2. History of Christmas in Grate Britain
Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus.
'Jesus is the Reason for the Season', it is history!
Every year in December British celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That is why English call this time of year 'Christmas' - they celebrate the 'Mass', or church service, for Christ.
The word Christmas (or Christ's Mass) comes from the Old English name Cristes Maesse - Christ's Mass - and is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The first recorded observance occurred in Rome in AD360, but it wasn't until AD440 that the Christian Church fixed a celebration date of December 25.
Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries. Most people are on holiday in England stay at home with their family on Christmas day.
Interesting facts…
The abbreviation for Christmas to X-mas is derived from the Greek alphabet. X is the letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek alphabet.
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December in England, with a Christmas dinner for the whole family.
During the weeks before Christmas Day, they send cards, watch nativity plays and go to carol services. People also decorate our homes and churches with green leaves, paper decorations and colourful electric lights.
Many of English Christmas customs began long before Jesus was born. They came from earlier festivals which had nothing to do with the Christian church. Long time ago people had mid-winter festivals when the days were shortest and the sunlight weakest. They believed that their ceremonies would give the sun back its power. The Romans, for example, held the festival of Saturnlia around 25 December. They decorated their homes with evergreens to remind them of Saturn, their harvest god, to return the following spring.
Some of these customs and traditions were adopted by early Christians as part of their celebrations of Jesus' birthday.
In Victorian times some new ideas such as Father Christmas, Christmas cards and crackers were added to the celebrations.
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night is when all Christmas Decorations should be removed so as not to bring bad luck upon the home. If decorations are not removed on Twelfth Night, they should stay up all year.
Interesting facts…
Until the 19th century, people would keep decorations of holly, ivy, box, yew, laurel and mistletoe up until February 2nd, Candlemas Day, the end of the Christmas season, 40 days after the birth of Jesus.
In the reign of Victoria decorations came down on Twelfth Night and generally were burnt.
When is Twelfth Night?
Twelfth Night is the evening of the 5th January
"The evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merrymaking".
Why is Twelfth Night on the 5th January and not the 6th (Twelfth Day)?
It is only with their modern understanding of astronomy and time keeping that they start a new day in the middle of the night. To their ancient ancestors, the end of day was when the sun went down. The oncoming night was the beginning of the next day. Nights were actually part of the holiday i.e. the next day. Christmas, started at sunset on December 24. They considered this to be Christmas Evening (or Christmas Eve). Christmas would then continue until nightfall on the 25th which started St. Stephen's Day, the first of the twelve days of Christmas.
To their ancient ancestors, the Twelfth night after Christmas would have been the evening starting January 6, Epiphany, the twelfth and final day of the Christmas season.
The actual date for Twelfth Night has caused much confusion for years and still does today. This is because our modern understanding of the words 'eve' and 'night' mean something different to what our ancient ancestors considered them to be.
For us the night or evening follows the day.
From Christmas to Epiphany
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The period between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th) was traditionally the time to celebrate. It was a time of feasting and a time when the rich were supposed to share what they had with the poor (Boxing Day).
A Time for parties and to play tricks
In England, people used to have parties on Twelfth Night and it was traditional to play practical jokes. These included tricks such as hiding live birds in an empty pie case, so that they flew away when your startled guests cut open the crusts (as in the nursery rhyme "Sing A Song of Sixpence" goes, "…the pie was opened and the birds began to sing".
Twelfth Night Cake
In England, the Twelfth Night cake was a rich and dense fruitcake which traditionally contained a bean. If you got the bean then you were King or Queen of the Bean and everyone had to do what you told them to do.
There were also other items in the cake:
If you got a clove you were a villain.
If you got a twig you were a fool.
If you got a rag you were a tarty girl.
Twelfth Night Plays
Twelfth Night itself was a traditional day for plays or "mummings," and it is thought that Shakespeare's play took its name from the fact that it was first performed as part of Twelfth Night celebrations about 1601.
The Yule Log
The Yule log, lit on Christmas day, remained burning until Twelfth Night in order to bring good fortune to the house for the coming year. Its charred remains were kept, both to kindle the next year's Yule log, as well as to protect the house from fire and lightning.
