Christmas in Britain
презентация к уроку по английскому языку (7 класс) по теме

Christmas in Britain

                                     Revision of Vocabulary

Task 1.

Task 2.

Match the words to the pictures.

a) bells, b) reindeer, c) Christmas cracker, d) Yule log, e) Christmas stocking,

f) Christmas pudding, g) present, h) turkey, i) Christmas wreath, j) candy cane

Reading

Task 1

Read these statements and decide if they true (T) or false (F)

1) Christmas Day is the most popular holiday in Britain.  

2) People decorate their houses in the traditional way.  

3) The Americans were the first people who used Christmas tree in their celebrations.  

4) In Britain Christmas tree became popular when Queen Anne ruled the country.  

5) Santa Claus got his name from St. Nicolas, who lived in the 5th century.  

6) People began singing carols in the 15th century.

Task 2

Read the text again and answer the questions.

1) How do British people decorate Christmas trees?

2) What does the star on the top of the Christmas tree represent?

3) What can young people do if they are under the mistletoe?

4) What does Santa Claus put into the Christmas stockings for the naughty children?

5) What does the typical Christmas include?

6) What do British people do after Christmas dinner?

Listening

Read these statements and decide if they true (T) or false (F)

1) People spend Christmas with their families.  

2) In the morning British people go to church.

3) People start Christmas dinner with traditional Christmas pudding.  

4) There is a silver coin inside the cracker.  

5) You will be lucky if you find a button in the Christmas pudding.  

Christmas in Great Britain

Christmas Day, December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends give each other presents. So, before Christmas all the department stores and shops are crowded, everybody is choosing a present.

In general, people get prepared for this holiday very carefully. They decorate their houses in the traditional way. Christmas trees are set up in houses, in the streets and churches. They are always decorated with fairy lights, angels and small toys. In addition, little packets with nuts, candies and special biscuits are hung on the tree. Presents are put around the tree and artificial «frost» is scattered over the branches.

The Germans are believed to be the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations and Martin Luther was the first to place a star on the top of the tree. This star represents the star appeared over the stable in which Christ was born.

In Great Britain, the Christmas tree became popular while Queen Victoria ruled the country.

Besides the Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe are used to decorate the house. Branches of holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is hung over doors, so the young people have a chance to kiss the girls under it, plucking each time a red berry from the mistletoe. It is said that the girl who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not get married that year.

On the eve of Christmas children hang their stockings, so that Santa Claus could put presents into them: oranges, sweets, nuts and if the child didn't behave properly Santa Claus can put there a piece of coal as punishment.

Santa Claus got his name from a man known as St. Nicolas, who lived in the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor and often to children

Carol singing is an essential part of Christmas. No church or school is without its carol service. Carols may be traditional or with some variations that express different feelings. Carols were used for the first time during Christmas in the fifteenth century.

Usually children come around in the evening to the front doors and start singing carols and people who live in these houses give children candies, nuts, pies and so on, to thank them for carol singing.

A typical Christmas dinner includes turkey with cranberry sauce and pudding. Every young woman in each household helps to stir the Christmas pudding, if she wishes to be married that year. Usually a coin or two are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see who finds it.

After the dinner they go to the sitting room to listen to the Christmas speech of the Queen, shown on TV.

So, Christmas is a merry family holiday for all the people of Great Britain. Christmas comes but once a year.