Christmas Baking
Holiday treats from many kitchens — gingerbread to Italian panettone.
Christmas Around the World Word Search
How Christmas is celebrated in different places, from Mexico’s Las Posadas to Sweden’s Saint Lucia Day.
Hard: all eight directions, including backward.
0/14
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About this puzzle
Christmas is celebrated differently around the world, and this list collects traditions from many countries: Las Posadas in Mexico, Saint Lucia's Day in Sweden, Boxing Day in Britain and much of the Commonwealth, Christmas markets in Germany and Austria, and the gift-bringers Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas. Advent, the Nativity and Epiphany mark the Christian calendar; the poinsettia comes from Mexico, and the Nutcracker from a German story made famous by Tchaikovsky's ballet.
The default layout is Hard on a 15×15 grid. Easy, Medium and Hard each use their own checked layout of the same words, and every one can be printed in standard or large print on US Letter or A4.
Word notes
- Saint Nicholas
- A 4th-century bishop known for secret gift-giving; his feast day, December 6, is celebrated across much of Europe.
- Las Posadas
- A Mexican tradition of nine evenings of processions before Christmas.
- Advent
- The weeks leading up to Christmas; Advent calendars count down the days, often with a small door for each one.
- Boxing Day
- December 26, a holiday in the UK and many Commonwealth countries.
- Christmas Market
- Outdoor markets with stalls of crafts, food and warm drinks; the German tradition dates back to the late Middle Ages.
- Epiphany
- January 6, marking the visit of the Magi in many traditions.
- Saint Lucia
- Celebrated in Sweden on December 13 with candlelit processions.
- Poinsettia
- A plant native to Mexico with bright red leaves, named after Joel Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico.
- Nutcracker
- Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker (1892) is based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann.
Try this after the puzzle
Mark each tradition on a world map. Then ask solvers to choose one and find out how it is celebrated: what people eat, sing or give. In a mixed classroom, invite students to share a winter tradition from their own family, whether or not it is Christmas.
All 14 words
Santa Claus · Saint Nicholas · Father Christmas · Las Posadas · Advent · Nativity · Boxing Day · Christmas Market · Epiphany · Carols · Saint Lucia · Poinsettia · Nutcracker · Yule
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