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December 2025
 Figure 1- Children Celebrating the Holiday Season
"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” - Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
TABLE OF CONTENTS
REFLECTIONS & WISDOM
· From the Heart: December’s Light in the Longest Night
· Happiness Hack #17: The Light Keeper’s Log
· Questions for Readers
LEARNING AND DISCOVERY
· Mythology Corner: Christmas Gift-Bringers Around the World
· Three Authors Born in December Who Celebrated the Outsider
· Folklore: Light Returns from Darkness
· Sky Watch: Cold Moon and the Return of Light
FAMILY RESOURCES
· Reading Corner: Top 3 Books for Families
· Learning Resources: Free Printables
· Family Activities: Memories and Keepsakes
· December Kitchen – Snowball Cookies
CELEBRATIONS & ACTION
· Celebrations, Cultural Awareness and Observances
· Make the Month Matter
· Coming in January 2026
REFLECTIONS & WISDOM
From the Heart: December’s Light in the Longest Night
"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flown. How did it get so late so soon?" - Dr. Seuss
December has this magical ability to feel both endless and instantaneous. The days crawl with cold and darkness, yet somehow we blink and the month vanishes faster than a plate of grandma's fresh-baked sugar cookies.
The name of the month comes from the Latin 'decem,' meaning 'ten' - it was originally the tenth month before Julius Caesar's calendar reforms bumped it to twelfth position. But December, like November, kept its name anyway, like that friend who still introduces themselves by their childhood nickname even though they're forty-five.
"I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring than we were in September." - Oliver Herford
As I write this in late November, darkness arrives earlier each day. December 21st brings the winter solstice - the longest night of the year, the absolute peak of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere. But here's what I find most interesting about darkness: it isn't emptiness. It's possibility. It's what can be and become in the new year, following winter's long rest.
December's short days can intensify what doctors call Seasonal Affective Disorder - when the darkness feels physically heavy, when getting out of bed takes all your energy, when the light seems impossibly far away. If that's you this December, you're not alone, and it's not weakness. Thankfully, the longest night ends and light returns.
November exceeded every expectation with all four of my published picture books becoming #1 bestsellers, earning Literary Titan Gold Book Awards, and every book appearing on Chanticleer Review's Children and Picture Book Award's Long List. But December asks us to measure a different kind of success - not achievements or celebrations, but the quiet moments we showed up when no one was watching.
What were all the quiet ways you showed up that nobody else noticed?
Not your visible accomplishments, but the patience you showed when you felt impatient. The kindness you offered when nobody was watching. And those days you just survived when survival felt impossible.
Impossible survival I know something about. A surprise near-death hospital stay during the summer of 2024 was bad, and that same life-threatening infection returned in June and September of 2025.
Thankfully, the strongest antibiotics, prayers, and luck kept me here. So when I talk about showing up when survival felt impossible, I mean it literally. Some of you faced your own versions of that this year - illness, loss, circumstances that tested whether you'd make it through. And you did. And that matters.
This month brings celebration - holidays, family gatherings, the year's end. It also brings the weight of unfinished business and unanswered questions..
2025 was both a tough and fantastic year. We all dealt with things beyond our control. Few of us accomplished everything we wanted. But you chose to do what you were able to do, little by little, each and every day, and somehow, someway, we all made it through the year - while others did not.
Some face a different kind of long, dark night to get through. And sometimes... a kind word to another, or help offered to them or us, makes all the difference in the world. That's why, as bad as things are, have been, or could be, I remain hopeful for 2026 and beyond.
Happiness Hack #17: The Light Keeper’s Log
"Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness.” – Mary Oliver
 Figure 2 - Child Writing in Journal
December brings the year's longest nights and shortest days. Instead of fighting the darkness, this month we're going to befriend it.
Here's how:
Journal - Get a simple notebook or journal. Title it "My Light Log" or "Things That Shine" or whatever feels right. Decorate the cover with winter symbols: stars, candles, snowflakes.
The Daily Practice - Each evening as darkness falls earlier and earlier (which happens in December), write down one thing that brought warmth to your day. Not happiness necessarily - something that mattered.
This could be:
- Something that made you laugh
- A moment of understanding something difficult
- A kind gesture you witnessed or received
- Something beautiful you noticed
- A problem you solved
- A connection you made with another person
Be Honest - Some December days are genuinely hard. Family stress, grief, loneliness, cold, illness - December isn't magical for everyone. If your day was difficult, your entry might be: "I got through today" or "I asked for help" or "I cried and felt better." Surviving counts.
