Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep224: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

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Ep224: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day · Kidcast Daily

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  Music. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today, we're going to explore
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  two of the most exciting days in December for many cultures in
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  the world, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
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  Whether you celebrate Christmas or are just curious about it,
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  get ready to learn all about how people around the world enjoy
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  these special days, what traditions they follow, and some
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  fascinating facts you may not have heard before.
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  Let's start by talking about what Christmas Eve and Christmas
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  Day are. Christmas Eve is the day before
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  Christmas Day. Christmas Day is celebrated on
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  December 25th every year. Christmas Eve then falls on
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  December 24th. These two days are important in
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  many countries and are filled with traditions, family time,
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  and lots of excitement. But why are Christmas Eve and
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  Christmas Day so special? For many people, Christmas is a
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  time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who is an important
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  figure in Christianity. However, even people who don't
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  celebrate the religious part of Christmas often join in for the
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  fun, the decorations, and the time spent together.
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  Let's begin with Christmas Eve. On December 24th, many families
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  start their celebrations. Christmas Eve is often filled
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  with anticipation and preparation.
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  Some families bake cookies, decorate their homes, or wrap
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  presents. You might see houses sparkling
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  with colorful lights, yards with inflatable snowmen, and front
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  doors decorated with wreaths made of pine branches and red
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  bows. Did you know that in some
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  countries, Christmas Eve is actually more important than
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  Christmas Day? For example, in Germany, Poland
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  and many parts of Europe, families gather for a big meal
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  on Christmas Eve and open presents that night instead of
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  waiting until the morning. Speaking of meals, let's talk
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  about Christmas Eve foods. In Italy, some families enjoy
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  the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is a dinner with different
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  kinds of fish and seafood. In Mexico, people might eat
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  tamales, which are tasty parcels made with corn dough and filled
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  with meat or cheese wrapped in a corn husk.
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  In Sweden, it's common to have a buffet called gelbird with ham,
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  fish, potatoes and lots of other delicious foods.
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  In the United States and Canada, many people bake cookies shaped
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  like stars, trees or gingerbread people to leave out for Santa
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  Claus. Now let's not forget about
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  Christmas Eve traditions. One popular tradition is hanging
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  stockings. Kids hang stockings by the
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  fireplace or on a bedpost, hoping they'll be filled with
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  treats by morning. Another tradition is reading
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  stories together. The night before Christmas is a
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  famous poem that many families read out loud before bedtime.
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  Some people even watch special movies like A Charlie Brown
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  Christmas or other holiday favorites.
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  In many places, people attend a church service called Midnight
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  Mass, which happens late at night on Christmas Eve.
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  This is especially common in countries like France, Spain and
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  the Philippines. People dress up and sing carols,
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  which are joyful songs about Christmas.
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  Here's a fun fact, in Iceland there's a tradition called
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  Jalapcaval, which means Christmas book flood.
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  On Christmas Eve, people give each other books and spend the
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  night reading and sipping hot chocolate.
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  Imagine a cozy evening with a brand new book.
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  As the night goes on, kids everywhere start to get excited
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  for Christmas Day. Many children try to fall asleep
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  early, hoping to wake up and find gifts in the morning.
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  In some homes, you might see a plate with cookies and a glass
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  of milk left out for Santa and maybe even a few carrots for his
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  reindeer. Now let's move on to Christmas
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  Day, December 25th. This is the day when many people
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  celebrate by opening presents, enjoying special meals, and
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  spending time with loved ones. For some, Christmas morning
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  starts very early, sometimes even before the sun rises.
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  Kids might rush to the living room to see if Santa Claus is
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  visited, checking under the tree for brightly wrapped gifts.
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  But Christmas Day is about more than just presents.
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  It's also a day for family and kindness.
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  Many people call or visit relatives, play games together
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  or go for a walk outside. Some families volunteer at
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  community centers or deliver food to people who need extra
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  help. Sharing and caring are big parts
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  of the Christmas spirit. Did you know that in Australia
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  and New Zealand, Christmas happens in the summer?
