New Year's Eve [i:v] — вечер накануне Нового года;
resolution [,rez3'lu:Jn] — решение (что-либо делать);
on purpose - с целью.
IX. *Read and speak about the way you celebrated the New Year using the questions as a plan:
· What kind of New Year party did you have at school?
· Did you help to prepare it?
· Did you enjoy yourself at the party? What did you like?
· Did you have a family party on New Year's Eve?
· How many people were at the party?
· What did you wish each other at 12 o'clock?
· How long did you watch the New Year concert on TV?
X. Answer the questions:
· If New Year parties are as popular as Christmas ones?
· What is the name of New Year's Eve in Scotland?
· Is the First Foot a proper name?
· Who receives the name "the First Foot"?
· What superstitions (предрассудки) do British people have?
· Do the Russians have a similar tradition?
XI. *Tell your pen-friend how do you celebrate the New Year in your country?
XII. Portfolio: Write a paragraph about the New Year in your country. Include:
• Name of festival • date • reason • activities • food • any other special traditions involved
I. Read the text.
Easter is the most important Christian holiday. By tradition it is associated with EASTER EGGS and with arrival of spring. The majority of churches are decorated before Easter service colors. In many cities national festivals and fairs are held There are a lot of different entertainments in this day, for example, driving on roundabouts, knocking down by a sphere of subjects, riding a mechanical horse. Flower processions pass along the streets. At the end of the day Princess of Easter is chosen.
People in England celebrate Easter every spring. Easter lasts for a three most important days are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday week. The and Easter Sunday.
On Maundy Thursday, the king or queen of England gives money to poor people. This tradition is very old. On Good Friday, people eat fish instead of meat. They also eat special hot cakes with a cross on the top. They call these cakes hot cross buns. On Easter Sunday, people eat a traditional roast dinner with lamb, potatoes and vegetables. They also give each other chocolate Easter eggs.
Easter is fun for children. They often decorate real eggs in pretty colours or make colourful hats, called Easter bonnets. They can also have an Easter egg hunt outside. Parents hide Easter eggs in their gardens and the children try to find as many as they can and put them in their Easter basket. People tell their children that the Easter Bunny brings the eggs! Bunnies, or rabbits, are symbols of spring. Easter is a wonderful celebration. It is lots of fun for all the family.
II. Read again and find: • seven food items. • the name of a game • the name of an animal related to Easter.
III. *Tell your pen-friend how do you celebrate Easter in your country?
IV. Portfolio: Write a paragraph about this holyday in your country. Include:
• name of place • name of festival • date • reason • activities • any other special traditions involved
I. Read the story.
The most favourite holiday is Christmas. Every year the people (if Norway give the city of London a present. It's a big Christmas tree and it stands in the Trafalgar Square.
Before Christmas, gr6ups of singers go from house to house. They collect money for charities' and sing carols, traditional Christmas songs Many churches hold a service on the Sunday before Christmas.
The fun starts the night before, on the 24th of December. Traditionally this is the day when people decorate their trees. Children hang stockings at their beds, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and fill them with toys and sweets.
Christmas is a family holiday. All the family usually meet for the big Christmas dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents. The 26th of December, Boxing Day, is an extra holiday after Christmas. It's the time to visit friends and relatives. This day postmen and servants receive their presents in the boxes.
If you try to catch a train on 24th of December you may have difficulty in finding a seat. This is the day when many people are traveling 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 of winter.
On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes carol-singers can be heard on the streets as they collect money for charity. People are reminded of Charles Dickens' story "Christmas Carol". Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room, glittering with coloured lights and decorations.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24th December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts. They are usually not
disappointed! At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. They will probably pull a cracker with another member of the family. It will make a loud crack and a coloured hat, small toy and joke will fall out!
Later in the afternoon they may watch the Queen on television as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. If they have room for even more food they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie. 26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.
II. Answer the questions:
· When is Christmas celebrated?
· What are traditional Christmas songs called in Britain?
· What do children leave at the foot of their beds and why?
· What kind of holiday is Christmas?
· Do British people try to be together with their families on that day?
· In what way do children receive their Christmas presents?
· What do people of Great Britain usually have for Christmas dinner?
· Whose speech do people of the UK have an opportunity to listen to?
III. Find in the text the words which help to understand
the main idea of the celebrations devoted to Christmas.
IV. *Speak about this holiday in Russia. (Do it in pairs.)
V. Do you know what the difference between the New Year holiday and Christmas is? And I thought that maybe you didn't know it either (тоже не знаешь). Read the one more story about Christmas.
Christmas is one of the most popular English holidays. It is celebrated on the 25th of December. In Britain this day was a festival long before Christianity [,knsti'aeniti] was introduced. The ancient Angles began the year on that day. And the night was called "mother's night". Later this day became a Christian religious holiday — the birthday of Christ.
Nowadays this holiday is not purely religious. On Christmas Eve all the people hurry home to spend the evening in the family. It's a time for eating, drinking and making merry. Just like our New Year
party. People exchange presents, send each other Christmas cards with pictures of Santa Claus, Christmas robins, branches of holly with red berries.
Christmas with its tradition of giving presents is the most expensive festival of the year. There are big Christmas trees everywhere, especially in shops, and Santa Clauses ringing their bells, greeting people and inviting them to shops to gold bells, greeting people and inviting them to shops to buy presents.
On Christmas morning children find presents from Santa Claus in stockings specially prepared for them.
In small towns and villages carol singers walk from house to house singing, dancing and collecting money for the poor.
The Christmas pantomime ['paentomaim] is another tradition at the festival. Last but not least: wishes. For example: "Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"
to celebrate [selibreit] — праздновать;
long before Christianity was introduced—задолго до введения христианства;
Christ [kraist] —Христос;
Christmas Eve [iv] —канун Рождества;
robin ['robin] —малиновка, зарянка;
holly — остролист;
Last but not least — Последнее по порядку, но не по значимости
VI. Well, these two holidays are very much alike (во многом похожи, одинаковы), aren't they? But they are different at the same time (в то же время), aren't they?
VII. * Do you know anything like carol f singing in Slavonic traditions?
VIII. Choose correct variant:
1 The tradition of putting up a tree at Christmas is from:
A Germany В Finland
2 In North America, children put stockings out at Christmas time. Children in the Netherlands use:
A Old hats B shoes
3 The poinsettia, a traditional Christmas flower, comes from:
A Canada В Mexico
4 Which name does NOT belong to one of Santa's reindeers?
A Klaxon В Blitzen
5 In Syria, Christmas gifts are brought by:
A. Father. Christmas В one of the Wise Men's camels
6 According to English tradition, Santa Claus lives at
A the South Pole В the North Pole
7 Who isn't one of the Three Kings?
A Baleus В Gaspar
8 At Christmas, tradition says to kiss under the:
A poinsettia В mistletoe
9 Who is the author of A Christmas Carol?
A Mark Twain В Charles Dickens
10 How many reindeer has Santa got?
A ten В eight
IX. * Send an e-mail to Santa asking for your Christmas present! Write your e-mail at http://www.northpolar.com (Ask Santa)
X. Portfolio: Write a paragraph about Christmas in your country. Include:
• name of festival • date • reason • activities • special food • gifts • any other special traditions involved
XI. *Look at the song, learn it.
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go laughing all the way.
The bells on bob tail ring making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.
Chorus
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.