The Winter Solstice Reveal - On December 21st, the longest night of the year, read through your entire log. Notice how you found hope even when things were hard. Notice how you created warmth for yourself and others. Notice your own resilience.
Keep Going - Don't stop on the solstice. Continue through December 31st. End the year knowing you were your own keeper of what matters.
Why this works: December's darkness isn't a problem to solve - it's a teacher. When external warmth is scarce, we learn to recognize what we carry inside us. The practice trains your attention: when you commit to finding one meaningful thing each day, you don't just notice what sustains you - you become it.
This month's practice: When December feels overwhelming, ask yourself: "What if I already have what I need to get through this? What if I said aloud, 'I'm enough” every time I looked in the mirror?
Question for Readers
Remember that question I asked in "From the Heart"? What were all the quiet ways you showed up this year that nobody else noticed?
December is when we're supposed to feel magical and merry, but I'm genuinely curious about your real answer - not just the big accomplishments everyone celebrated, but the ones only you know about.
Maybe you held space for someone falling apart. Maybe you chose patience when anger would've been easier. Maybe you kept going when quitting seemed smarter. Maybe you survived something nobody knew you were facing.
Share your thoughts using #QuietAccomplishments on social media, or email me directly at jwzarek@gmail.com. I'll feature the most inspiring responses in January's newsletter.
LEARNING & DISCOVERY
Mythology Corner: Christmas Gift-Bringers Around the World
"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”- W.B. Yeats
 Figure 3 – Santa Exchanging Gifts with Elves
When I was researching my ninth picture book, "Bella Brown's Candy Cane Curfuffle," I fell down a delightful rabbit hole: gift-bringers from around the world.
Nearly every culture has someone magical who brings joy to children during winter's darkest days. Some arrive on December 6th, others on Christmas Eve, still others on January 6th. Some ride horses, others fly through the air, and a few travel by donkey. And they all understand the same truth: wonder is a gift every child deserves.
Here are four of my favorites:
SANTA CLAUS (Western Tradition)
The jolly figure we know as Santa Claus evolved from Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from Myra (in what is now Turkey) known for secretly giving gold coins to help people in need. His story traveled across cultures, absorbing traditions and transforming into the red-suited, reindeer-flying, North Pole-dwelling figure children recognize today. Some countries call him Papá Noel, others Father Christmas or Père Noël, but everywhere he represents the same thing: generosity itself.
What makes Santa special: He belongs to everyone. No matter where you're from or what you celebrate, the image of a kind soul bringing joy to children resonates across cultures and continents.
CHRISTKIND (German Tradition)
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, many children receive gifts from Christkind - a radiant angel-child with golden hair, sparkling wings, and shimmering white robes trimmed in gold. This gift-bringer moves as quietly as starlight, floating through windows on winter winds. No one ever sees Christkind arrive; children only hear the soft ring of a golden bell announcing that presents have appeared.
What makes Christkind special: The tradition emphasizes quiet, sacred magic - gifts that appear as if by divine blessing, not through chimneys or doorways, but as mysteriously as starlight itself. Cities honor Christkind with Christkindlmarkt, Christmas markets where families gather to celebrate the season's wonder.
THE THREE KINGS/MAGI (Hispanic Tradition)
In many Latin American and European countries, children receive their gifts on January 6th - the Epiphany - from three traveling kings: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar. According to tradition, they journeyed from Europe, Asia, and Africa, following a brilliant star across deserts and mountains, each bringing precious gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - from their distant lands.
In many Latin American and European countries, children receive their gifts on January 6th - the Epiphany - from three traveling kings: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar. According to tradition, they journeyed from Europe, Asia, and Africa, following a brilliant star across deserts and mountains, each bringing precious gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - from their distant lands.
What makes the Three Kings special: They remind us that the journey matters as much as the arrival, and that gifts given from far away - whether across continents or across our own hearts - carry the weight of love and sacrifice.
DED MOROZ (Russian Tradition)
In Russia, Grandfather Frost - Ded Moroz - brings gifts on New Year's Eve instead of Christmas. This tall, regal figure with a long white beard wears a magnificent blue and white coat decorated with frost patterns that sparkle like ice crystals. He travels with his granddaughter Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, who wears a silver-blue gown and a kokoshnik crown that glitters with snowflakes.
