German Holiday Traditions

Learning about the holiday traditions of other cultures is one of my favorite things. Many of the traditions we enjoy here in the United States originated in Germany. Christmas Trees, Advent Calendars, and gingerbread are three examples.

Early records tell us that the Christmas trees were decorated with paper flowers, cookies and candy!

Although it is hard to know for sure, some believe Easter Egg hunts started in Germany. In Germany, some children use dried grass and twigs to make little nests for the Easter bunny to place the decorated eggs. One thing is certain, Easter egg hunts are as popular in Germany as they are here in the United States!

You can find other interesting German traditions for Easter by looking at these websites:

Eggs and Bunnies
Easter Traditions

Next stop - Germany

Our next stop takes us to the European country of Germany. Germany is a country full of beautiful sites and cities. Many of our favorite Christmas traditions started in Germany long ago. I think you'll enjoy the journey.

The weather widgets on the side bar now show Arlington, VA and Berlin, Germany.

Here is a map of Germany:

Image obtained from http://i.infoplease.com/images/mgermany.gif

Here is the German flag:

Image obtained from: http://www.germanflag.us/downloads/1848-and-present_Germany.gif 

Here are some links that may be useful for your research:

Germany for Kids

Kid's Culture Center - Germany

A Kid's Life in Germany

Facts about Germany

More facts about Germany

Time for Kids - Germany

China

Hello Everyone! Our first country is China. You can on the side bar to compare the weather in Beijing, China, with the weather here in Arlington, VA. You will also find links to some websites that will help you with your Visitor's Guides. In the future, I will have a place where you can write your own favorite things you are learning about China. So get ready, everyone! Adventures await us!


Here is a map of China:

Image obtained from: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/image-files/china-map-for-kids-750x563.jpg 

Here is the flag of China:

 

China has lots of exciting places to visit. Here are four that are special:

 

The Great Wall of China

Image retrieved from: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/image-files/great-wall-badaling-08.jpg





This is the longest man-made structure on earth. It is 4,000 miles long. It was built to guard China from its northern enemies.

 

Xian's Terracotta Army

Image retrieved from: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/images/Xian-Terracotta-Army3.jpg

 

This is a collection of more than 8,000 life size soldiers built more than 2,000 years ago. They were discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers.

 

The Forbidden City

Image retrieved from: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/image-files/forbidden-city-temple-hall.jpg

 

The 9,999 rooms were built to be the home and center of government for two dynasties.

 

Giant Panda Reserve

Image retrieved from: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/image-files/chengdu-with-children-2-panda-with-baby.jpg

 

This was built for the care and conservation of pandas.

 

 



 

 

Here are some websites to help you with your research:

A China Family Adventure

A Kid's Life in China

Chinese New Year

Great Wall of China

Ancient China for Kids

National Geographic for Kids - China