Why Do They That at Christmas?: 100 Weird & Wonderful Christmas Traditions from Around the World for Kids

Why do children in Catalonia whack a log until it poos out sweets? And why do so many families in Japan eat fried chicken on Christmas Day?Why does Iceland have thirteen Santas instead of one - and did Coca-Cola really invent Santa's red suit? Why Do They Do That at Christmas? takes curious kids around the world and behind the tinsel to explain 100 real Christmas traditions - where they came from, why people still keep them, and which famous festive "facts" are pure myth. Every page asks one big question and answers it in clear, simple words, with a detailed illustration to bring it to life. Look out for the stamps - TRUE, PARTLY TRUE and MYTH - so young readers learn to tell a genuine tradition from a story that just sounds true.Inside this Christmas book for kids 6-12 you'll discover: - Christmas around the world - the Catalan pooping log, Iceland's thirteen Yule Lads, Venezuela's roller-skating churchgoers, Ethiopia's Christmas on 7 January and Ukraine's spider-web Christmas trees- Santa and the gift-bringers - the real Saint Nicholas, why we hang up stockings, how Rudolph got his red nose, and the military command centre that tracks the sleigh every Christmas Eve- Trees, lights and decorations - why we bring a whole tree indoors, what mistletoe is really about, how the Advent calendar began, and why tinsel was once made of real silver- Food and feasts - turkey, mince pies that once contained actual meat, the French cake shaped like a log, and why so many children cannot stand sprouts- Songs, cards and customs - the carol first played on a guitar, the football match between enemy soldiers in 1914, and whether Charles Dickens really invented Christmas- True or myth? - is eating a mince pie on Christmas Day against the law in England? Are poinsettias deadly? Are Santa's reindeer all female? Perfect for: - Curious readers aged 6-12 who ask "but why?" about everything- Advent reading - one question a day through December- Stocking fillers, Secret Santa and school-holiday reading- Family trivia at the dinner table: read a question aloud and see who can guess 100 questions. 100 answers. One very strange, very wonderful holiday.