What makes Ded Moroz special: Unlike other gift-bringers who arrive in secret, Ded Moroz and Snegurochka appear openly at celebrations, calling children forward to recite poems, sing songs, or perform dances. This creates a beautiful exchange - children offer the gift of their creativity and courage, and in return receive presents and Ded Moroz's blessing for the new year.
When I was writing "Bella Brown's Candy Cane Curfuffle," I realized something: every culture found its own way to bring magic to children during winter's darkest days. Some chose angels, others chose grandfathers, still others chose traveling kings. The details changed, but the heart remained the same.
This December, when your children ask about Santa or the Three Kings or any gift-bringer, share these stories. Wonder speaks every language. Magic crosses every border. And every child, everywhere, deserves to believe in it.
Three Authors Born in December Who Celebrated the Outsider
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before." - Neil Gaiman
 Figure 4 – Mowgli and Baloo
Just as every culture has its own magical gift-bringers, every generation has its storytellers who give us the gift of wonder. December has blessed us with three remarkable authors whose characters remind us that being different isn't just okay - it's often exactly what makes us special.
Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865-1936)
Born in Bombay, India, Kipling spent his early childhood speaking Hindi before being sent to England at age five for education - a traumatic displacement that deeply influenced his writing. At 17, he returned to India as a journalist, writing the stories that would make him famous.
His The Jungle Book gave us Mowgli, a human child raised by wolves who belongs fully to neither the human world nor the wolf pack, yet finds his own path through both. Mowgli didn't need to become a perfect wolf or a perfect human; he needed to become perfectly himself.
I loved Disney's 1967 adaptation. Watching Mowgli sing "The Bare Necessities" with Baloo taught me something I've never forgotten: you don't need to be the strongest or the fiercest to matter. You just need to be yourself.
In 1907, at age 41, Kipling became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first English-language writer to win the award. He understood something essential about storytelling: the outsider often sees magic others miss.
Jane Austen (December 16, 1775-1817)
Born in a Hampshire parsonage to a family that valued education for daughters, Austen wrote six novels that changed literature forever - all published anonymously as "By A Lady."
Her Pride and Prejudice gave us Elizabeth Bennet, who refused to marry for money, security, or social pressure. Elizabeth chose herself, her principles, and eventually - only when it aligned with whom she truly was - love. Austen showed readers that you don't have to change yourself to deserve happiness.
Here's my Jane Austen story: In college, I had to write a story in Austen's style. While I admire her writing, her style isn't my cup of tea. So I wrote "Gothic Girls Gone Wild," my satirical version of Northanger Abbey.
When I read it aloud, the students loved it - they said it captured Austen's humor perfectly. The professor, however, thought I was mocking Austen and gave me a C+. Students defended my paper during discussion, arguing it deserved better.
The C+ wasn’t relevant or the issue. What that professor didn't understand: Austen WAS satirizing Gothic novels in Northanger Abbey. That's what makes her brilliant - her sharp wit, her refusal to take melodrama seriously. I understood Austen better than the professor did.
The students got it. That mattered more than any grade.
Mercer Mayer (December 30, 1943)
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayer moved frequently as a military child before settling in Honolulu at age thirteen. He studied at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and decided to become a children's book illustrator, though his professors feared he'd never make a living. Mayer didn't listen. He created a portfolio and moved to New York City in 1964, pursuing his dream.
In 1967, Mayer published A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, one of the first wordless picture books to tell its story entirely through illustrations. Critics compared it unfavorably to Maurice Sendak's work, but Maurice Sendak himself loved the book - and he and Mayer remained friends until Sendak's death in 2012.
In 1975, Mayer created Little Critter, and everything changed. Little Critter makes mistakes. He tries hard and things still go wrong. He wants to help and creates bigger messes. He's imperfect, relatable, and absolutely lovable - exactly as he is.
Mayer shares his December 30 birthday with Rudyard Kipling, creating a special celebration of children's literature spanning over 150 years. Kipling's Mowgli teaches us that belonging nowhere can mean belonging everywhere. Mayer's Little Critter teaches us that making mistakes doesn't make you less worthy of love.
