CHRISTMAS CARD EXCHANGE PROJECT

CHRISTMAS CARD EXCHANGE PROJECT Christmas Card Exchange is one of the global leaning projects in iearn(international Education and Resource Network). iearn is the world's largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to collaborate on projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. In this project, each school was placed in a group with about seven other schools and could prepare either handmade or purchased cards to send to each of the other schools. Then, each classroom would receive Christmas cards from a number of different countries and students could learn about Christmas traditions in other countries. In 2006, we exchanged Christmas cards with five foreign partner schools. We also sent cards to Uganda for children who are orphans from war and AIDS. It was fun to share information about the celebrations at Christmas in Taiwan with our foreign friends, and we were so excited to receive Christmas cards from different countries. 利老路行流不識參年參數年來羅羅了不了來令參

Hello, everybody! I am Wayne, a student from Taiwan. What are you doing on Christmas? Here we do not have any holidays on this special day. But three months from now, we will have three weeks off for Chinese New Year. During the Chinese New Year, if you say New Year s greetings to your uncle, aunt, grandmother, and grandfather, they will give red envelopes to you. It is pocket money. Wow! So great! I hope you have a nice Christmas holiday. Enjoy your Christmas party, Bye -bye.

Hello friends, Christmas is coming. Are you excited? In Taiwan, Christmas is not a holiday, but we still celebrate Christmas. When I was little, I believed there was a Santa Claus. He (it could be she, too.) always gave me presents on Christmas. I remembered that one year I got an English dictionary. The next year, Santa Claus did not come. Maybe I was old enough, and understand that Santa Claus is just my parent. In storybooks, Christmas is always with snow and snowman. But this can t happen in Taiwan. Taiwan is hot, and there is not any snow here. I have never touched snow! There are many English cram schools in Taiwan, so there are many Christmas parties. At the parties, we play games, eat candies, and exchange gifts. A long time ago, we decorated a Christmas tree with anything we liked at my home. Sometimes we ate European food on Christmas Eve, and it was very delicious! Christmas is a wonderful holiday. Christmas is near Chinese New Year. People in Taiwan will get together at home to thank the past and wish another safe year during the Chinese New Year. It is an important holiday, too. Christmas is coming. You are excited, aren t you? MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello, everybody, We know Christmas is an important holiday in western countries, but it is not very important in Taiwan. It is because we still have to go to school on that day. However, there is an important festival called Chinese New Year in Taiwan. During the Chinese New Year, we will have a lot of celebrations. For example, we will have a big delicious dinner with our family. We eat food, such as fish, dumplings, chicken, pork, seafood, and so on. We will also set firecrackers that are very interesting to me. We don t celebrate Christmas in school, but our cram school will do it. I remember when I was young, I went to a church to have a delicious dinner with church people there. It was very unforgettable. Now I don t go to church on Christmas, but our neighbors will go to church on that day. Christmas is coming, and I hope you all have a merry Christmas.

Hello, I m Wilson. I m going to tell you how we celebrate Christmas in Taiwan! In Taiwan, we don t celebrate Christmas. We only celebrate the Chinese New Year. I always think Christmas is a wonderful holiday with lots of wishes, gifts, and Santas. However, we almost never celebrate it. We eat the same food as usual without any changes. We don t go to church either. When I was young, just a six-year-old kid, I put my sock near my bed, and I believed that Santa would come and give me gifts. When I woke up the next morning, I saw a lot of candies and toys. Now I know the gifts were just from my parents, but I feel good. I love Christmas. I hope you love it, too.