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  Instead of snow, people might celebrate with a picnic on the
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  beach or a barbecue in the backyard.
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  In South Africa, families often enjoy outdoor meals or go
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  swimming. So while some kids are building
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  snowmen, others might be playing cricket outside or eating ice
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  cream in the sunshine. Back in colder places, Christmas
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  Day often includes a special meal.
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  In the United Kingdom, many families eat roast Turkey,
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  potatoes and vegetables. Dessert might be Christmas
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  pudding, which is a rich fruity cake.
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  In the United States, some people have ham, mashed potatoes
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  and pumpkin pie. In Japan, a popular Christmas
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  treat is a Strawberry Shortcake, and many families eat fried
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  chicken for their holiday meal. Another fun Christmas Day
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  tradition is pulling Christmas crackers in the United Kingdom
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  and other countries. A Christmas cracker is a tube
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  wrapped in colorful paper. When two people pull it from
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  each end, it makes a popping sound.
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  Inside, there's usually a paper hat, a little toy, and a joke or
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  a Riddle. Many people also enjoy watching
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  the Queen's Speech or King's Speech on television.
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  In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, this is
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  a special holiday message from the royal family.
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  Christmas Day is also a time for singing.
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  People gather to sing Christmas carols like Jingle Bells, Silent
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  Night and Deck the Halls. In some neighborhoods, groups go
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  door to door singing carols to spread joy.
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  Let's not forget about holiday decorations.
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  Many families set up a Christmas tree in their homes.
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  Trees are often decorated with shiny ornaments, twinkling
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  lights, and a star or Angel on top.
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  Some people use real pine trees, while others use artificial
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  ones. In some countries, people also
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  decorate with candles, paper lanterns or figures of nativity
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  scenes which show the story of Jesus birth.
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  Here's another interesting fact. In the Philippines, people make
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  beautiful lanterns called paroles, which are shaped like
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  stars and hung outside houses. These lanterns are a symbol of
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  hope and light during the Christmas season.
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  Now you might be wondering, where did the idea of Santa
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  Claus come from? The story of Santa Claus is
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  based on a real person named Saint Nicholas who lived about
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  1700 years ago in what is now Turkey.
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  He was known for helping people and giving gifts to those in
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  need. Over time, his story changed and
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  grew. Today, Santa is imagined as a
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  jolly man in a red suit who travels in a sleigh pulled by
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  reindeer, delivering gifts to children all over the world.
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  Santa isn't the only holiday gift giver.
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  In some countries, children receive presents from other
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  figures. In Italy, La Befana is an old
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  woman who brings gifts to children on January 6th.
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  In Spain, gifts are delivered by the Three Wise Men or Three
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  Kings on January 6th, which is called Epiphany.
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  As the day goes on, many families relax together, watch
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  movies, play with new toys or games, and enjoy the cozy
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  feeling of being together. Some people go outside to build
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  snowmen or have snowball fights if there is snow.
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  Others might take a family Photo by the tree.
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  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are celebrated in many different
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  ways around the world, but they often share things in common,
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  spending time with family and friends, sharing food, giving
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  and receiving gifts, and showing kindness to others.
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  Here's a quick recap of what we learned today.
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  Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas, often filled with
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  excitement, special meals, and traditions like hanging
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  stockings and reading stories. In some countries, people open
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  their presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is celebrated on
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  December 25th and is usually spent opening gifts, enjoying
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  delicious food, singing carols, and being with loved ones.
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  Different countries have their own unique ways to celebrate.
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  From snowy days in Canada to sunny beach picnics in Australia
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  and all around the world, people use these days to share
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  happiness, kindness, and fun. Thanks for joining us on Kit
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  Cast Daily. We hope you learned something
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  new about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
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  However you celebrate, we wish a joyful and happy holiday season.
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  Be sure to tune in next time for more cool facts and stories made
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  just for kids like you.