Folklore: Light Returns from Darkness
"This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath." - Margaret Atwood
As families prepare for December's longest night, folklore traditions across cultures speak of the winter solstice (December 21-22) - the moment when the sun appears to pause in its journey before reversing course, bringing longer days and the promise of spring.
Ancient peoples didn't just observe this cosmic turning point; they participated in it.
The Norse lit massive Yule logs throughout the 12-day festival to strengthen the weakening sun. The Sámi honored Beiwe, the Sun goddess, who traveled through the night sky in a structure made of reindeer bones to bring back the greenery on which reindeer fed.
The Chumash of California believed the Sun played a high-stakes game against Sky Coyote on solstice night, with the coming year's abundance hanging in the balance.
In Celtic tradition, the Oak King (representing light and summer) battles the Holly King (representing darkness and winter) at the winter solstice. The Oak King's victory symbolizes the lengthening of days and the return of light - ensuring forests will flourish and spring will come.
Japanese mythology tells of the Sun goddess Amaterasu retreating to a cave after being insulted, plunging the world into darkness. The other gods throw a festival outside her cave filled with laughter and music. Curious about the celebration, Amaterasu peers out - and the gods seize their chance to pull her back into the world, restoring light.
Persian families celebrate Yalda Night on the winter solstice by staying awake until dawn - the longest night of the year. They eat pomegranates symbolizing life's continuity and watermelons representing summer's return, while reading poetry from Hafez, Persia's beloved poet. The tradition celebrates the sun god Mithra's birth and honors light's inevitable victory over darkness, no matter how long the night.
Across continents and centuries, the message endures: the longest night is also the turning point. Light always returns.
Sky Watch: Cold Moon and the Return of Light
December's night sky offers spectacular reminders that even in the deepest darkness, light persists and returns. Bundle up in blankets, grab a hot beverage, and let's look up together:
The Cold Supermoon (December 4th)
This isn't just any full moon. It's the third and final Supermoon of 2025, appearing at 6:14 p.m. EST when the moon stands just 221,806 miles from Earth. After this, the next super moon won't occur until November 2026.
The Mohawk people named it the Cold Moon because it appears as winter truly sets in. Other names include the Long Night Moon (Mohican) and the Moon Before Yule (ancient pagans), honoring the festival celebrating the sun's return.
Here's something magical: The December Full Moon travels the highest arc across the sky of any full moon during the year. When the North Pole tilts away from the Sun (creating winter), it simultaneously tilts toward the Full Moon, causing the moon to rise early, travel high, and set late. It's as if the moon compensates for the sun's absence, providing maximum nighttime illumination during our longest nights.
Geminid Meteor Shower (December 13-14)
The Geminids are the BEST and most reliable meteor shower of the entire year. Under ideal conditions, viewers can see 120+ meteors per hour at peak activity. These aren't ordinary shooting stars - they're bold, white, and bright, often appearing in multiple colors caused by traces of metals like sodium and calcium
Best viewing: After 10 PM, with peak activity around 2 a.m. No equipment needed. Find a spot away from city lights, give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust, lie back, and let the sky put on a show.
Winter Solstice (December 21-22)
These December lights - the Cold Moon, the Geminid stars - all lead to this: the longest night.
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. But here's the profound part: after this moment, days begin lengthening again. The solstice is literally the turning point. The darkest night births the return of light.
Ancient peoples tracked this cosmic moment with remarkable precision, building monuments like Stonehenge and Newgrange aligned to capture the solstice sunrise. For them, this wasn't mere astronomy - it was survival. Knowing the sun would return meant life would continue.
FAMILY RESOURCES
Reading Corner: Top 3 Books for Families
Three books for December nights when the darkness comes early and children need stories that remind them: different isn't wrong. It's often exactly right.
1. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" by Dr. Seuss ★ 4.38/5 (443,580+ ratings on Goodreads)
The Grinch lives alone on Mount Crumpit, hating the Whos and their Christmas joy. He schemes to steal everything Christmas: presents, decorations, the feast. He's certain that without these things, Christmas can't come. But when Christmas comes anyway, and the Whos sing despite having nothing, his heart grows three sizes.
This isn't just about Christmas magic. It's about discovering that belonging doesn't come from having the right stuff or looking the right way. The Grinch spent years believing he was too different, too grumpy, too wrong to be part of the celebration. He was wrong. He was enough all along. He just needed to believe it.
