• This page:
• Christmas trees around the world |
• Evolution of Santa |
• Matariki |
• Matariki (English)

• Page two:
• New Year |
• Collecting Christmas ideas |
• Christmas play |
• Spreading Christmas cheer using spreadsheets

Christmas trees around the world

Wiki and Ed have put up their Christmas trees already! Ed has an artificial tree decorated with tinsel and coloured lights. Wiki has a pine tree in a bucket with water to keep it alive. What kind of Christmas tree do you have at your house?

• Open the Christmas Trees Around the World sheet.
• Read about Christmas tree traditions around the world.
• Choose two countries and complete the Venn diagram comparing their Christmas tree traditions with yours.

Email your completed Venn diagram to ed@tki.org.nz

Evolution of Santa

Where did Santa Claus come from? Read about the evolution of the legend of Santa.

• Answer these questions:
  1. When did St Nicholas live?
  2. What country did he come from?
  3. Why do people remember him?
  4. Why is there a feast day on December 6 in Holland?
  5. What is the Dutch name for St Nicholas?
  6. In 1822 a minister in America wrote a poem about a visit from St Nicholas. What well known features of Santa Claus did he describe?
  7. In 1881 cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa. What features did he add?
  8. When and why did the first live Santas begin to appear in shops?

Email your answers the questions to ed@tki.org.nz

Matariki

I mōhio rānei koe kāore noa iho te tau hou e tīmata i te rā tuatahi o Kohi-tātea? Ko Matariki he kāhui whetū e kitea ana i te ata hāpara i muri iho o te tōhuatanga o te marama, i te marama o Pipiri ia tau, koia rā te tīmatanga o te tau hou o Aotearoa, me ngā moutere o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa!

1. Tirohia ngā kōrero mō Matariki hono atu ki.
2. Tēnā koa, hangaia mai tōu ake pānui ki te whakanui i a Matariki, whakaoti rānei te pānui o Matariki i tīmatahia e Wiki.
3. Me whakauru mai koe i ngā āhuatanga:
   • te kāhui whetū
   • tōnā pakiwaitara
   • te wā o te tau.

Īmeratia mai tō pānui ki a wiki@tki.org.nz

Matariki

Did you know that New Year is not always the first of January? Matariki is a star cluster that can be seen in the pre-dawn sky after the full moon from mid to late June each year, which is the start of the Aotearoa Pacific New Year!

1. Find out about Matariki.
2. Either design your own poster to advertise Matariki, or complete the Matariki poster Wiki has started.
3. You must incorporate:
   • the star cluster
   • the mythology
   • the time of year.

Email your poster to ed@tki.org.nz

Go to page 2