Many contemporary Christmas icons have commercial roots. From Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus to Aebersold & Bell’s Elf on a Shelf. This holiday season, examine the history behind the commercialization of Christmas, and then compare and contrast with icons and traditions based on different cultures and values. Begin with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, first appearing in a booklet published by the department store chain Montgomery Ward, compared with reindeer’s traditional heritage.

In the colder months, when we’re bundled up inside, sleeping under a pile of blankets, and scuffling about our homes in socks and slippers, we might find that we often encounter electrical shocks when we touch doorknobs or tiny bolts of “lightning” emitted from blankets as we toss about to get warm and comfortable. Static electricity is to blame! This phenomenon is the perfect opportunity to learn about the physics of electricity and why we get tiny shocks more often in the winter than in the summer months.

The holiday season is a time of generosity, with gestures of abundance played out through our community landscape. Nature is generous, leaving our open fields and meadows with a plethora of grass and wildflower seeds feeding wildlife in the winter and delivering a promise to summer pollinators. The cultivated land is generous, delivering a cornucopia of locally grown food from the late harvest. People are generous, volunteering and spreading kindness during the holiday season. Family and friends are generous, sharing recipes and stories during holiday dinners. And the community is generous, creating a shared history together during annual community meals. During this month there are at least two common threads that run through these gestures of generosity. The first of which is food! Integrating community engagement opportunities centered around food with curiosity and compassion can help to strengthen our connection to place by being fully present in the moment and open to those with whom we share our lives… and our meals! Read more in our post, November: A Month of Generosity.

Did you know that Gamelan music is the traditional musical ensemble of the islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia? In the Javanese language, the word “gamelan” means “to strike with a mallet,” and if you’ve ever had the chance to hear this amazing music, you’ll know why: the ensemble is made up almost entirely of percussive instruments! According to Indonesian mythology, the gamelan was created thousands of years ago by an ancient king who invented the gong to summon the gods. The impact of this beautiful music has been felt worldwide, and several well-known Western composers were so struck by it that they incorporated elements of gamelan into their music.

The Matryoshka or nesting doll, is a distinctly Russian handicraft. Incorrectly referred to as “babushka dolls,” matryoshka were first created by Russian craftsmen in the late 19th century, and often portray characters from Russian folklore or Soviet history. It is unknown where the inspiration for the doll originally came from, though the first matryoshka artists were heavily influenced by traditional crafts and dolls from China and Japan. The Japanese, Seven Lucky Gods nesting doll, for example, may be an early instance of the matryoshka.

Games are universal. Every human community in history has had some game played by children and adults. When you think about it, it’s no surprise that in addition to fun, games teach us a lot about positive social interactions. Games teach problem-solving, dramatically increase communication skills, foster cooperation, and reduce stress. Establishing a family game night can also be a great way to build new family traditions while supporting learning at home.

By exploring number systems, families can help children to solidify their own understanding of the numerals and place value of our own familiar base ten number system. From binary code and Roman numerals to a lost 13th-century cipher and a zero-less system from 300 BC, number systems from around the world can lead to fascinating explorations of numerical representations and place value. Support interests in science, technology, engineering, and math by learning about numerical systems in our post, Explorations of Number Systems Support Strong Mathematical Skills.