Ages 4-8
2. "The Crippled Lamb" by Max Lucado ★ 4.47/5 (7,183+ ratings)
Joshua the lamb is born with a leg that doesn't work right. While other lambs run and play, Joshua watches from the sidelines. He wonders why he was made different, whether he has any purpose at all. His mother tells him, "God has a special place for those who feel left out."
On the first Christmas night, when animals crowd into a stable and a baby needs warmth, Joshua discovers his purpose. His inability to run away meant he was exactly where he needed to be. This story teaches what I want every child to know: your differences aren't mistakes. They might be exactly what makes you perfect for your purpose. Physical limitations don't limit your worth.
Ages 4-8
3. "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg ★ 4.32/5 (247,554+ ratings) / Caldecott Medal Winner
A boy who's beginning to doubt boards a mysterious train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He's chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas: a silver bell from Santa's sleigh. But he loses the bell through a hole in his pocket. On Christmas morning, he finds it under the tree with a note: "Fix that hole in your pocket." Years later, his sister and friends can no longer hear the bell ring. But he can. And so can those who truly believe.
This isn't about believing in Santa. It's about believing in magic, wonder, and the invisible things that make life worth living. It's about trusting that some truths can't be proven but are real anyway. Like the truth that you are enough. Some people will never hear that bell ring, but you can. If you believe.
Ages 4-8
Whether you're snuggled under blankets with hot cocoa or reading before bedtime, these books remind children: you belong exactly as you are.
Looking for more book recommendations? I post new reviews the second Wednesday of each month on my blog at jwzarek.com.
Learning Resources: Free Printables
I'm sharing these free resources because I want families, educators, and caregivers to have quality December activities without cost barriers. Here are three hands-on printables to keep young minds engaged:
1. December Word Search (from Puzzles to Print)
Features 30 December-themed words including candy cane, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, winter solstice, and more. Answer key included. Perfect for ages 6-12.
Link: https://www.puzzles-to-print.com/printable-word-search/december-word-search.shtml
2. December Crossword (from Puzzles to Print)
Includes 20+ vocabulary words like Advent, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, and Winter. Great for building December vocabulary while reinforcing spelling. Ages 8-14.
Link: https://www.puzzles-to-print.com/crossword-puzzles-for-kids/december-crossword.shtml
3. Christmas Mazes (from The Purple Pumpkin Blog)
Six mazes ranging from Super Easy to Crazy difficulty, featuring Santa's workshop, reindeer path, Christmas tree, gingerbread house, stocking stuffers, and North Pole. Solutions included. Ages 4-12.
Link: https://www.thepurplepumpkinblog.co.uk/free-printable-christmas-mazes/
All three resources are instant PDF downloads - no registration required. Print multiple copies for family game nights, classroom centers, or holiday gatherings.
Family Activities: Memories and Keepsakes
"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” – Edith Sitwell
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Winter Nature Detective Walk
December is peak evergreen identification time. Grab notebooks, magnifying glasses, and hot cocoa in a thermos. Search for winter birds (cardinals, blue jays, chickadees), evergreen branches (pine, fir, spruce, holly), animal tracks in snow, pine cones of different sizes, and birds still visiting feeders.
Create a family nature journal documenting discoveries. Notice how nature rests but doesn't disappear - trees without leaves show their true structure, animals leave stories in the snow, and winter birds depend on seeds and berries that remained. Even when things look empty, life persists quietly, preparing for spring.
Build a Winter Bird Feeding Station
December is survival time for winter birds. Create a feeding station together using pine cones rolled in peanut butter and birdseed, orange halves filled with seeds, or simple hanging feeders. Hang them from tree branches visible from your warmest window.
Mark each family member's feeder with their name. Watch together, keep a bird count journal, and notice which birds come when, what they eat, how they behave. Next spring, when baby birds appear at your feeders, you'll know: your December kindness mattered.
INDOOR ACTIVITIES
Salt Dough Ornament Keepsakes
Transform simple kitchen ingredients into treasured family heirlooms.
Materials needed: 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup cold water, rolling pin, cookie cutters, straw (for holes), acrylic paints, clear sealer spray, ribbon
Instructions:
1. Mix flour, salt, and water; knead until smooth (5 minutes)
2. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness
3. Cut shapes with cookie cutters
4. Punch holes with straw for ribbon
5. Bake at 250°F for 2-3 hours until hard
6. Cool overnight
7. Paint, add glitter, write year and child's name on back
8. Seal with clear spray
9. Thread ribbon for hanging
This multi-day project teaches measuring and following recipes, patience, fine motor skills, and the value of handmade gifts. Write the year and your child's name on the back before sealing - twenty years from now, they'll hold this ornament and remember the afternoon they made it with you.