Hello, everyone, My name is Trevor. I am not a Christian or a Catholic. In Taiwan, we have to go to school on Christmas, but sometimes my friends and I celebrate Christmas ourselves. We do not have a big meal or attend church. We just exchange gifts or write cards to our family, our teacher, and our friends. Although we do not celebrate Christmas much, we have many other interesting holidays in Taiwan, such as Moon Festival, Lantern Festival, Chinese New Year, Winter Solstice, etc. On those days, our family gather together. Because of these special holidays, we can get more harmony with our family and our friends. I think that is the reason why we have these festivals. Of course, right here I want to say, Wish you have a merry Christmas and happy New Year! 127 立

Hello, everybody! My name is Larry. I am twelve years old, and I am from Taiwan. An important festival is coming, that is, Christmas. Because it is Jesus' birthday, people in western countries have a holiday and celebrate it everywhere. People in Taiwan, however, have different religions, so we have no holidays on Christmas. Luckily, I live in a small community, and my family has a very close relationship with people in my neighborhood. We get together and have a Christmas party. I remember my father once dressed up as Santa Claus and we children could get candies if we behaved well. Besides, I once went to my friend's father's church. I had to pray for thirty minutes and I thought it was boring at that time, but now I realize it is a way to show my courtesy. To be honest, I think Christmas is the best time for me to keep in touch with my friends because we can send Christmas cards or exchange gifts. It is really exciting to receive cards or gifts. I like this special day a lot.

Hello! Everyone, I am glad to write a Christmas card to you. My name is Leo, a thirteen-year-old student from Taiwan. In Taiwan, Christmas is not a holiday; we still have to go to school. On Christmas, we will not eat a special big meal, but we will decorate a Christmas tree and make it look beautiful. In addition, I will exchange Christmas gifts and write cards with my parents and friends. Sometimes we will watch TV and chat until the midnight and go to sleep. I am looking forward to receiving your card. I also wish you a happy Christmas!

Hello, everyone! My name is Clark, I am from Taiwan. We don't have lots of celebrations on Christmas. On Christmas Day, sometimes we have celebrations, like decorating the Christmas tree or eating some candies. Do I go to church? The answer is no. In Taiwan, we don t go to church on Christmas. However, Christians will go to church on that day. In Taiwan, we have some other special holidays, like Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. On these special holidays, we like to get together and do anything we want! Although we don t celebrate Christmas Day, I m still happy to live in Taiwan! If you want to visit Taiwan, I will lead you to everyplace you want to visit.

2006 Christmas Card Exchange Project Hello, everybody, Merry Christmas! I m a junior high school student in Taiwan. Do you enjoy your Christmas? However, in Taiwan, we don t really celebrate this holiday. Are you curious about why we don t really celebrate Christmas? The main reason is that we are not all Christians. However, many churches, department stores, or cram schools will celebrate this holiday. To sum up, we have to go to school on Christmas. I m a little jealous that you can have Christmas holidays. Taiwanese also celebrate other festivals, like Moon Festival, Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and the Tomb Sweeping Festival. We have fun on these holidays, too.

Hello, I m Michael. In Taiwan, we don t really celebrate Christmas, and we don t have a holiday. The main reason is that we re not all Christians. There are more Buddhists in Taiwan. We have to go to school on Christmas, but many churches and department stores will celebrate this holiday. They have a lot of special activities. I don t go to church because I m not a Christian, but I enjoy this holiday, too. We don t have snow, but it is cool. We exchange cards and gifts on Christmas. My friends will come to my house and celebrate Christmas together. We also celebrate this holiday in our school, too. Last year, my teacher threw candies to us. It really hurt me!! In fact, I love Christmas a lot. I hope you can have fun on this special holiday, too.

Hello, everyone! I'm Richard. Christmas is coming soon. Many Taiwanese like Christmas even though we still have to go to school on that day. For Christmas, we decorate the Christmas tree, and we sing a lot of songs. Sometimes we eat a turkey. It is good to eat! However, it is usually cold on Christmas in Taiwan, so we watch TV together. We sit side by side. That keeps our bodies warm! On Christmas, I can get a Christmas gift. I like gifts. That's the reason why I like Christmas. The bad thing is that it doesn't snow in Taiwan on Christmas. I really want to see some snow in Taiwan, and I can play snowballs, or make a snowman. Do you think that I am childish? Anyway, I love Christmas, and you? 127 禮

Hello everyone, My name is Charlie. How do you do? I am from Taiwan. Christmas is coming soon. Our school will not have any holidays on Christmas, but we have some activities. Our church will invite the residents that live near the church to watch our performance. We will have some bible's stories as our topic. When I studied in elementary school, once we had sport activities on Christmas. Our class always ran the slowest, so we always lost the game. Will you have a delicious meal on this special day I think it will be very nice. In Taiwan, we have no snow, so we never have this activity--snow fight. It is very unfortunate. I hope you have a nice day on Christmas, and bless you "Merry Christmas."

