Christmas Around the World Bingo: Free Printable Class Game

How to play Christmas around the world bingo

Christmas around the world is a classic December unit in elementary and middle school, and this bingo makes a fast review at the end of it. The caller reads a clue about a tradition and students find its name on their card: Las Posadas in Mexico, St. Lucia Day in Sweden, parol lanterns in the Philippines, the Yule Lads of Iceland, Wigilia in Poland, Three Kings Day in Spain. Clues also cover the fact that many Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7 and that Christmas falls in summer in Australia. Every card is different, so neighbors cannot copy.

Teach or read about the countries first. The game works best as review, not first exposure.
Print 5×5 cards, 2 per page, and keep a world map on the board.
Read each clue from the caller. Pause, then move on without saying the answer.
When a student calls bingo, they point to each country on the map as they read their line back.

Tips for a better game

Customs vary within every country. Present each clue as one tradition many families keep, not something everyone does.
Ask students who celebrate elsewhere to add a "clue = answer" line about their family's tradition.
Shorter lesson? Delete the countries you did not cover and play 4×4.

The 30 clues and answers in this set

Caller reads	Card shows
Mexico's nine nights of processions before Christmas	Las Posadas
Sweden's festival of light on December 13	St. Lucia Day
The gift-giver who arrives in the Netherlands by steamboat	Sinterklaas
Italy's kind witch who brings gifts on the night of January 5	La Befana
Star-shaped lanterns hung in the Philippines	Parol
The season Christmas falls in for Australia	Summer
The country usually credited with the decorated Christmas tree	Germany
A calendar that counts down the days of December	Advent calendar
Iceland's 13 mischievous visitors	Yule Lads
Iceland's tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve	Jólabókaflóð
The date many Orthodox Christians, including in Ethiopia and Russia, celebrate Christmas	January 7
France's cake shaped like a log	Bûche de Noël
The holiday after Christmas in the UK, December 26	Boxing Day
Spain's January 6 holiday when gifts arrive	Three Kings Day
A paper tube that pops when two people pull it, popular in the UK	Christmas cracker
Poland's Christmas Eve supper, often with 12 dishes	Wigilia
How some people in Caracas, Venezuela travel to early Mass	Roller skates
The Italian word for a nativity scene	Presepe
A surprise late-night caroling party in Puerto Rico	Parranda
In Greece, a decorated one of these is a Christmas tradition	Boat
What Santa is called in Brazil	Papai Noel
The flower from Mexico known as Flor de Nochebuena	Poinsettia
Nine dawn Masses held in the Philippines before Christmas	Simbang Gabi
The angel-like gift-bringer in parts of Germany and Austria	Christkind
Grandfather Frost, who brings New Year gifts in Russia	Ded Moroz
A horned figure who scares naughty children in the Alps	Krampus
The spider-web ornament legend comes from this country	Ukraine
The Danish rice pudding game where you hunt for this	Hidden almond
In Japan, Christmas Eve is popular as a night for	Couples
The straw goat decoration of Sweden and Norway	Yule goat

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Christmas around the world bingo