Welcome

Welcome to issue 26 of Green Kids magazine. This issue we celebrate some of the many winter festivals that take place around the world at this time of year. You can make your own festive pitta breads using the recipe on page 7, make some colourful finger puppets or find out how to make a christingle candle. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Winter festivals During the winter there are many festivals and feast days as our ancestors needed somethin g to look forward to during the dark est months of the year. Read on to find out about some of these celebrations.

Contents:

3 All about winter festivals 4 Colouring calendar 5 Make nativity finger puppets 6 Pinboard and penfriends 7 In The Kitchen 8 Earth Friendly Kids

Yule or

Winter

Solstice

is celebrated on 21st December. It is one

of the oldest festivals in the world and

marks the shortest day and the longest

night. After the 21st December the

days start to lengthen so it is a time to

welcome the return of the sun.

chanukah begins at sundown on the 22nd December this year. It is an eight-day festival held to celebrate the victory of the Jewish Macabees over the Syrian Greeks. The Macabees found special oil in their reclaimed temple, which had been blessed by a priest. They expected the oil to last for a day but it burned for eight whole days and nights. So every year Jewish people display a menorah (a candlestick with eight candles, see cover) to mark the occasion. You could make your own from paper and each day add another paper flame to the candles. You can also play a game called Dreidel at this time of year.

Editor Melissa Corkhill Design Jez Harris. Green Kids is now a FREE downloadable PDF for everyone. To write to us: Green Kids, PO Box 104, East Hoathly, Lewes, BN7 9AX Tel: 01825 872858 Website: www.thegreenparent.co.uk • With thanks to Fi Bird for the recipes.