Hi, everyone, My name is Vivian. I am from Taiwan. Christmas, a celebration for the birthday of Jesus, is coming, so I m going to introduce how we celebrate it here. We don t have a day off in Taiwan. But we have some activities in our school. On this day, our principle will dress up as Santa Claus at the Christmas party. It is really fun. By the way, if you like to go shopping, there are many good department stores in Taiwan. You can find a lot of nice things there, such as Christmas cakes and Christmas cards. You can also buy a Christmas present for your friend. If you have special Christmas holidays, it is a good idea to visit Taiwan. I want to say to everyone, Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! ( 樂年樂 )

MERRY CHRISTMAS 樂! Hello Everybody! Wish you a Merry Christmas! My name is Claire, and I am from Cheing-hsing Junior High School, a marvelous school in Taiwan! Do you celebrate Christmas in your country? How do you celebrate it? In Taiwan, we don t really celebrate Christmas. We still have to go to school on Christmas Day, December Twenty-fifth. On Christmas Day, our principal and some teachers would dress up as Santa Claus. Students would decorate their classrooms. Some classes would have programs such as gift exchanges, Christmas parties, or just some kinds of celebrations. A few families might set up Christmas trees, and give out gifts. There are many different ways to celebrate Christmas in Taiwan. How about you? How do you celebrate Christmas in your country? Sincerely, Claire Kung

Hello everyone, My name is Karena. I am from Taiwan. I am a student of Cheing-hsing junior high school. We don t have any holidays for Christmas in Taiwan, but many people decorate their houses. My family decorates my home every year, too. We only put up a small Christmas tree. We never have a silver Christmas because it never snows in Taiwan s winter. If Taiwanese want to see snow, they need to go to the high mountains. Some stores in Taiwan have Christmas sales. Last Christmas, my school had a celebration. At the morning assembly, two teachers dressed up as Santa Claus and a female Santa Claus. They gave us candies. Our English teacher, Peter, was the female Santa Claus, so we laughed at him. At class, we studied as usual. Most students sent Christmas cards to their friends. At night, we don t go to church, because my family are Buddhists. I had a dance lesson. The teacher taught a dance about Christmas. I was happy on Christmas. Wish You a Merry Christmas!! 127 林

Hello, everyone, Christmas is coming soon, but there are no special celebrations in Taiwan. The only thing we do is that the principal in elementary school will dress up as Santa Claus and give candies to students. We also have to go to school on Christmas. However, we celebrate Chinese New Year. On New Year s Eve, we don t go to bed until midnight. We will eat delicious food on Chinese New Year. Children get red envelops with money inside. I usually visit my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and my cousins. We play together and get a lot of money. Our Christmas is not an important holiday. We don t celebrate it, but my cousin who is a Christian goes to church for Christmas. Although we don t have Christmas celebrations in Taiwan, I wish you a merry Christmas. 127 呂

Dear friends, My name is Tiffany. I m from Taiwan. Christmas is coming soon. In this letter, I just want to send my best wish to you. Let me introduce how we celebrate Christmas in Taiwan. Although Christmas is not a holiday in Taiwan, people still celebrate Christmas as the western people do. For example, some people will have a Christmas tree at home. They will decorate trees with stars, bells, angels, and gifts. They will exchange Christmas gifts with their friends and family. Although Christmas is very popular in Taiwan, the Chinese New Year is the most popular holiday here. On Chinese New Year s Eve, the Chinese family will eat a big dinner. After the dinner, grandparents will give their grandsons and granddaughters red envelopes. Sometimes, they will play mahjong or play cards. On Chinese New Year, they will always worship at temples for their family. You are welcome to visit Taiwan during the Chinese New Year. I will show you how we celebrate Chinese New Year in Taiwan. Best wishes!! 127 李

