CHRISTMAS

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CHRISTMAS
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• The word Christmas COMES from the words
  Christs Mass the celebration of the birth of
  Jesus Christ.

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• in pre-Christian times in Northern Europe A
  Christmas tree as symbols of eternal life. Martin
  Luther was the first to place a star on the top
  of the tree. This was to represent the star that
  came to rest over the stable in which Christ was
  born.

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• The custom of kissing the one you love under the
  mistletoe may come from the Norse myth of Balder
  and Loki. Balder, the sun god, was killed by an
  arrow of mistletoe made by the god of evil, Loki.
  Balder, however, was brought back to life, and
  mistletoe was told never to harm Balder again.

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• Holly, a well-known Christmas decoration today,
  has Christian associations. In Norwegian, Swedish
  and Danish, holly is known as Christs thorns,
  the legend being that Christ wore a crown of
  holly thorns before his death. It also symbolizes
  everlasting life because it bares berries in
  winter.

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• The Bible says that Mary had trouble finding
  shelter on the night Jesus was born. So on
  Christmas Eve, some people light candles in the
  window. The candles symbolize a welcome to cold
  and tired travelers.

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• Carol singing is an essential part of Christmas.
  St. Francis of Assisi, in Italy, set up the
  Gospel at the scene. Today, people still sing
  some of those early carols.

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• This jolly fellow gets his name from a man known
  as St. Nicholas. He lived in western Asia during
  the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the
  poor. After he died, his feast day was celebrated
  with gifts giving. The Dutch brought this legend
  to America. Soon his Dutch name, Sinter Klaas,
  became Santa Claus .

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• Everyone decorates his house before the holiday.
  Can you tell the meaning of the symbols used for
  decoration?

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• December 25th is the most exciting day of the
  year for most English children. Traditionally
  they hang stockings at the end of the bed on
  Christmas Eve and in the morning they check if
  the stockings has been filled with small toys,
  fruit and sweets. Larger toys will be nearby.

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• December 26th is called the Boxing Day, the day
  when traditionally people give each other
  Christmas presents, which used to come in boxes.

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• Before the sixteenth century the Christmas dinner
  consisted of a boars head followed by roasted
  peacock. But coming from the New World the
  sailors brought a turkey which became the
  traditional British Christmas dinner.
• the great British plum pudding doesnt contain
  plums or prunes (as it used to consist of) Now
  the ingredients are currants, raisins,
  sultanas, eggs and spices. Some families make the
  pudding a year before they intend to eat it. Into
  the mixture go coins as well. The lucky eater
  finds a sixpence, the unlucky eater swallows it .

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• This presentation was created by Julia Kraus for
  http//www.keytoenglish.ru