torek, 23. december 2008

Merry Christmas






Holidays are the perfect time to practise in oder to improve your English. You can do exercises and have fun in the same time. Here you can find some useful links.



If you don't know what the word means use these links:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/




If you want to do some exercises, try to use the following links.












Watch and enjoy!











Christmas Tradition in UK






If you want to find out how much you know about Christmas, open the link below and answer the questions.














Christmas in Europe








Christmas throughout Europe is a celebration time, which includes spending time with the family, decorating the entire house, inside and out and shopping, for friends and relatives. Spending Christmas with the family is very important for European people. On this day, all family members spend time in baking cookies, making fudge and preparing a big Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings. The children love to see each other and spend the day playing games and sharing their new gifts and toys that Santa Claus brought for each of them. Though the underlying zest of celebration is same, some of the distinct tradition can be seen that varies with different European countries.





Read the text to learn more about English Christmas celebrations.





Christmas in United Kingdom
Taken from: http://www.christmas-day.org/christmas-in-uk.html , 22 December 2008, 18.00




The English Christmas celebrations include the beautiful Christmas music, decorated Christmas Trees and hang up evergreen branches. The English gift giver is called Father Christmas and he wears a long red or green robe, and leaves presents in stockings on Christmas Eve. However, the gifts are not usually opened until the following afternoon.


Christmas in England began in AD 596, when St Augustine landed on her shores with monks who wanted to bring Christianity to the Anglo Saxons. Father Christmas delivers them during the night before Christmas. The Children leave an empty stocking or pillowcase hanging at the end of the bed. In the morning they hope it will be full of presents.



In England the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day because boys used to go round collecting money in clay boxes. When the boxes were full, they broke them open. In England Christmas dinner was usually eaten at Midday on December 25, during daylight.




In England the traditional Christmas dinner is roast turkey with vegetables and sauces. For dessert it is rich, fruity Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. Mince pies, pastry cases filled with a mixture of chopped dried fruit.




The Christmas tree is central to England's holiday celebration and, although it had been seen in various places in England, it grew extremely popular when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, brought the tradition to the Royal Family from his native Germany in the mid-nineteenth century. However, it has not entirely eclipsed the kissing bough (a mixture of evergreens and mistletoe).





How is Christmas celebrated in Slovenia? Is the celebration in Slovenia different from the celebration in UK?

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24th December is the day when many people in Britain are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25th December. For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities in winter.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents.



(Adapted from "Spotlight on Britain" by S. Sheerin, J Seath, G. White.)



Answer the questions below by choosing the option "comment" and write down your answers or opinion.

What about you? Is Christmas Day the most important festival in the year? Why?