The theme: “Christmas”

T: Christmas. A day that’s forever brand new.

A moment of magic in all our lives when the wonder of love rules the Earth.

It’s a special time when we wish you and your families love, health and happiness. People wish a “Merry Christmas” to each other and sing special songs and carols.

Let’s sing a song “We wish you a Merry Christmas”!

Christmas is a religious holiday and one of the happiest holidays of the year, because it is the day when the christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

T: Who wants to retell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ? Well. This story we can divide into two parts. …Will you tell the first part and ….. retell the second part.

St: The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: ….

St: -….

T: Now the rhyme “What Child is this?” Well done.

Everybody knows that British people care a lot of about their traditions and history.

The same is true for Christmas.

What Child is This?

What child is this
Who lay to rest
On Mary's lap asleeping.
Whom angels sing their anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King!
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him, Lord.
The babe, the son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant, King, to owe him.
The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high!
The Virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born
The babe, the son of Mary.

One of the oldest english carol is “The twelve days of Christmas”.

What have you found about this carol in the dictionary?

St: The twelve days of Christmas – is a traditional song of ten sung at Christmas. It about a person who receives a gift for each of the twelve days of Christmas.

T: Read this rhyme. Oh, that’s great!(Students read from 1 to 6.)

T: Do you know the song “Jingle bells?”

How do you like it? Could you explain what makes it special?

St: I think that ….

T: Let’s sing “Jingle bells”. Oh, that’s lovely!

“Jingle bells”
by John Dirpont, 1857

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail 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 !

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was sitting by my side.
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune was his lot.
He got into a snowdrift bank - and we? We got upsot!

T: Thank you. That’s great!

Everybody knows about Christmas.

Everybody knows about Santa, presents, goodwill, stockings, reindeer, holly and so on.

But do you know who the original Santa Claus was?

Or the original title of the Night before Christmas?

Test yourself with this Christmas questions.

1. Question: Medieval English Christmas pantomimes did not include which character?

A) St. Nicholas.

B) The Bold Slasher.

C) Father Christmas.

D) The Turkish Knight.

Answer:

A) St. Nicholas. In Medieval England, Nicolas was just another saint – he had not yet metamorphosed into Santa Claus and had nothing to do with Christmas.

2. Question: One notable medieval English Christmas celebration featured:

A) giant, 165 – pound pie.

B) Snowball fights between rival courtiers.

C) A swimming race across the English Channel.

D) Huge crackers that sometimes exploded fatally.

Answer:

A) A giant, 165 – pound pie. The giant pie was nine feet in diameter. Its ingredients included 2 bushels of flour, 20 pounds of butter, 4 geese, 2 rabbits, 4 wild ducks, 2 woodcocks, 6 snipes, 4 partridges, 2 neats‘ tongues, 2 curlews, 6 pigeons and 7 blackbirds.

3.Question: Which of the following was not one of the Three Kings?

А) Caspar.

B) Balthazar.

C) Teleost.

D) Melchior.

Answer: C) Teleost. A Teleost is actually a bony fish.

4.Question: In Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, the nutcracker’s main enemy is:

А) A girl called Clara.

B) The King of the Mice.

C) Dr. Almond.

D) Drosselmeyer the magician.

Answer: B) The King of the Mice. The King of the Mace, usually represented with seven heads, leads his troops against the nutcracker’s toy soldiers, but loses the battle when Clara, the heroine, stuns him with a hurled shoe.

5.Question: At Christmas, it is customary to exchange kisses beneath a sprig of which plant?

А) Ivy.

B) Yew.

C) Holly.

D) Mistletoe

Answer: D) Mistletoe. Mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship in ancient Scandinavia, which may account for the practice of kissing beneath it.

6.Question: Who was the author of A Christmas Carol?

А) Mark Twain.

B) Charles Dickens.

C) Hans Christian Andersen.

D) Thomas M. Sawyer.

Answer: B) Charles Dickens. After A Christmas Carol Dickens wrote several other Christmas stories, one each year, but none was as successful as the original.

7.Question: For the winter solstice, Druids in ancient Britain would gather a forest plant that we now associate with Christmas. It was:

А) Holly.

B) Ivy.

C) Mistletoe.

D) Poinsettia.

Answer: C) Mistletoe. In the time of the Druids, mistletoe was believed to have magical properties. People who met under a tree bearing mistletoe were forbidden to fight, even if they were enemies, and anyone who entered a home decorated with mistletoe was entitled to shelter and protection. Mistletoe may even have been part of Druidic wedding ceremonies.

8 .Question: The poem commonly known as The Night Before Christmas was originally titled:

А) Santa’s Secret Visit.

B) A Visit from St. Nicholas.

C) The Night Before Christmas.

D) The Midnight Guest.

Answer: B) A Visit from St. Nicholas. This poem was written by Clement Moore for his children and some guests, one of whom anonymously sent the poem to a New York newspaper for publication.

T: Say a few words about “The Night before Christmas”.

St: “The Night before christmas” – a poem by Clement Moore, which is well – know to many American children. It presents the traditional image of Santa Claus as a cheerful fat man who travels through the sky at christmas bringing gifts. It begins:..

The Night Before Christmas”

by Clement Moore

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;
And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap;
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

T: Well done!

Let’s sing a popular x-mas carol about Christ when he was a baby with his mother.

It’s “ Silent Night”

“Silent Night”

Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber

Silent night. Holy night,
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

T: Oh, that’s was marvellous.

T: I’d like to draw your attention to the table. Рис.1. Generally speaking there are symbols, sounds, plants and colors of x-mas. The following scheme may come helpful.

Рис. 1

How can you prove that … is the symbol of x – mas?
Do you agree with her (his) point of view? Why?

T: How do you celebrate x-mas in your family?

You are welcome to use your own facts to pack up your viewpoints. The following scheme may come helpful.

• First of all…..
• Because I’m fond of ….
• It’s important for me
• Then……

T: Now, look at the second table.

It’s x - mas puzzle. Рис.2

Рис. 2

Please, spell the word reindeer (chimney, sleigh, gifts).

What’s the meaning of this word?

There are two synonyms. Find them.

chimney	santa	jinglebells
reindeer	toys	presents
stocking	gifts	star
December	sleigh

Synonym - the word with the same meaning.

Answer:

presents – a thing given to somebody as a gift

gifts – a thing given willingly without payment (a present).