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CHRISTMAS
Some cultural notes
Teacher: Inês Carreira
Advent (from the Latin
"arrival“)
It begins on the Sunday
nearest to 30th November (St.
Andrew's Day) and lasts until
Christmas Eve.
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday, celebrated on December 25, that commemorates
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth
The date of commemoration is not
known to be Jesus' actual birthday.
Some national churches
including those of Russia,
Georgia, Egypt, Armenia, the
Ukraine and Serbia celebrate
on January 7.
Christmas marks the
beginning of the larger
season of Christmastide,
which lasts twelve days.
The Christmas tree is probably the
Christianisation of a pagan
tradition and ritual surrounding the
Winter Solstice, which included the
use of evergreen boughs, and an
adaptation of pagan tree worship.
From Germany the custom
was introduced to Britain by
Prince Albert.
In London, near the statue of Lord Nelson in
Trafalgar Square, a giant Christmas tree is set
up and decorated with great ceremony each
year. The tree has been a thank you gift from
the people of Oslo, Norway. During the Second
World War, King Haakon of Norway was forced
into exile in England when the Germans
occupied his country.
Since the 19th century, the
poinsettia, a native plant
from Mexico, has been
associated with Christmas.
QUEEN’S SPEECH
At three o'clock in the afternoon,
the Queen gives her Christmas
Message to the nation which is
broadcast on radio and television.
It is a tradition begun on the radio
in 1932 by George V.
Christmas carols are special songs which are sung during the Christmas season. The
songs are about Jesus and the time when he was born.
Caroling, is singing carols in the street or public places to collect
money for charity. It is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain.
The traditional period to sing carols is from St Thomas's Day (21
December) until the morning of Christmas Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13SaSh_xW2M&feature=related
A Christmas Cracker is a brightly
coloured paper tube, twisted at both
ends. A person pulls on each end of the
cracker and when the cracker breaks, a
small chemical strip goes “Pop” and the
contents fall out.
A traditional British Christmas dinner
includes roast turkey or goose, brussels
sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry
sauce, rich nutty stuffing, tiny sausages
wrapped in bacon (pigs in a blanket)
and hot gravy.
During World War I an unofficial
Christmas truce took place. The
truce began on December 24,
1914, when German troops
decorated around their trenches in
the region of Ypres, Belgium, for
Christmas.
St. Nicholas was a very shy man and wanted
to give money to poor people without them
knowing about it. It is said that one day, he
climbed the roof of a house and dropped a
purse of money down the chimney. It landed in
the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the
fire!
Father Christmas is the British
version of Santa Claus. He is an
old jolly man with white hair and a
beard. He is dressed in a red* suit.
Father Christmas and his elves
make all the toys for Christmas in
the North Pole.
BOXING DAY
An 'Alms Box' was placed in every
church on Christmas Day, into which
worshippers placed a gift for the poor
of the parish. These boxes were
opened the day after Christmas.
Many poorly paid workers had to
work on Christmas Day and took
the next day off to visit their
families. Their employers would
then present them with
Christmas boxes.
In Canada, New Zealand, the United
Kingdom, and some states of Australia,
Boxing Day is primarily known as a
shopping holiday. It is a time where
shops have sales, often with dramatic
price decreases.
Merry Christmas and
a Happy New
Year