Hutto students learn about Christmas Around the World

Published 12:45 pm Monday, December 23, 2024

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Thursday morning, Hutto Elementary School (HES) teachers dressed up as different Santa Clauses in the classrooms to teach the Christmas Around the World lesson.

Christmas Around the World is a history curriculum that falls close to Christmas. Teachers transition from different classes so students can learn about different countries and how they celebrate Christmas. The countries taught were Sweden, Africa, Mexico, Germany, Italy, India, and Australia. Teachers dressed in attire based on the country of their choice and taught students about the different Santa Clauses from each country. For instance, a teacher told the story of La Befana as she dressed as a witch. The story states that Befana is a witch-like older woman who rides a broomstick and delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on January 5th. Another teacher dressed as Weihnachtsmann. Weihnachtsmann is the German term for Santa Claus or Father Christmas. Just like Le Bafana, he gives presents to children in Germany and has a sidekick character called the Belsnickel that helps him deliver presents. Another difference is that gifts are open on December 24th. The different Santa Clauses Around the World have the same trait of giving gifts to children, but it’s told differently and celebrated on different days. Nonetheless, the teachers were able to create an environment where students were able to learn and imagine the different Christmas traditions.

Quitman Fuller, Hutto Principal, exclaimed the event “has never been done before, but it’s going great, and the students enjoy it.”

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