CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS I.

Fill in the gaps with the words given: The First Christmas Cards recognised plea top founder embossed prominent hand bottom folded themes

The first 1.commercial Christmas card was produced in England in 1843 by Henry Cole the !.of the "ictoria and #lbert $useum. %t was a .3.&coloured print showing a family scene flan'ed by scenes of Christmas charity. This was inscribed with the words( )# $erry Christmas and a Happy *ew +ear to +ou) with space at the .4..to put the name of the recipient and at the ..,for the name of the sender. Howe-er it was not until the 18./0s that the Christmas card as we 'now it came into being. %nitially these were small cards with a simple greeting set within an .....border. Howe-er as the demand for Christmas cards grew the cards became larger and more elaborate. .1sheets of white paper were ornamented and tur'eys fireside scenes plum puddings etc. became popular..8. 2y 188/ the popularity of Christmas cards was such that many ..3..artists of the time had their wor' reproduced in this form. %t was also the year that the familiar 04ost early for Christmas0 .1/..was issued for the first time. The Histor o! the Christmas Tree current sweets depicted pre-enting gingerbreads decorating damage performed e-ergreen indoors

#lthough it is generally agreed that the Christmas tree in its 1form came from 5ermany in the early 13th century the tradition of !a tree to mar' winter celebrations dates bac' hundreds of years to 6oman times when they used to decorate 3trees with small pieces of metal to celebrate 7aturnalia. %n medie-al times the 04aradise 4lay0 was .4e-ery year on !4 8ecember. This .,..the creation of $an and the fall of #dam and E-e from the 5arden of Eden. The first mention of decorated trees being ta'en ..came in 1./, in 5ermany & a country with a long Christmas tree history9 The trees were initially decorated with fruit and ..1.together with hand& made ob:ects such as snowfla'es and stars. 5erman Christmas $ar'ets began to sell shaped ..8 and wa; ornaments for people to hang on their tree. #rtificial trees were in-ented in the 188/0s in a bid to try and stop some of the ..3..being caused to real trees due to people lopping the tip off large trees thus .1/..the trees from growing any further. II. Fill in the "orre"t words into the gaps.

1< Hello my name is

. %n #merica %0m also called

!< % come through the

of the house.

3< $y

wait on the roof.

4< % ha-e lots of

for the children.

,< % put them under the

.< The children in 2ritain li'e to hang up a big

near the fireplace.

1< 7ometimes they decorate the room with a

8< %n some rooms % also find a

3< % li'e to come to houses where children ha-e put a

III.Two emplo ees are tal#ing a$o%t plans !or the Christmas o!!i"e part . Fill in ea"h gap in their "onversation with one word onl : A: 7o ha-e we organi=ed e-erything> &: ?et@s go through the last points again. The ..1.from 7t. $ary@s will sing Christmas .!...before the dinner. They@ll be arri-ing at . p.m. A: 5reat9 An the tables there@s going to be one Christmas .3.for each employee. Ane of them will ha-e the wee'end winter .4..inside. %t@s a trip for two people to 6ome. &: "ery romantic9 Bhat about Christmas decorations> A: Bell we@ll ha-e a tree of course which will ha-e fairy , not real .... because of what happened last year. 8o you remember the fire>

&: How can % forget> A: %@-e also ordered some echo&friendly .1..to hang on the tree which % hope is as pretty as the old material. &: #s long as it@s gold. A: %t is. Ane thing that will be missing from this year@s party is that awful traditional drin' made of mil' or cream and sugar. &: +ou mean ..8. . +eah we@ll :ust ha-e mulled wine and soft 3. A: There@s one thing we ha-en@t decided on yet. Bhat ..1/.will we be donating to this year> % thin' we should gi-e all the money to the school in #frica again. &: 7ounds good to me. Be@ll announce it at the end of the Christmas party. I'. Choose the "orre"t answer: 1. Bhich greeting do many #mericans now use at Christmas> 8o you 'now why> a. Happy Holidays9C b. Happy Hogmanay9 C c. Happy 2o;ing 8ay9 !. %n some 2ritish companies people who wor' together put their names in hat and each person pic's out one name. They ha-e to 'eep the name a secret from anyone else and buy a small gift for that person. This is called( a. 7ecret 7antaC b. 7anta@s ?otteryC c. 6udolf@s 6affle. 3. Bhen do people sing the 7cottish song D#uld ?ang 7yneE which means Dtimes gone byE> a. An Christmas E-eC b. An Christmas 8ayC c. An *ew +ear@s E-e. 4. Bhat do people in 2ritain pour brandy o-er and set alight on Christmas 8ay> a. Tur'eysC b. Christmas 4uddingsC c. $ince pies. ,. 7ome 2ritish companies organi=e a trip to a pantomime for their employees@ children. Bhat is special about this type of show> a. #n older woman character is played by a man dressed up li'e a trans-estiteC b. The children are e;pected to stay Fuiet during the performanceC c. The shows are simple -ersions of a 7ha'espeare play. .. %n the GH and the G7 what do you ha-e to do if you stand under a green plant with white berries at Christmas> a. Eat some Christmas ca'eC b. 2uy e-eryone a drin'C c. Hiss someone. 1. %n the G7 companies often send out a bas'et of lu;ury items usually of e;pensi-e food -intage wine and small gifts to their clients. Bhat is this called> a. # Christmas stoc'ingC b. # Christmas hamperC c. # Christmas do. 8. Bhat is the customary Christmas dessert prepared with 13 ingredients and that e-ery member of the family should ta'e turns to stir from east to west with a wooden spoon> a. The Christmas pieC b. The Christmas puddingC c. The Christmas ca'eC d. Bhich of these is not a Christmas carol> a. ?ittle Town of 2ethlehemC b. Christmas TreeC c. ?ittle Town of 5loryC d. Ah Holy *ight. 3. Bhat do 4oles drin' traditionally with their Christmas E-e meal> a. $ineral waterC b. "od'aC c. HompotC d. Tea. 1/. #t what time on the !4th 8ecember do the 4olish eat their special festi-e meal> a. Bhen the first star appears in the s'yC b. Bhen the lady of the house calls themC c. #fter the first carol&singers -isit themC d. The same time as usual 1 p.m. 11. Two of the three wise men who -isited baby Iesus were traditionally 'nown as $elchior and Caspar. Bhat was the name of the third wise man> a. $elche=C b. 2altha=arC c. 2eltesha==arC d. #=ariah. 1!. %n many European countries it is belie-ed that animals ha-e the ability to tal' at midnight on Christmas E-e but only for a short time. *ot e-eryone can hear them. Bho can> a. the badC b. the childrenC c. the goodC d. the poor. 13. # popular holiday drin' ser-ed warm with spices( a. brandyC b. mulled wineC c. boiled wineC d. whis'y. 14. Jmas is a common abbre-iation of Christmas but from what alphabet does this originate> a. CyrillicC b. 4hoenicianC c. #rabicC d. 5ree'. 1,. To ring in the *ew +ear in 7pain it is traditional to do what on each chime of the cloc'>

