Boxing Day

Boxing Day takes place on December 26th and is only celebrated in a few countries; mainly ones historically connected to the UK (such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) and in some European countries. In Germany it is known as “Zweite Feiertag” (which means ‘second celebration’) and also “Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag” which translates as Boxing Day (although it doesn’t literally mean that)!

It was started in the UK about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!

In The Netherlands, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called ‘earthenware’ and were shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term ‘Piggy Bank’!

It was also traditional that servants got the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day. Before World War II, it was common for working people (such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip. This tradition has now mostly stopped and any Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers and newspaper delivery children, are not normally given or collected on Boxing Day.

Mixing Colours

rainbow

How do we make colours?

There are three primary colours: red, yellow and blue.

These three colours make all other colours!

 

 

Study the following picture to see how!

Then, do the following activity:

Mix the colours

 

 

The Seasons

There are four seasons in a year:

  1. Autumn

  2. Winter

  3. Spring

  4. Summer

In autumn the weather is chilly and rainy and children go to school. In winter it is cold and it sometimes snows. Then, the children play in the snow and make snowmen.  In spring it is warm and children play in the park.  In summer it is very hot and sunny and we go to the beach!

Let’s watch the Seasons Song