As an annual tradition before starting a play adaptation of Charles Dickens´s A Christmas Carol, 7th graders researched various Christmas customs in Victorian England to build background knowledge about the story´s historical context. From parlor games and Christmas carols to holiday dinners and decorating, students compared and contrasted Victorian traditions to modern day holiday customs. To write an authentic text for a real audience, 7th graders summarized their research in a 2-paragraph, friendly-letter formatted holiday card and delivered them to their assigned a HNOM faculty/staff member or administrator!