Vernon Hills students explore holiday traditions from around the world

First-graders at Hawthorn Elementary School North in Vernon Hills moved from room to room Thursday learning about winter traditions form other countries.

The countries represented were England, where they learned the origins of Christmas; Israel, where they played with dreidels and learned about Hanukkah; Russia, where they learned about a version of Santa Claus known as Grandfather Frost; and Mexico, where they learned about the Latin American holiday Las Posadas and made piñatas.

"I think they really enjoy having the opportunity to talk about what they do in their own homes and learn about others," Hawthorn Elementary North Principal Kathryn Waggoner said.