Something about Christmas traditions in Britain.
In English speaking countries, children don’t get their presents on Christmas Eve (24 December). Santa comes at night when everyone is asleep. Santa’s reindeer can fly and take him from house to house. They land on the roofs of the houses and then Santa climbs
down the chimney to leave the presents under the Christmas tree.
In the morning of Christmas Day (25 December), children usually get up very early to unwrap their presents. Then they have plenty of time to play with their new toys.
Christmas dinner is served in the early afternoon. Most people eat turkey and sprouts and a Christmas pudding.
26 December is called Boxing Day. It hasn’t always been a holiday. People used to go back to work on that day where their bosses gave them little Christmas presents in small boxes. That’s why the day is called Boxing Day.
And about New Year...
Here is everything that you need to know about the New Year's celebrations in English-speaking countries:
- December 31 is New Year's Eve.
- January 1 is New Year's Day.
- Americans call the whole festival New Year's: What are you doing between Christmas and New Year's?
-British speakers call it New Year or the New Year: What are you doing between Christmas and New Year?
- If you say Sylvester, English speakers will think that you are talking about a cartoon cat.
Traditionally, it's not a time for fireworks. The Americans have fireworks on July 4, the British on 5 November ("Guy Fawkes' Night"). But after seeing the famous pictures of the celebrations at the Brandenburger Tor on 31 December 1989, English-speaking countries realised that the Germans might have a custom worth stealing. Firework displays as the year turns are getting more and more common.
-The new year festival is important in Scotland. It's called Hogmanay. They do strange traditional things with bagpipes, the stomachs of sheep (haggis), and pieces of coal. The Scots say that foreign visitors are welcome (but maybe they mean as victims).
- In other English-speaking countries, people just go to parties. It's the same procedure every year. At midnight they sing an old song in a Scottish dialect, called "Auld Lang Syne", which might mean: "Let's kill all the English this year." (No one really knows.)
- You could explain to your British friends that many Germans watch an old Freddie Frinton comedy sketch on New Year's Eve. But they will probably not believe you.
Would you like to know more things about Christmas? Visit these links:
This site has some amazing facts about Christmas. Click here.
This is a great site for kids to access. They can fill in a letter to e-mail to Father Christmas and find out about the hows and whys of Christmas.Click here.
This site has information about how Christmas is celebrated around the world. Click here.
The BBC Newsround site has some lovely Christmas pages. Click here.
Christmas around the world
Here you can find a collection of historical Christmas celebrations for many different countries. The celebration or activity is the earliest history for each country NUT note that they may not represent the current Christmas celebrations of today. Click here.
Have alook at these sites as well:
Christmas celebrations around the world
Christmas traditions around the world.
Christmas Songs and Carols
down the chimney to leave the presents under the Christmas tree.In the morning of Christmas Day (25 December), children usually get up very early to unwrap their presents. Then they have plenty of time to play with their new toys.
Christmas dinner is served in the early afternoon. Most people eat turkey and sprouts and a Christmas pudding.
26 December is called Boxing Day. It hasn’t always been a holiday. People used to go back to work on that day where their bosses gave them little Christmas presents in small boxes. That’s why the day is called Boxing Day.
And about New Year...
Here is everything that you need to know about the New Year's celebrations in English-speaking countries:
- December 31 is New Year's Eve.
- January 1 is New Year's Day.
- Americans call the whole festival New Year's: What are you doing between Christmas and New Year's?
-British speakers call it New Year or the New Year: What are you doing between Christmas and New Year?
- If you say Sylvester, English speakers will think that you are talking about a cartoon cat.
Traditionally, it's not a time for fireworks. The Americans have fireworks on July 4, the British on 5 November ("Guy Fawkes' Night"). But after seeing the famous pictures of the celebrations at the Brandenburger Tor on 31 December 1989, English-speaking countries realised that the Germans might have a custom worth stealing. Firework displays as the year turns are getting more and more common.
-The new year festival is important in Scotland. It's called Hogmanay. They do strange traditional things with bagpipes, the stomachs of sheep (haggis), and pieces of coal. The Scots say that foreign visitors are welcome (but maybe they mean as victims).
- In other English-speaking countries, people just go to parties. It's the same procedure every year. At midnight they sing an old song in a Scottish dialect, called "Auld Lang Syne", which might mean: "Let's kill all the English this year." (No one really knows.)
- You could explain to your British friends that many Germans watch an old Freddie Frinton comedy sketch on New Year's Eve. But they will probably not believe you.
Would you like to know more things about Christmas? Visit these links:
This site has some amazing facts about Christmas. Click here.
This is a great site for kids to access. They can fill in a letter to e-mail to Father Christmas and find out about the hows and whys of Christmas.Click here.
This site has information about how Christmas is celebrated around the world. Click here.
The BBC Newsround site has some lovely Christmas pages. Click here.
Christmas around the world
Here you can find a collection of historical Christmas celebrations for many different countries. The celebration or activity is the earliest history for each country NUT note that they may not represent the current Christmas celebrations of today. Click here.
Have alook at these sites as well:
Christmas celebrations around the world
Christmas traditions around the world.
Christmas Songs and Carols
1 comment:
Dear Teacher and students, I hope you have a beautiful Christmas and happy New Year.
In My country at 12:00 o`clock in New Year, we eat lentil stew for good luck.
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