Traditional Foods
Traditional Twelfth Night foods served in England include anything spicy or hot, like ginger snaps and spiced ale.
January 6 is Twelfth Day
Twelfth Day is the last day of Christmas and marks the end of the Christian festivals as its name tells us, it is the sixth of January - just twelve days after Christmas Day.
This day is the feast of Epiphany. On this day all people remember the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus.
3. Traditions and customs then and now
3.1. History of Decorations
To celebrate Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day many people decorate their homes.
Traditional Colours to decorate with red and green are the traditional colours of Christmas. Green represents the continuance of life through the winter and the Christian belief in eternal life through Jesus. Red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed at His Crucifixion.
Preparing for Christmas Day
In the weeks leading up to and during Christmas, people hang decorations in their homes. These decorations are made of coloured paper or foil.
Foil or paper chains hang across the ceiling.
People will also hang greenery around the house, such as holly and ivy. The needlelike points of holly leaves are thought to resemble the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when He was crucified. The red berries symbolize the drops of blood Jesus shed.
Interesting facts…
In 1647 Christmas was banned in England, and anyone found making Christmas pies or putting up Christmas decorations, was in serious trouble, and often arrested as an example to others.
Traditional Decorations
Evergreen is a symbol of life and is taken from the old midwinter festival which encourages the return of sun which is another reason why they often use holly, mistletoe and ivy to decorate our houses.
Ancient people were fascinated by the way evergreens stayed green through all the bleak days of winter. It proved to them that these trees were still alive and reminded them that spring would come again.
Mistletoe
The Druids, who lived in Britain in pre-Christian times, are responsible for the use of mistletoe at Christmas. They worshipped the oak tree and as mistletoe grew on oak trees they regarded it as a very special plant and thought it possessed magical qualities that kept the sleeping oak alive during the cold winter days. They believed chopping down an oak tree covered in mistletoe promised death to the woodcutter within the year.
Kissing under the Mistletoe
The Druids dedicated mistletoe to the Goddess of Love, which explains the kissing that goes on under it. Originally, when a boy kissed a girl, he plucked a berry from the cluster and presented it to her. When the berries were gone, so were the kisses.
A traditional rhyme about mistletoe is:
'Pick a berry off the mistletoe
For every kiss that's given.
When the berries have all gone
There's an end to kissing.'
Victorians bound the mistletoe to a frame to make a "kissing ring." Each time a gentleman caught a lady under the mistletoe, he was allowed to claim a kiss.
Holly
The Holly, from ancient times, was used by people in Britain to protect their homes from evil spirits. Witches and warlocks are said to be deterred from entering by the holly's prickly leaves and also by its reputation for holiness (the word "holly" comes from holy).
It is bad luck to bring holly or ivy into the house before 24 December.
3.2 Christmas Trees
Most houses in England will have a tree of some sort or other which they will decorate and will place the presents under.
The traditional tree is a fir tree but now-a-days more people buy artificial trees to 'save the earth'. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping.
The Christmas tree became popular in England in 1841 when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, brought a Christmas tree over from Germany and put it in Windsor Castle. The Royal couple was illustrated in a newspaper standing around the Christmas tree with their children, and the tradition of decorating a tree became fashionable.
Decorations on Christmas Trees
The Christmas trees, during the Victorian times, were decorated with candles to remind children of the stars in the sky at the time of the birth of Jesus. Using candles was, of course, a great fire hazard.
Christmas trees were also decorated with candies and cakes hung with ribbon. In 1880 Woolworths first sold manufactured Christmas tree ornaments which proved to be very popular.
Today, Christmas trees are decorated with tinsel, lights and small ornaments which hang from the branches. Chocolate coins or chocolate shapes are also hung on the Christmas tree and the presents are put under the tree. An angel or star is usually put on the very top of the tree.
The most Famous Christmas Tree in Britain.
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 is 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 1947, Norway has expressed its thanks for the help of the British people by continuing to send a huge Norwegian spruce to be shared by all.
