Christmas Around the World

Inside the case file

One holiday, five very different celebrations — from Germany to Japan to Australia. Which clue cracks the case? This printable Christmas Around the World Reading Mystery turns a nonfiction passage on how Christmas is celebrated in Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and the United States into a reading-detective case for Grades 3–6, ready for December literacy or a culture lesson.

As students compare traditions and answer the questions, the suspect list narrows until the culprit is caught — reading closely is the only way through. Print-and-go, no setup.

Quick Details

Grade Levels: Grades 3–6
Format: Printable PDF
Resource Type: Reading Mystery worksheets
Reading Skills: Nonfiction comprehension, text evidence, compare and contrast, main idea, and inference
Tech Needed: None — no apps, locks, passwords, or student logins required

The Case

A festive mystery has the holidays on hold, and a line-up of suspects is waiting. The only way to crack the case is to read closely about how Christmas is celebrated in Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and the United States — every comprehension answer is a clue that rules another suspect out, until just one remains.

How the Reading Mystery Works

Your students become Reading Detectives, reading about Christmas around the world and using each text-based answer to clear a suspect until only the culprit remains. The answers are all in the passage.

What's Included

• A "You are a detective" case-file page that sets the scene and the mission
• An engaging 2-page passage on how Christmas is celebrated in Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and the United States
• 15 multiple-choice comprehension questions (all answers found in the text)
• Open-ended response questions
• A suspect line-up page for eliminating suspects one clue at a time
• A word find and extension activities for early finishers
• Print-and-go PDF format

Skills Covered

• Reading and understanding nonfiction informational text
• Finding and using text evidence
• Comparing and contrasting across a text
• Identifying main idea and supporting details
• Vocabulary in context
• Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking

Best Used For

• December and Christmas literacy lessons
• Cultures and world geography studies
• Nonfiction reading comprehension practice
• Reading centers, early finishers, sub plans, and small groups
• Homeschool reading