Ages 3+
December Kitchen: Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies rolled in powdered sugar look like perfect little snowballs - a beloved December tradition.
Ingredients:
· 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
· ½ cup powdered sugar, plus 2 cups for coating
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but adds wonderful flavor)
· 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· ¾ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, can be omitted for nut-free version)
Supplies Needed:
· Large mixing bowl
· Electric mixer or wooden spoon
· Baking sheets
· Parchment paper
· Two shallow bowls for powdered sugar
· Wire cooling rack
Instructions:
1. Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and ½ cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes with electric mixer). Add vanilla extract and almond extract, mix well.
3. Add dry ingredients: Add flour and salt to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined. If using nuts, fold them in gently. The dough will be soft but not sticky.
4. Roll the balls: This is the fun part! Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll between your palms into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Kids love this step!
5. Bake: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies should be set but NOT browned. They'll look pale and may have tiny cracks. That's perfect.
6. First sugar coating: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they're very delicate when hot). While still warm, gently roll each cookie in powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
7. Second sugar coating: Once cookies are completely cool (about 30 minutes), roll them again in fresh powdered sugar for that perfect snowy appearance. This double coating is what makes them look like real snowballs!
8. Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week (if they last that long!).
Why Kids Love This: Rolling dough into balls is satisfying, watching them bake feels like magic, and the double sugar coating makes them look bakery-perfect.
Kid-Friendly Tips: Let children measure ingredients (great for learning fractions), rolling dough builds fine motor skills, make it a family assembly line (one rolls, one places, one coats in sugar), and have wet towels ready for messy powdered sugar fun! Notice how each cookie looks a little different - some perfectly round, some slightly oblong, some with more sugar coating - but every one of them, delicious.
Makes: About 36 cookies | Ages: 5 and up (with adult supervision for oven)
CELEBRATIONS & ACTION
Celebrations, Cultural Awareness and Traditions
Hanukkah – Festival of Lights (December 14-22, 2025)
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates an ancient miracle when one day's worth of oil burned for eight nights in Jerusalem's rededicated Temple. Each evening at sunset, families light another candle on the menorah (nine-branched candelabra), adding one more light to push back the darkness.
The holiday celebrates religious freedom, perseverance against overwhelming odds, and the miracle of light enduring when it should have died. Jewish families gather to light candles, play dreidel games, eat foods fried in oil (like latkes and sufganiyot), exchange gifts, and tell the story of the Maccabees who refused to give up their faith.
The menorah adds one candle each night - small lights combined create brilliant illumination. Even when you're outnumbered, even when the odds seem impossible, your light matters.
Kwanzaa – Celebrating Heritage and Community (December 26-January 1)
Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa celebrates African American culture, family, and community through seven core principles called Nguzo Saba. Each night, families light one candle on the kinara (seven-branched candleholder) and discuss that day's principle:
- Umoja (Unity): Building community and staying together
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): Defining yourself for yourself
- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): Building and maintaining community together
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): Supporting each other's businesses and economic strength
- Nia (Purpose): Making your community great
- Kuumba (Creativity): Using creativity to make your community better than you inherited it
- Imani (Faith): Believing in your people, your families, your teachers, and the righteousness of the struggle
Families celebrate with feasts, storytelling, music, dance, African drums, and the sharing of the Kikombe cha Umoja (Unity Cup). Children receive gifts, often handmade or educational, emphasizing heritage and values over commercialism.
Kujichagulia - Self-Determination - means nobody else gets to tell you who you are or what you're worth. You decide. Imani - Faith - teaches believing in yourself and your community. These principles, practiced daily, become who you are.
Make the Month Matter
1. Year-end Gratitude Letters
Write three letters before December 31st: one to someone who helped you this year (thank them), one to yourself (acknowledge what you survived and created), and one to someone you'll never send it to (forgiveness or closure). You don't have to mail them all. The practice of writing is the gift.
2. Explore a New Cultural Tradition
This December, learn about a holiday tradition outside your own experience. If you celebrate Christmas, research Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. If you're Jewish, explore Las Posadas or Winter Solstice celebrations.
