Winter Holidays Video Lessons: An Edpuzzle Originals Collection
This collection of winter holidays video lessons will keep your students engaged and educate them about some of the most popular cultural and religious holidays.
Illustration by Edpuzzle Staff
Wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere is full of cultural and religious celebrations. To see what you know about these diverse holidays, let’s start off with some trivia!
- What year was Kwanzaa created?
- Who chose the day January 1st as the start of the new year?
- What does the Hebrew word “Hanukkah” mean?
Discover the answers to these questions plus the origins of the holidays with our winter holiday collection of Edpuzzle Original video lessons.
A Hanukkah Video Lesson
Commonly called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is a festival observed within Judaism that lasts for eight days beginning in November or December. The first day of Hanukkah changes every year (on the Gregorian calendar) because the holiday is determined by the lunisolar Hebrew calendar.
In this video lesson, students will learn the historical and traditional origins of Hanukkah along with common ways the holiday is celebrated today.
Video length: 5 mins. 53 secs.
A Christmas Video Lesson
Teach your students about the religious origins and cultural influences that have shaped how Christmas is celebrated today, including stories of Saint Nicholas and the symbolism of evergreen trees.
Video length: 6 mins. 30 secs.
A Kwanzaa Video Lesson
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday that was created in the United States as an invitation for people, especially African Americans and others with African ancestry – to celebrate and personally connect with African cultures.
In this video lesson, students will learn about the Seven Principles celebrated during Kwanzaa along with the holiday’s origins and common ways to celebrate.
Video length: 7 mins.
A New Year’s Day Video Lesson
Throughout history, groups of people have had to choose when to mark the start of a new year. The Ancient Babylonians marked their new year based on the sun, moon, and seasons, while ancient Egyptians marked their new year based on natural events that took place in what we know as July.
In this video lesson, students will explore how people have determined the start of the new year throughout history along with common modern ways the event is celebrated around the world.
Video length: 5 mins. 51 secs.
A Lunar New Year Video Lesson
Did you know that the start of the lunar new year takes place at the beginning of the second new moon phase after the Winter Solstice?
Learn more in this lesson that explores the lunar calendar Lunar New Year, including traditional Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese celebrations.
Video length: 6 mins. 14 secs.
Let us know on Twitter how you incorporate these winter holidays video lessons into your lesson plans!
Answers to the trivia questions: 1) 1966, 2) Julius Caesar, 3) dedication