CHRISTMAS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Christmas Day, December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends give each other presents. So, before Christmas all the department stores and shops are crowded, everybody is choosing a present.

In general, people get prepared for this holiday very carefully. They decorate their houses in the traditional way. Christmas trees are set up in houses, in the streets and churches. They are always decorated with fairy lights, angels and small toys. In addition, little packets with nuts, candies and special biscuits are hung on the tree. Presents are put around the tree and artificial «frost» is scattered over the branches.

The Germans are believed to be the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations and Martin Luther was the first to place a star on the top of the tree. This star represents the star appeared over the stable in which Christ was born.

In Great Britain, the Christmas tree became popular while Queen Victoria ruled the country.

Besides the Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe are used to decorate the house. Branches of holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is hung over doors, so the young people have a chance to kiss the girls under it, plucking each time a red berry from the mistletoe. It is said that the girl who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not get married that year.

On the eve of Christmas children hang their stockings, so that Santa Claus could put presents into them: oranges, sweets, nuts and if the child didn't behave properly Santa Claus can put there a piece of coal as punishment.

On Christmas Day at 3.00 in the afternoon, the Queen makes a speech on radio and TV. It is ten minutes long. In it Queen talks to people of United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. British Broadcasting Corporation sends the Queen’s speech to every Commonwealth country. In her speech the Queen talks about the past year.

A 21^st century British Christmas dinner consists of roast turkey with carrots, potatoes, peas, Brussels sprouts and gravy. There are sausages and bacon too. Then, after the turkey, there is Christmas pudding. Some people make these pudding recipes. Some, for example, use a lot of brandy. Others put fruit or add a silver coin for good luck. Pudding is dark, rich mixture of flour, fruit, sugar, nuts. Real Christmas pudding always has a piece of holly on the top. Every young woman in each household helps to stir the Christmas pudding, if she wishes to be married that year. Usually a coin or two are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see who finds it.

Holly bushes and trees have red berries at Christmas time, and so people use holly to decorate their houses for Christmas. The holly on pudding is part of decoration. Before the dinner people usually pull crackers – small rolls of paper that have gifts, jokes and party hats inside.

Santa Claus got his name from a man known as St. Nicolas, who lived in the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor and often to children. After he died, the Dutch brought this legend to colonial America. Soon the Dutch name Sinter Klaus became Santa Claus.

Carol singing is an essential part of Christmas. No church or school is without its carol service. Carols may be traditional or with some variations that express different feelings. Carols were used for the first time during Christmas in the fifteenth century.

Usually children come around in the evening to the front doors and start singing carols and people who live in these houses give children candies, nuts, and pies and so on, to thank them for carol singing.

So, Christmas is a merry family holiday for all the people of Great Britain. Christmas comes but once a year.

Vocabulary Notes
biscuit — сухе печиво
frost — мороз; іній
to scatter — розкидувати, розсипати, посипати

branch — гілка
stable — конюшня; хлів для худоби

holly — бот. падуб
mistletoe — бот. омела (в Англії традиційна прикраса для будинку на Різдво)
to pluck — зривати, щипати, збирати
berry — ягода
eve — переддень
punishment — покарання
wealth — багатство
the Dutch — данці
carol — весела різдвяна пісня
pie — пиріг; амер. торт, солодкий пиріг
turkey — індик
pudding — пудинг, запіканка
household — хазяйство; двір, дім
to stir — мішати, помішувати
coin — монета, дрібна монета
Christmas comes but once a year — прислів’я: Різдво тільки раз на рік.

E x e r c i s e s

I. Answer the questions:

1. Is Christmas a popular holiday in Great Britain?
2. How do people get prepared for this holiday?
3. How is the Christmas tree decorated?
4. Who was the first to use the Christmas tree?
5. When did the Christmas tree become popular in Great Britain?
6. Who was the first to place a star on the top of the Christmas tree?
7. What do children usually do on the eve of Christmas in Great Britain?
8. Where did Santa Claus get his name from?
9. What is the carol?
10. What does a typical Christmas dinner include?

II. Try to sing the English carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas!”

PART III

STRIPS AND STARS

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