Dear friends, Hello! I m Rosey. I m from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Taiwan is a small island off the southeastern coast of China. Though Taiwan is a very small country, it s a kingdom of everything. I am studying in Cheng-hsing Junior High School. I am now in grade 7 (12 years old). Christmas is coming. What do you usually do on Christmas? Taiwan isn t a Christian country, but we also celebrate Christmas. In schools, the principal or teachers may dress up as Santa Clause and give out presents and sweets. In cram schools, we learn Christmas songs and decorate our classrooms. We exchange gifts and a teacher will become Santa and give out some tasty deserts. We usually have a lot of fun at Christmas time! There are lots of churches with many activities. They may have a Christmas play, read the bible and tell interesting stories to us. So, I enjoy Christmas very much! What will you do at Christmas time? Please send me a letter and introduce yourself! Hoping to hear from you soon Love from Rosey

Hello, I am Irene. I live in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Kaohsiung is a busy city and it is very beautiful. There are many cars, motorcycles, and large tall buildings. Its landmark is Tuntex Tower, the second tallest tower of Taiwan and the 9th of the world. On Christmas, the weather is usually cold, but it never snows. We buy a Christmas tree with many decorations and a star on the top. We put it in the living room. Mother always prepares the Christmas dinner but there is no turkey. There is only a hotpot but it is delicious. When we eat, we play games and sing songs. We also watch TV together. Then Mother wants my brother and me to go to bed at eleven o clock. I put a Christmas sock on the wall in my bedroom. When I get up the next day, there is a gift in it. I like all gifts every year. This is my Christmas.

Hello! Everyone, I m Anna. I am twelve years old. Christmas is coming, and I wish you a merry Christmas! By the way, do you know we Taiwanese do not celebrate Christmas? Christmas is not Taiwan s main festival. We have to go to school on this day. However, my family will have a big feast in the restaurant on Christmas. We often have steaks, but sometimes French food. My family do not exchange gifts, but when I was just a little girl, my mother would buy gifts for my brother and me, such as a Teddy bear or a book. Once my brother got a Barbby pencil-case! Although we do not celebrate Christmas in Taiwan, some people still decorate their houses or shops with all kinds of decorations. My Chinese school will also have a celebration for Christmas! Maybe it is because of learning diverse cultures. When it is December 25 th, it is still cool in Taiwan. We never have snow during this time. Then Santa Claus will have to drive a car, I think.

Hi Everybody, Merry Christmas! Some Taiwanese will buy Christmas trees and gifts for children to celebrate Christmas. But in fact, we do not have any holidays on Christmas. Sometimes our school will have Christmas activities. In short, we Taiwanese do not always celebrate Christmas. In Taiwan, we celebrate Chinese New Year just as Americans celebrate Christmas. I will have dinner with our family and cousins on Chinese New Year. After dinner, adults will give us red envelopes. Then we will set off fireworks and watch TV until midnight.

Hello, everyone, I m Lily, I m from Taiwan. In Taiwan, we don t have Christmas parties. We have to go to school as usual. Sometimes our school may decorate a Christmas tree in the auditorium. The principal and teachers may dress up as Santa Claus, and they may give us some candies. When I was in grade six last year, my school invited a group of people to perform a play. While I was in kindergarten, my parents put some toys or stationery under my bed. The next day, I found them there, so my parents told me that I must be a good child because Santa Claus gave me the gifts. I believed my parents words. Now I know the gifts were bought by my parents. I think I was too innocent. Wish everyone a wonderful Christmas! 樂 127 林

Hello, everyone, My name is Sandy. I am from Taiwan. I am going to tell you about what we will do when Christmas is coming. We don t have a holiday for Christmas, but sometimes we will have some activities at school. Teachers will become Santa Claus and give children some candy. Also, on the street, some stores will decorate Christmas trees and give all customers little presents. At cram school, we will exchange gifts with one another. Even though there are no holidays for Christmas in Taiwan, everyone enjoys Christmas very much. Merry Christmas 樂!! 127 Sandy

