Christmas in Great Britain

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. . It is the most colourful holiday of the year.

On Christmas Eve offices and public buildings close at one o’clock, but the shops stay open late.

Most big cities are decorated with coloured lights across the streets and beautiful Christmas trees.

The biggest Christmas tree stands in Trafalgar Square in London. Christmas is a family holiday. Traditional Christmas bird is turkey.

There is also Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents.

Christmas is traditional family

reunion day. In Britain, Christmas

is the most important public

holiday of the year. It combines

the custom of giving gifts with the

tradition of spending this day with

the family.

Santa Claus

Nowadays Santa Claus is a popular personage of this merry Christmas holiday. This jolly fellow gets his name from a man known as St. Nicholas lived in western Asia during the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor – often children. After he died, his feast day was celebrated with gift giving. The Dutch brought his legend to colonial America. Soon his Dutch name Sinter Klaas became «Santa Claus».

Children write letters

to Santa Claus and tell him what presents

they would like to get.

Christmas stockings.

A Christmas stocking is a famous symbol of Christmas. It is used for gifts that children get on this holiday.

This tradition is connected with the name of St. Nicholas, a man who lived in the Middle Ages and was the patron of the

poor. At nights he walked about the place and threw gold coins

into the windows and the coins happened to lend in a stocking hung by the fireplace to dry.

Now children in England hang stockings on their beds. They hope that Santa Claus will use the chimney to come at night

and fill stockings with toys and sweets.

Обычай вешать носки для подарков пришёл из Англии. Санта Клаус однажды уронил несколько золотых монет, когда спускался вниз по дымоходу. Монеты бы провалились в печку и пропали бы, если бы они не попали в носок, который был повешен для просушки. С тех пор дети вешают носки на камин в надежде найти их полными подарков.

Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree with a star on top symbolizes the Star

of Bethlehem. Hundreds of years ago to

celebrate Christmas German people began

placing evergreen trees in their homes and decorating them.

The evergreen had long been a symbol of life.

One legend says that Martin Luther started the practice. Luther was an important Christian leader. According to the story , he noticed the starlit sky as he walked home one Christmas Eve about the year 1513 . He thought the stars looked as if they were shining on the branches. When he arrived home, Martin Luther placed a small fir tree inside his house. He decorated it with lighted candles.

Jingle Bells!Dashing through the snow

On 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 singA sleighing song tonight, O

Jingle bells, jingle bells,jingle all the way!

O what fun it is to rideIn a one-horse open sleigh (repeat)

A day or two ago,I thought I'd take a ride,

And soon Miss Fanny BrightWas 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. OJingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Jingle all the way!O What fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh. (repeat)

Do riddles

It’s blue by night, By day it’s white. It is cold and not dry, It falls from the sky.

This is the season when fruit is sweet, This is the season when school-friends meet. I come with cold and snow. But you like me and I know.

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Connect the dots alphabeticallyA.

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Say it in English:Say it in English:•РождествоРождество•ПраздникПраздник•ПраздноватьПраздновать•Дарить подаркиДарить подарки•Рождественская ёлкаРождественская ёлка•Счастливого рождестваСчастливого рождества•С новым годомС новым годом•УкрашатьУкрашать