Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico. This event begins December 16th and ends December 24th. Each evening families walk from house to house, seeking shelter for Mary and Joseph. At the last house, everyone enters. People feast and dance, and a special seven-pointed, star-shaped piñata made of clay is broken open. Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith’s Las Posadas: an Hispanic Christmas Celebration gives great insights into this tradition.
Flag of Kazakhstan
Republic of Kazakhstan celebrates Independence Day. In 1991 it broke away from the Soviet Union. According to the CIA World Factbook, Kazakhstan is about four times the size of Texas. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. About 16 million inhabitants live in this arid country. Although Almaty is the biggest city, Astana is the capital. Kazakhstan exports oil and wheat. Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in Kazakhstan’s desert steppe, is the world’s oldest and largest space launch site. Older children could learn more at: Kazakhstan.
Flag of Bahrain
Bahrain celebrates National Day. The country broke away from Great Britain in 1971. This archipelago of 33 islands lies in the Persian Gulf. According to the CIA World Factbook, Bahrain is about 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC. About 1.2 million people live in this desert country, and Manama is the capital. Bahrain’s economy depends on oil exports and tourism. Older children can learn more at: Bahrain.
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party was a protest against a duty placed on imported tea. In 1773 over 100 men, dressed as Native Americans and led by Samuel Adams, boarded three English ships moored in Boston’s harbor. They dumped at least 300 chests of tea overboard. They did not wish to pay the tax for the tea. The British retaliated by imposing the Intolerable Acts on the colonists. These acts led to further opposition on the part of the colonists and eventually the meeting of the First Continental Congress. Children could read The Boston Tea Party, by Russell Freedman. Were the patriots right in what they did?