Form 4. Christmas in Britain

For students of the fourth form.

Christmas in Great Britain

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Let's learn about Christmas in Great Britain!

 Christmas in Britain    

           On the twenty-fifth of December English people celebrate Christmas. It is the  greatest holiday of all in England. Children have their Christmas holidays. 
           In Britain the people decorate their Christmas trees with Christmas toys, bells, angels and lights. They decorate their house with the Christmas cards. People in Britain also make special Christmas food. The traditional English dinner on Christmas is roasted turkey and Christmas pudding. At their home at Christmas Eve evening they leave big red stockings by their beds for presents. Santa Claus comes at night and leaves presents in the stockings. People give each other presents and send Christmas cards. They get Christmas cards from their family and friends.                                      On Christmas Day they open their presents and they pull Christmas crackers. There are little presents and funny paper hats in the crackers. People eat turkey and Christmas pudding. And in the evening they sing Christmas carols together. They often say “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!”                                                       

cracker - хлопавка                                   

pull – смикати                                                    

pudding – пудинг                                    

roasted turkey –  смажена індичка

   WHY DO WE HANG STOCKINGS ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

           This tradition started in Holland. On St Nicholas Day Dutch children left wooden shoes near the door for St Nicholas. They asked for him to fill them with goodies. But there were three girls who were very poor. They didn’t have any shoes. And St Nicholas threw three bags of gold into their chimney. The gold fell into their stockings, which hung by fire to dry. This story was brought to America and other countries. The stockings became a part of Christmas. People want St Nicholas to fill them with presents on Christmas Eve.

                                              
You also need a wide vocabulary.

 Christmas

Vocabulary

Christmas ['krɪsmǝs]- Різдво (Христове)(( Xmas скор. на письмі)the period of time around 25December, the day when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. At Christmas / over Christmas / for Christmas / a Christmas present / the Christmas holidays / Merry Christmas and a happy New Year everyone!)

`Christmas cake [keik] – різдвяний торт  (a special cake that people eat in Britain at Christmas.)

`Christmas card [kα:d] – різдвяна листівка (a special card that people send to friends and relatives at Christmas.)

͵Christmas `carol [̍kᴂrǝl] – різдвяна весела пісня, колядка (a Christian song that people sing at Christmas.)

͵Christmas `cookie [̍kυki] – різдвяне печиво (a special cookie that people eat in the US at Christmas.)

͵Christmas `cracker [̍krᴂkǝ] – різдвяна хлопавка (a tube of coloured paper that two people pull apart at Christmas in Britain for fun. It makes a loud sound as it is pulled apart, and usually contains a small toy.)

͵Christmas `Day [deɪ] – Різдво (December 25^th, the day when most Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. різдвяна a special meal that people eat on Christmas Day.)

͵Christmas `Eve [i:v] – Святий вечір, Святвечір (напередодні Різдва) (December 24^th, the day before Christmas Day: We spent Christmas Eve cooking and getting ready for Christmas Day. I always spend Christmas Day with my family. He wasn’t at home on Christmas Eve.)

͵Christmas `pudding [̍pυdɪŋ] – різдвяний пудинг (a special sweet food that contains a lot of dried fruit and is eaten in Britain at the end of the main meal on Christmas Day.)

͵Christmas `stocking [`stɒkɪŋ] – різдвяна панчоха  для подарунків(a long sock which children leave in their house on Christmas Eve to be filled with presents.)

Christmastime ['krɪsmǝstaɪm]-  – різдвяний час, свята (the period around Christmas.)

` Christmas tree [tri:] – різдвяна  ялинка (a fir tree that people put in their houses and decorate for Christmas.)

celebrate [`selibreit] –  святкувати (to show that an event or occasion is important by doing something special or enjoyable.)

decorate [`dekǝreit] –  прикрашати (to make something look more attractive by putting something pretty on it.)

holiday [`holǝdi] – свято, відпустка, канікули (BrE also holidays) ( syn vacation AmE) a time of rest from work, school;

-BrE also holidays – a period of time when you travel to another place for pleasure.

Be on holiday / be on your holidays / go on holiday / go on your holidays / have a holiday / take a holiday / holiday abroad / summer holiday / a family holiday / skiing / camping / walking holiday.

Santa Claus [`sᴂntǝ klᴐ:z] also Santa –Санта Клаус (an imaginary old man with red clothes and a long white beard who, children believe, brings them presents at Christmas.)                                (syn Father Christmas BrE)

England [̍iŋɡlǝnd]  - Англія

English [̍ɪŋɡlɪʃ] – англійська мова (the language used in Britain, the US, Australia and some other countries: Do you speak English?) The English  -  англійці (people from England;) англійський (relating to England or its people; relating to the language used in Britain, the US, Australia  and some other countries.)

Night [naɪt] – ніч1 when it is dark the dark part of each 24-hour period when the sun cannot be seen and when most people sleep (opp day): It was a cold moonlit night. I didn’t sleep too well last night. 
2 evening  - the time during the evening until you go to bed.                                        

At night - вночі: At night the temperature drops below zero.

In / during the night: He woke up twice during the night. In the middle of the night / in/at the dead of night / by night / at this time of night/ spend/stay a night somewhere / stay the night – sleep at the house of someone you are visiting;night train/bus/flight / night air / the night sky / night falls.

Use at night when talking about what generally or regularly happens then: These animals are active at night.

Use in the night when talking about an event that happens at some time during the night: There had been heavy rain in the night.

When you are mentioning a time before midnight, use at night: ten o’clock at night.

When you are mentioning a time after midnight, use in the morning: four in the morning.

Night! - До побачення. На добраніч.Used to say goodbye to someone when it is late in the evening or when they are going to bed syn good night.

Night night! - На добраніч. Used to say goodbye to someone, especially a child, when they are going to bed.

Put in / into [pυt]– класти  в/у (to move something to a particular place or position, especially using your hands.)

 Roast turkey [̍rǝυst ̍tɜ:kɪ] – смажена індичка (a bird that looks like a large chicken and is often eaten at Christmas and at Thanksgiving)

Ukrainian koliada [ju:kreiniǝn] – українська колядка   

Improve your English!
With my best wishes for your progress in English!