a. eat a grapeC b. ta'e a sip of wineC c. lap your handsC d. light a candle. 1.. Bhat determines the date of the Chinese *ew +ear> a. The first full moon after the winter solsticeC b. The second new moon after the winter solsticeC c. The Kriday after the first full moon after the winter solsticeC d. *one of the abo-e. 11. %n the Iewish *ew +ear celebration what is eaten to symboli=e a sweet new year> b. #pples and honeyC b. ChocolateC c. Kruit ca'eC d. Honey ca'e. 18. %n %taly what do people do on *ew +ear0s 8ay to bring good luc' in the coming year> a. 5o to massC b. Bear red underwearC c. Eat blac'&eyed peasC d. #ll of the abo-e. 13. Bhy do the Chinese celebrate the *ew +ear by letting off firecrac'ers> a. To commemorate departed family membersC b. To encourage good luc' in the coming yearC c. To scare away e-il spiritsC d. #ll of the abo-e. !/. %n many places the coming of the new year is celebrated by singing the traditional 7cottish song )#uld ?ang 7yne). Bhat does )auld lang syne) mean> a. *ew +ear0s 8ayC b. Till we meet againC c. 7weet memoriesC d. Ald long ago. !1.Bhich roman god had two faces one loo'ing bac' to the ld year and one loo'ing forward to the coming year( a. IanusC b. IupiterC c. Iuno. !!. %n 7cotland what is the name of the *ew +ear festi-al> a. HogwashC b. HogmanayC c. Hogwarts. !3. %n England what is the name of the bell that rings in the *ew +ear in ?ondon> a. 2ig 2enC b. 2ig 2anC c. 2ig 2and. '. (isten to the !ollowing songs and !ill in the gaps: ). R%dolph* the Reindeer Then ..foggy Christmas E-e 7anta ..to say 6udolph with your nose .bright won0t you guide my ..tonight> Then all the reindeer him. as they ..out with glee 6udolph the .&nosed reindeer you0ll go ..in history9

6udolph the red&nosed had a -ery shiny and if you e-er saw you e-en say it glows. of the other reindeer used to laugh and him names they ne-er let ..6udolph :oin in any reindeer

+.

,ingle &ells %n a one horse open sleigh Iingle bells :ingle bells Iingle all the way Ah what fun it is to ride %n a one horse open sleigh. # day or two ago % thought %0d ta'e a . #nd soon $iss Kanny 2right Bas .by my side The horse was lean and .. $isfortune seemed his lot

through the snow %n a one horse open .. A0er the fields we go .all the way 2ells on bob tails ring $a'ing spirits Bhat fun it is to and sing # sleighing song tonight Ah :ingle bells :ingle bells Iingle all the way Ah what fun it is to ride

Be got into a drifted ban' #nd then we got . -. (et it snow Bhen we finally ..goodnight How %0ll hate going out in the 2ut if you0ll really hold me tight #ll the way home %0ll be . The ..is slowly dying #nd my dear we0re still goodbye&ing 2ut as long as you ..me so ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9

Ah the ..outside is frightful 2ut the fire is so delightful #nd since we0-e no ..to go ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9 %t doesn0t show ..of stopping #nd %0-e bought some for popping The .are turned way down low ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9 ?et it snow9 .. Happ New /ear *o more . #nd the firewor's are through Here we are me and you Keeling lost and feeling . %t0s the end of the party #nd the morning seems so .. 7o unli'e yesterday *ow0s the ..for us to say Happy new year Happy new year $ay we all ha-e a -ision now and then Af a world where e-ery . is a friend Happy new year Happy new year $ay we all ha-e our .. our will to try %f we don0t we might as well lay down and die +ou and %

7ometimes % see How the ..new world arri-es #nd % see how it thri-es %n the ..of our li-es Ah yes man is a fool #nd he thin's he0ll be o'ay 8ragging on feet of clay *e-er 'nowing he0s astray Heeps on going anyway... 7eems to me now That the dreams we had .. #re all dead nothing more Than ..on the floor %t0s the end of a .. %n another ten years time Bho can say what we0ll find Bhat lies .down the line %n the end of eighty&nine...