season of Peace and Joy. Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, 2007.

Dowly, Tim. My First Story of Christmas. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004.

Stevens, Kathryn. Christmas Trees. Mankato, Minn.: The Childs World, 2010.

Trueit, Trudi Strain. Christmas. Tarrytown, N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish Corp., 2010.