Holiday Nonfiction

Briefly discusses the history and customs connected to the celebration of Easter.

Briefly discusses the history and customs connected to the celebration of Valentine's Day.

In September 1620, 102 brave travelers and their crew stepped upon a ship called the Mayflower in England. Most were members of a religious group now known as the Pilgrims. They were bound for North America to start a new life. They endured many hardships and made many tough choices. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather suffer from seasickness or from skin sores caused by scurvy? Would you rather have been a crew member navigating the ship in stormy seas or cramped into the living quarters just along for the tumultuous ride? It's your turn to pick this or that!

It's fall, and it's time to visit the pumpkin patch! Take a close look at pumpkins, learn how to pick a pumpkin, and have some fun on a hayride too. Kids will experience what it's like to visit a pumpkin patch.

In this compilation of six Christmas themes, you will learn about: The story of Advent; the history of the first Christmas; the story of celebrating the Nativity; the importance of the Twelve Days of Christmas; the origins of Christmas customs; and the different Christmas traditions around the world.

Christmas Day is a time of celebration for many people all around the world. Those who celebrate it see it as a joyous time. But Christmas is celebrated in many different ways in different countries. One country has a feast known as "reveillon". In another country people like to go to the beach on Christmas Day! Can you guess which countries these are?

Learn about the Twelve Days of Christmas with iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds.

For many, Christmas is not just a time of year but a whole period of festivities. You may have heard someone say that there are twelve days of Christmas. But did you know that they refer to the days after Christmas and not the days leading up to it?

Every year you probably celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. Someone may have told you that this is the day of Jesus' birth. But nobody actually knows when he was born! The Bible does not give us a date for the birth of Jesus. So early Christians took the date of important ancient festivals and placed Christmas around the same time.Before Christianity, the Romans had a winter festival called Saturnalia, which took place for one week in mid-December.

It’s the week before Christmas, and Eric is already bored with his vacation. His parents have to work, his friends are out of town, and the city is snowed under. Then he opens his apartment door for an exterminator, and is dragged into the adventure of his life. Anje Gabrail carries a crossbow and lives for his work. When he discovers a rat in the basement of Eric’s apartment building, he asks the boy to help him kill it. At first Eric agrees, after all, he doesn’t have anything better to do. But as the week progresses, Eric finds himself in a fight to save not only the rat but himself as well.

Christmas trees and Christmas cards seem to be an essential part of the holiday season. So it may surprise you to know they are both relatively recent traditions in the United States and Britain!

Have you ever wanted to make a jack o' lantern? Where do you start? You're about to learn how to make it happen, step by messy step!

Young listeners learn about the early traditions which have led to our present-day celebration of Thanksgiving.

How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you have a party? Do you go out to eat? Learn all about fun things to do on your special day.

Do you crack open a piñata on your birthday? Do you eat long noodles? Learn all about different birthday customs of children around the world.

It’s time to celebrate Kwanzaa! Light the kinara. Eat a big feast with your family. During Kwanzaa, people come together. They celebrate African-American heritage.

Hanukkah is about celebrating! Often called the Festival of Lights, the eight-day celebration honors a miracle that happened long ago. During Hanukkah, people light the menorah. They sing songs. They gather with family and friends to eat special food and give gifts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Across the country, people observe the day with speeches, poetry readings, festivals, picnics, street fairs, and family reunions. It is a day for people to come together and continue working toward equality.

Christmas is about celebrating! It is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Some people mark the holiday with Christmas trees and other decorations. People gather with family and friends to eat meals and give gifts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Kwanzaa is about celebrating! It honors African American heritage. Some people mark the holiday by lighting the kinara. Families and friends gather to eat a big feast. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Chinese New Year is a time for new beginnings. Some people clean their homes from top to bottom or share meals with friends. Others pray, light fireworks, or give each other gifts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.