Christmas in England

Рождество в Англии

So this is Xmas and what have you done?Another year over - and a new one just begun.

And so this is Xmas - I hope you have funThe near and the dear one, the old and the young.

A very Merry Xmas and a happy New Year,Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

And so this is Xmas. For weak and for strong

For rich and the poor ones - the world is so wrong.And so happy Xmas - for black and for white

For yellow and red ones. Let's stop all the fight.

A very Merry Xmas and a happy New Year,Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

Christmas Day, December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends get together and give each other presents.

History of Christmas

The history of Christmas dates back to thousand years. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336AD in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. A few years later Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December.

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St Augustine was the person who really started Christmas in the UK by introducing Christianity in the 6th century. He came from countries that used the Roman Calendar, so western countries celebrate Christmas on the 25th December.

The first Christmas Trees came to Britain in the

1830s. They became very popular in 1841, when

Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's German husband)

had a Christmas Tree set up in Windsor Castle.

Ever since then, Christmas Trees have been a part

of a BritishChristmas.

Christmas Tree

Santa Claus, also called Santa, Father Christmas (in Britain) is an imaginary old man in red clothes and with a long white beard.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is often connected with the name of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the 4th century AD. He was a very kind man. He helped the poor and gave secret gifts to people who needed them. Because of his kindness Nicholas was made a Saint.

Some people say that Santa lives in the North Pole. Everyone knows that he travels through the sky on a sledge that is pulled by reindeer, that he comes into houses down the chimney at night and puts presents for the children in socks, in front of the family Christmas tree, or near the fire place.

Stockings

Christmas is a holiday for the whole family, but children love it and wait for Christmas more than adults.They hang out stockings for gifts near the fireplace.

Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe were originally used in pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Festival and ward off evil spirits and celebrate new growth. The U.K. and Germany were the main countries to keep the use of the greenery.

HollyMistletoe

Ivy

The custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from England! The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing!

Carols

First Carols were sung in Europe thousands of years ago, they were pagan songs. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Christmas carols are special songs which are sung during а Christmas season. The songs are about Jesus and the time when he was born.

One of the main traditions of these weeks are wreaths with candles which have special meaning. Such wreaths are done on the first Sunday of this period, and usually they consist of 5 candles: four red and one white.

Candles

Boxing Day takes place on December 26th and is only celebrated in a few countries. It was started in the UK about 800 years ago in the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day

Christmas Dinner

The typical dinner consists of turkey with potatoes and other vegetables. In Britain this is followed by a sweet Christmas pudding containing a lot of dried fruit and often covered with burning brandy. Other traditional dish in Britain is a Christmas cake containing a lot of dried fruit and usually having a covering of icing (hard sugar) made to be eaten at Christmas.

Read and complete the letter with the words given: crackers, digital camera, pudding, sandwiches, hat, presents, turkey,

walk.Hi, RyanHappy Christmas

Hope that you are all well and having fun. We had a lovely Christmas day. I’m writing this at 10.00 p.m. Everyone else is watching a film on TV, or sleeping!

We had a good day with all the family. In the morning we opened our ____ round the Christmas tree. I got some fabulous things including a ____.

Mum and Dad cooked dinner as usual, and as usual it was a bit chaotic at times. We started eating at 2 o’clock. We had a smoked salmon starter, and then a huge ____, lots of vegetables and, of course, Christmas ____.

And we had ___ - the jokes don’t get any better. Sarah refused to wear her ___! After dinner we went for a ___. Lots of people were out doing the same thing. Then we all came back and watched TV. We were too full for another meal, we just had turkey ____. And I ate too many chocolates!

Hope that it doesn’t make you feel too homesick.

Love Harry

Translate the Christmas words

• Boxing Day• Candle• Chimney• Christmas carol• Christmas Eve• Christmas tree• Cracker• Egg-nog• Reindeer• Sleigh• Turkey• Wreath• Xmas

Dashing through the snowIn a one-horse open sleigh, Over the fields we go, Laughing all the way;

Bells on bob-tail ring, Making spirits bright, What fun it is to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight, O

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! O what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh A day or two ago,

I thought I'd take a ride, And soon Miss Fanny Bright Was seated by my side;

The horse was lean and lank; Misfortune seemed his lot; He got into a drifted bank, And we, we got upset. O

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! O what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh

Thanks for your attention