Fractions for Christmas, Hannukah and Solstice!

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• Tags: elementary math games, fractions, Teaching Fractions

This Holiday season, you can have fun both learning about Holiday Celebrations and Learning Fractions in a Fun way!  Here are 3 different Holiday Celebrations that occur in December that have specific special numbers of Days to count for Fractions – Christmas, Hannukah and Winter Solstice.

8 Days of Hannukah

What Fraction is the 3^rd Day of The 8 Days of Hannukah?

1/8, 2/8, 3/8, 4/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8

Hannukah (sometimes pronounced Chanukah) is known as The Festival of Lights, and this practice is celebrated by the Jewish Peoples of The Earth.

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/605036/jewish/Chanukah-FAQs.html.  It is a remembrance of The Miracle of The Holy Olive Oil lasting for 8 days (i.e.) There was only enough oil to last for one day, but through the Miracle of The Holy Spirit during Beit Hamikdesh, it lasted 8 days and 8 nights, for the entirety of The Celebration of Chanukah.  Hannukah is celebrated starting the 25^th Day of Kislev (this corresponds to around the 21^st-28^th of December in the Gregorian calendar).

The typical Menorah consists of 8 branches with an additional raised or lowered branch in the middle to light the candles from, as there is a candle in each branch lit each night of the 8 days.  A fun thing that happens on Hannukah is The Spinning of The Dreidel, a four-sided spinning top that children play with. Each side of The Dreidel is imprinted with a Hebrew letter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah#Dreidel.

 4 Quadrants of The Seasons

Winter Solstice December 21st 

What is The Fraction of The Solstices and Equinox Seasonal Cycles, based on The Gregorian and Celtic Calendar Year?

There are 4 quadrants that are the Seasonal Cycles of The Gravitational Cycles of The Earth, Sun and The Moon.  We call them:

Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall/Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice.

All fall around the 21^st – 23^rd of the corresponding month (in general the 21^st, depending on where the moon is, every year.

http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/equinox-not-equal.html.

1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

1. Spring Equinox:  March 21^st                        1/4                           
2. Summer Solstice:  June 21^st                          2/4
3. Fall/Autumn Equinox: September 21st      3/4
4. and Winter Solstice: December 21^st            4/4

Traditional Song: 12 Days of Christmas

What is the Fraction of the 5^th Day of The 12 Days of Christmas?

Here is an example:  If you add together the 3^rd Day of Christmas and the 5^th Day if Christmas, what Christmas Fraction does this equal? (Answer:  3/12 +5/12 = 8/12)

1/12, 2/12, 3/12, 4/12, 5/12, 6/12, 7/12, 7/12, 8/12, 9/12, 10/12, 11/12, 12/12

Traditional Song:  The 12 Days of Christmas

On the 1^st First Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 2^nd Second Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 3^rd Third Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 4^th Fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 5^th Fifth Day of Christmas, (5/12)

My true love sent to me

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 6^th Sixth Day of Christmas, (6/12)

My true love sent to me

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 7^th Seventh Day of Christmas, (7/12)

My true love sent to me

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 8^th Eighth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 9^th Ninth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 10^th Tenth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 11^th Eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eleven pipers piping, (11/12)

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 12^th Twelfth Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Twelve drummers drumming, 12/12

Eleven pipers piping, (11/12)

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree! (1/12)

And for some other of our Fun Learning Math Games, you can visit here:

http://math-lessons.ca/activities/HexaRace.html.

http://math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsCards.html.

http://math-lessons.ca/activities/fractions-hazard.html.