Read books, watch documentaries, or better yet, ask someone who celebrates that tradition to share their story. Teach your children that understanding others' celebrations makes our own more meaningful. We're enriched by learning how others find light in darkness.
3. Support Literacy Through Holiday Gift-Giving
Give books instead of toys this holiday season. Include a handwritten note inside explaining why you chose that specific book for that specific child. When you give a book, you're saying "your mind matters, your imagination matters, you matter."
Consider donating books to local libraries' holiday book drives, classroom libraries in Title I schools, homeless shelters with family programs, pediatric hospital waiting rooms, or Little Free Libraries in underserved neighborhoods. Books are gifts that keep giving long after wrapping paper is thrown away.
4. Create New Family Traditions
Start a new December tradition:
Affirmation Ornaments (write what you love about yourself, hang on tree, read aloud Dec 25/31),
"I Am Enough" Bedtime Ritual (each child says one thing they're proud of daily),
Mirror Messages (use colored soap to write affirmations on bathroom mirrors).
These traditions teach children their worth isn't tied to presents received or achievements earned.
5. Share Holiday Stories
Record your family's December stories before they're forgotten: interview grandparents about their childhood Decembers, write down your children's version of this year's celebrations, photograph traditions as they happen, create a "December 2025 Memory Book," or record audio of children telling their favorite holiday memory.
Twenty years from now, these stories will matter more than any present under the tree. Your family's stories are worth preserving. Your traditions are worth remembering. Your memories are treasures.
6. Support Authors/Artists
The holidays are tough for independent creators.
Support them by buying books directly from authors' websites (authors earn more), leaving honest reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/BookBub (reviews change lives), sharing authors' posts on social media (visibility matters), recommending indie books to your local librarian, gifting independent authors' books, following and engaging with authors online, joining email lists and reading newsletters, attending author events, or hiring indie artists for custom holiday items.
When you support independent creators, you're saying "your art matters, your voice matters, you matter." We're all trying to create light in this world. Help others shine when you hire them.
Choose one action, or try all six. Share your journey using #IAmEnoughDecember so we can inspire each other as the year ends and a new one begins.
Monthly Observances
December reminds us what truly matters: remembrance, rights, and recognizing that every person has worth.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7th) - On December 7, 1941, more than 2,400 Americans died in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that brought America into World War II. We honor those who lost their lives and the generation that rose to defend freedom.
Bill of Rights Day (December 15th) - On December 15, 1791, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution were ratified, guaranteeing fundamental freedoms like speech, religion, press, and assembly. The Bill of Rights reminds us that every American has inherent dignity and worth protected by law.
Connect With Me
Follow my author journey toward full-time educational advocacy:
· Website: jwzarek.com (48 free lesson plans available)
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwzarek
· Twitter/X: https://x.com/JoeTweetster
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.zarek/
COMING IN JANUARY 2026
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” – Hal Borland
As we close out 2025, I'm reflecting on an extraordinary year: multiple #1 bestsellers, Literary Titan Gold Book Awards, Chanticleer's recognition, and the Moonbeam Children's Book Award Bronze Medal for "Bella Brown's Messier Than Messy Room."
The real victory isn’t awards or bestseller status - it’s knowing one of my books made a difference in a child’s life. That's what matters most, and that’s why I write.
January's newsletter will feature:
Reflection on 2025's Journey: The wins, the setbacks, the lessons learned from 17 written books and counting
Hope and Plans for 2026: New book launches, continued bestseller campaigns, and moving closer to full-time author life
Winter Celebrations: Carrying December's lessons into the new year
Year-End Strategic Planning: Transparent look at what worked, what didn't, and where I'm heading as I approach retirement and transition to full-time educational advocacy
December's magic doesn't end when the calendar flips. The light we created this month, the traditions we built, the stories we told - these carry forward into 2026.
2025 taught me that mission matters more than metrics. Thank you for being part of this journey. See you again in January 2026. And here's to the new year fantastic, or something better.
J. W. Zarek is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author dedicated to helping children recognize their inherent worth. He’s written seventeen books, with nine published and seven reaching #1 bestseller status. His works include the 2025 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Bronze Medal winner "Bella Brown's Messier Than Messy Room" and multiple Literary Titan Gold Book Award winners. Every book carries the message: "I am enough." |
