Holiday Hoopla Around the World
2018 Edition
Each day features a country and a student celebration to go along with the country. Several days also have staff celebrations. There is also a video link to go with each country. Please plan to share with your students after morning announcements.
Joy to the Jeans-You may wear jeans when you are participating and showing off your school and Christmas spirit.
Monday, Dec. 10-Faux Fur Day
People in this country will often exchange books on Christmas Eve, then spend the rest of the night reading them and eating chocolate. The tradition is part of a season called Jolabokaflod, or “The Christmas Book Flood.
Celebrate this country by wearing your fake fur and reading your favorite Christmas story. Maybe play a prank or two on someone. Remember a prank should be funny to both people or it is not a prank.
Staff Celebration-Come to the office wearing your faux fur and pick out Christmas bookmarks for your students.
Tuesday, Dec. 11-It's a Beachy Christmas
Merry Christmas Mate!
Christmas is a summer celebration in this country. Santa's traditional clothing is too hot for this climate. He can often be seen wearing board shorts and flip flops or even surfing! When Santa gets to this country, he gives the reindeer a rest and uses kangaroos or 'six white boomers' to deliver packages.
Staff Celebration-Australians love decorating their houses and even cars for Christmas and there are many parades held in towns and cities. We will decorate our doors and have our own parade! Have your students help decorate your door today with a Grinch theme. There will be a "Christmas parade" on Dec 13 (students will walk the halls to see all of the doors). Voting will take place at the end of the day on December 13. Winner will be announced Dec 14.
Wednesday, Dec. 12-Red & Green or Christmas Attire
In this country the children celebrate Los Posados for nine nights. On the last night there is a big celebration and children often break open pinatas filled with candy, toys, and other gifts.
Staff Celebration: Please join the "staff meeting" at El Potro. Chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso will be shared.
Thursday, Dec. 13-Jingle Jam with Santa
In this country Santa is known as Sinterklaas and he arrives by boat. Each year he chooses a different harbor to arrive in so that as many children as possible are able to see him.
Friday, Dec. 14-Christmas Socks
The good witch La Befana fills the stockings of the children in this country. She arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings of good children with toys and sweets. The bad children get lumps of coal in their stockings.
Legend of the Christmas Stocking
Brazilian Lunch Only-Reserve Your Spot at the Table!
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018, 12:00 PM
Sunflower Elementary
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Secret Santa-RSVP to get your 'Amigo Secreto.'
You will bring a small gift on Thursday, December 20 to give to your Secret Santa. We will reveal Secret Santa before lunch and then dine Brazilian style for lunch.
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018, 11:30 AM
Sunflower Elementary School, E 303rd St, Paola, KS, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Monday, Dec. 17-Tinsel & Garland
Christmas trees are very important to the country. As a matter of fact, this country made the very first artificial Christmas trees, using dyed goose feathers to look like needles of a pine or fir tree. If there are young children in the house, the trees are usually secretly decorated by the mother of the family.
The Legend of the Christmas spider originated in the this country. This story explains why we put tinsel on our Christmas trees.
Celebrate this country by decorating yourself like a Christmas tree or wearing tinsel and garland in a fun festive manner. Bonus if you have a spider hidden in your tinsel.
The Legend of the Christmas Spider
Staff Celebration-Prizes will be given for those dressed most festivally in their garland and tinsel as voted on by your peers and parents.
Tuesday, Dec. 18-Christmas Pajamas or Snowman
In this country Santa is known as Joulupukki, which means Christmas Goat! "The Snowman" is broadcast on National TV here. It is usually gets dark very early in this country at Christmas time. Once it gets dark, it is traditional to go to cemeteries to visit the graves of family members. The cemeteries are lit with lanterns. Family members will often return and sit in the sauna to get ready for Christmas Eve.
Wednesday, Dec. 19-Grinch Day
Merry Christmas
A "Grinch" stole Christmas from this country in the 16th century. Celebrating Christmas was suppressed for over 300 years. It was not an official holiday until 1958. It's a good thing this country is great at celebrating Hogmanay.
Celebrate this country by wearing plaid or dressing as the Grinch while spreading kindness.
Staff Celebration-We are NOT Grinches at Sunflower Elementary! Get ready to start a new tradition of dressing up in a Christmas costume to greet students as they come to Sunflower.
Thursday, Dec 20- Inservice
No need to guess this country, it is BRAZIL.
In Brazil, Santa Claus is called Papai Noel & Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man).
Taking part in a 'Secret Santa', known as 'amigo secreto' (secret friend) is popular in Brazil at Christmas. It is traditional to give small gifts all through December using a pretend name (apelidos). On Christmas Day, people reveal who their amigo secreto was!
Celebrate this country by RSVPing for a lunch catered by Taste of Brazil and signing up to have a Secret Santa. We will reveal our Secret Santas before lunch, then dine together sampling authentic foods from Brazil.
INSERVICE SCHEDULE
8:30-11:30 Opportunity to Respond, Presented by Dawn Miller & Karla Reed