Winter Holiday Folklore: Frights and Delights
In this one-time class, students will hear and respond to winter holiday folklore featuring Krampus, Gryla, the Yule Lads, the Yule Cat, La Befana, and more.
Jennifer Smith, MA
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(133)
What's included
1 live meeting
1 hrs 10 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. There is no mandatory homework assigned in this class; however, students will be given suggestions for further reading and research.Assessment
Learner progress is assessed informally through class participation and discussion.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Students will learn about winter and winter folklore and traditions from several cultures and time periods. I will tell stories and describe winter traditions from different places around the world. From Santa Claus to Gryla, from a red-nosed reindeer to the Yule Cat, from elves to the Yule Lads, there will be fun and frights for all. Other topics included are La Befana, Krampus, the Dongzhi Festival, and winter ghost stories & superstitions. Students will be asked to share their own winter traditions. I encourage student participation and offer several opportunities for students to interact with me and with one another. I will use slides to illustrate the content. We will play a couple of games related to the winter folklore we discuss during the class meeting. Ideas for follow-up reading and research will be given. No prior knowledge is necessary for this class.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about frightful and delightful winter folklore around the world.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
A few of the stories feature folkloric elements of "scary" characters and punishments for "misbehaving" or "disobedient" children (ex. kids being thrown into sacks/being eaten/getting switches in place of gifts, etc.) These stories will be handled as the fiction/folklore they are and with a sense of humor. Stories of Santa Claus, La Befana, and other beloved characters will be told; however, I will not discuss whether or not these characters actually "exist." They exist in folklore, so I will leave it at that.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Books:
- Christmas is Coming by Johannes ur Kotlum
- The Poetic Edda
- The Prose Edda
- The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVickar Edwards
- The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year by Linda Raedisch
- The Book of Christmas Folklore by Tristram Potter Coffin
- Chinese Feasts & Festivals: A Cookbook by S.C. Moey
- A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore (Most people know this as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas)
Websites:
- https://www.iizcat.com/post/4373/The-Christmas-Cat-of-Iceland
- https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/the-icelandic-yule-lads-and-gryla
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus
- https://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/dongzhi-festival.htm
Joined April, 2020
4.9
133reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in English from Southern New Hampshire University
I have taught classes containing scary/creepy concepts as a public school teacher, home educator, homeschool co-op teacher, and Outschool teacher. I currently have classes about folklore, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and women writers of horror on Outschool. In addition to these teaching experiences, I have also taken several online courses on the topics of mythology & folklore. I have an extensive personal collection of books about mythology & folklore. I enjoy these subjects and look forward to sharing my love for these subjects with others.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$20
per classMeets once
70 min
Completed by 26 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-16
2-10 learners per class