Hi, everyone, My name is Una. I m from Taiwan. I can tell you what will happen on Christmas in Taiwan. Well, we don t have much Christmas atmosphere. Actually, we don t even have any Christmas holidays! However, we have Chinese New year holidays; it is usually in February. Families will get together, and children can get red envelopes with lucky money inside. My family doesn t celebrate Christmas, but sometimes my friends and I will exchange Christmas cards and gifts. Besides, many stores will decorate with Christmas ornaments and sell them. Sometimes, schools will have some Christmas activities. This is our Christmas in Taiwan. Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!!! With many wishes, Una 127 林 127 林

Hello everyone, I m Linda. I m from Taiwan. Christmas is coming soon! Are you excited about that? I am. What will you do on Christmas? In Taiwan, there are many ways to celebrate Christmas. If you are a Christian, you will attend church. We don t have a day off on that day, but schools usually have activities for us. When I was in elementary school, the school principal dressed up as Santa Claus and went to every class to give students lots of candy. It was fun. Some schools will have a gift exchange activity. You can bring something that you don t need, but it s still useful. You wrap it beautifully and bring it to school. The teacher will number the gifts and each student draws a number to get a gift. It s exciting because you never know what you will get. Sometimes you will get back the gift you brought there, too. It s interesting. How about your Christmas? I hope you all have a great Christmas. 127 麟

Hello everyone I like Christmas a lot because I can get many presents from my friends. I got about fifteen presents from my friends last year. When I was in grade six, we decorated the classroom. We put Christmas trees, stars, and stockings. But we didn t have special food or holidays. Although we don t celebrate a lot on Christmas, we have many other celebrations on our special festivals, such as Dragon boat Festival, Moon Festival, or Teacher s Day. On Dragon Boat Festival, we have a race at rowing boats. And, we ll eat rice dumplings. On Moon Festival, we watch the moon, eat moon cakes and pomelos. We don t celebrate a lot, but we all like it very much! Merry Christmas! 樂!

Hello, everyone, My name is Joanna. I m from Taiwan. In Taiwan, people don t celebrate Christmas. But classmates, friends, teachers, and students may exchange cards or gifts. We don t have a holiday for Christmas. We have to go to school! So we don t get together with our family, and in my family, we don t attend church. In Taiwan, it is cold on Christmas, but there isn t any snow. We don t eat special food on that day, and we just eat the food my mother cooks. There are some special days we get together and have a good time, like Chinese New Year and Mid-autumn Festival. On the Chinese New Year s Eve, children usually get red envelopes from their relatives. During the Chinese New Year, people set off firecrackers. It s dangerous, but it s fun. On Mid-autumn Festival, people eat moon cakes, pomelos, and barbecue. I like barbecue. It s hot, but you will act like a cook. I like Christmas because when I studied in elementary school, I would get a gift from Santa Claus on Christmas Day. I was happy then. But I didn t know that the gifts were really from Santa Claus or from my parents. Finally, Christmas is a really special day for me. I hope you a merry Christmas. 樂

Hello, everyone, Christmas is coming, but we don t have a holiday on Christmas. We have lots of other festivals here in Taiwan. For example, on August fifteen of the lunar calendar we have Moon Festival, we have a holiday on that day. We usually have BBQ, moon cakes and pomelos on Moon Festival. I had BBQ with my family on that day. My mother went to the supermarket to buy some meat, bread, crabs, shrimps, and a lot of food. After BBQ, we ate some pomelos and moon cakes, and then we went to the park to set off firecrackers. Do you want to know more about Taiwan? Then come here and I ll show you! Merry Christmas! 樂!

Hello, everyone, My name is Lyndy, I m from Taiwan. Now I m going to tell you what kind of Christmas that we have in Taiwan. In fact, we didn t have many special Christmas programs in Taiwan. The department store will have some sales and we have to go to school as usual. However, my cram school has some celebrations on Christmas Day. The teacher in the cram school will dress up as Santa Claus, and give us some candies or cookies. Then we will play some interesting games, and the winner of the game will get some special presents. I always have a lot of fun at Christmas party in my cram school, and I also eat a lot of candies and cookies on that day. If you want to have some fun like me, welcome to Taiwan. 127 林