Episode Details
Back to Episodes
73. Why These Holiday Words Are Spelled the Way They Are: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
Description
Holiday Word Study: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
In this cozy, end-of-year episode, we’re slowing things down for a short and joyful holiday word study investigation. Instead of a full instructional deep dive, this episode invites you to get curious about three words we hear everywhere this time of year:
- Christmas
- Hanukkah
- Kwanzaa
Together, we explore where these words come from, what their spellings reveal, and how English carries the fingerprints of other languages inside it.
Along the way, you’ll hear about:
- Why
says /k/ in Christmas (and why that’s not an exception) - Why Hanukkah has multiple accepted spellings
- How Kwanzaa was intentionally named and spelled with meaning in mind
- What holiday words teach us about word origin, orthography, and meaning
This episode is a reminder that English spelling isn’t random and that it always makes more sense when we look beyond the surface.
For more word study nuggets, check out Logos Live: mine & Sarah Paul's monthly coaching calls through Logos Literacy Academy where we go on even more deep dives! (If you enroll in any one of our courses, you get 2 years of free access to Logos Live as a bonus!)
Connect with Michelle:
- Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
- Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
- Join our Facebook Community
- Sign up for my Newsletter
- Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
- For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit
Want to Support the Podcast?
- Make a Donation to Support Production
Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
- Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
- Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community
Mentioned in this episode:
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026
Reading Science Academ