Word of the Week: Nutcracker

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite is classical music that tells a famous Christmas story. A girl receives a nutcracker shaped like a soldier and goes on a magical journey. Lyrics have been set to all the songs, telling the story about landscapes of candy and armies of...

Word of the Week: Star

“Who gets to put the star on top of the tree?” A Christmas tree has either a star or an angel on the top. Decorating the tree is a fun Christmas activity, and putting the star on top is usually the most important part. However, sometimes there might be another...

Word of the Week: Ski Lift

A ski lift is a little bit like an escalator with chairs. Skiers cannot stand on an escalator wearing their skis, but they can sit with their feet dangling and be carried up the mountain to ski down again. It is notoriously tricky to get off a ski lift....

Word of the Week: Sweet Potato

One image of fall in Japan is roasting sweet potatoes in a bonfire of fallen leaves. Sweet potatoes are eaten in many countries around the world. In some places they are called yams. They come in different colors, such as orange, white, and red....

Word of the Week: Bittersweet

“Watching your child leave for college is bittersweet.” “Bittersweet” describes something that is both happy and sad. When children leave for college, parents are happy that they have grown and succeeded at school, but sad that they are leaving....