December is a month that includes different cultural and religious holidays celebrated around the world. Many of these December holidays are celebrated in some capacity by nearly every country and include non-religious traditions such as gift-giving, decorations, gathering with loved ones, and a general sentiment of peace and good will. Celebrations vary greatly around the world. Click on the map below to access a site that allows you to hover over the map to see how different countries celebrate the Christmas holiday.

This time of celebration can also lead to stress when families are buying gifts and trying to juggle finances. In iSOSY's Math for Living, you will find lessons on advertisements and specials, comparing prices and finding the best buy, creating and using a budget, using layaway, and exploring sales, discounts, and rebates. Finanza has lessons on budgeting and credit cards, and English for Daily Life has a lesson on Shopping.

Bill of Rights Day is observed on December 15 in the United States. It is an important day to celebrate America’s Constitution and the framework of society that provides basic rights and freedoms to society. Bill of Rights Day commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They include notions like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to protest, and equal protection under the law. The Bill of Rights is featured in a display in The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., which provides teaching and learning resources like videos, primary sources, and posters to teach about the Bill of Rights. You can use iSOSY's My Basic Rights/Mis Derechos Básicos to help increase the knowledge of migratory farmworkers regarding basic legal rights in the United States.

National Handwashing Awareness Week is December 5-11

Fun Fact: A typical human sneeze exits the body at about 200 miles per hour and emits around 40,000 droplets into the air. Personal hygiene begins and ends with our hands. Clean hands prevent sickness, so it is important to learn the basics about hand hygiene. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests five easy steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry.

Parents play an important role in teaching children to wash their hands. Find ways to make it fun, like making up a handwashing song or turning it into a game. The CDC's health promotion materials encourage kids and adults to make handwashing part of their everyday lives.

The iSOSY lessons about washing your hands include Lesson 2 of For Your Health and the Handwashing STAT Lesson.