Interesting facts…
Trees were decorated with apples, cakes and sweets for many centuries. Recycling Christmas Trees
Christmas trees are biodegradable - the trunk and branches can be used as mulch for gardens. The mulch provides a protect barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.
3.3Christmas Eve (December 24) is traditionally the day for decorating churches and homes. It marks the beginning of the period formally known as Christmas-tide.
Christmas traditionally started at sunset on December 24. Ancient ancestors considered this to be Christmas Evening (or Christmas Eve).
An Exciting time for Children projectbritain.com
Night time on Christmas Eve is a very exciting time for young children. It is the time when Father Christmas (Santa) comes. copyrightofprojectbritain.com
The children leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer.
From 1870 children have hung up Christmas stockings at the ends of their beds or along the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Today, children still hang Christmas stockings or bags up ready for Father Christmas, who will hopefully fill them up with presents, if the children have been good. The children then go to sleep and wait for Christmas morning to see if he has been.
Why do the children in England hang up Christmas stockings?
Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.
3.4 Christmas Day
Christmas presents are opened on Christmas Day
This is the favourite day of all children. They wake up very early in the morning to find their stockings have been filled by Father Christmas and excitedly unwrap the presents before going down to breakfast.
Family presents are opened either late morning or during the afternoon. The family gather together to open the presents found under the Christmas tree.
Why do they give presents?
The tradition of giving gifts is thought to be related to the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus.
Interesting facts…
Up until the 1960's is was compulsory for all Roman Catholics to attend a Mass on Christmas Day. The law for this compulsory attendance was passed during the 16th century.
In 1551, playing sport on Christmas Day was made illegal. This law was later ignored.
In 1834, Christmas Day became one of only four days on which banks closed. The Bank Holiday Act of 1871 extended the official Christmas holiday to include the following day (Boxing Day).
The Queen's Speech
A traditional feature of Christmas afternoon is the Queen's Christmas Message. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Queen gives her Christmas Message to the nation which is broadcast on radio and television. The Queen's message is also broadcast throughout the British Commonwealth. The custom was begun by King George V in 1932.
The Queen has made a Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film `Royal Family' was shown and a written message from The Queen issued.
History of Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith in 1846.
During a visit to Paris he came across the bob-bon, a sugar almond wrapped in tissue paper (with a twist either side of the centrally placed sweet). Thomas decided to try selling similarly wrapped sweets in the lead up to Christmas in England. His bon-bons sold well at Christmas but not at other times of the year
In the early 1850s Thomas came up with the idea of including a motto with the sweet. As many of his bon-bons were bought by men to give to women, many of the mottos were simple love poems.
In about 1860, Thomas added the banger, two strips of chemically impregnated paper that made a loud noise on being pulled apart. At first these novelties were called 'cosaques', but they soon became known as 'crackers'. projectbritain.com
Unfortunately for Thomas, his 'cracker' idea was copied by other manufactures and so he decided to replace the sweet with a surprise gift.
When Thomas died his two sons took over the business. The paper hat was added to the cracker the early 1900s and by the end of the 1930s the love poems had been replaced by jokes or limericks.
The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on Christmas Day.
Why to the English wear king's paper crowns on Christmas Day?
People wear paper hats on special occasions like Christmas Day and birthday parties. The tradition of wearing hats at parties goes back to the Roman Saturnalia celebrations (celebrated around 25 December) when the participants also wore hats.
The idea of wearing a paper crown may have originated from the Twelfth Night celebrations, where a King or Queen was appointed to look over the proceedings.
The paper crown hats british wear today are found inside the Christmas crackers. Crackers are very traditional items to have at Christmas. A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people and each one contains a small toy, a joke or motto, and a tissue-paper crown hat, usually a crown.
Advent CandlesAn Advent Candle has 25 marks. Every day it is lit and is burned down by one mark each day.
3.5Traditional Christmas dinner
Christmas Dinner
The whole family sits down for Christmas dinner at mid-day.
The Christmas Dinner is the main Christmas meal and it is usually eaten at mid-day or early afternoon.
A traditional Christmas dinner includes roast turkey, brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, rich nutty stuffing, tiny sausages wrapped in bacon and lashings of hot gravy. For pudding (dessert) there's always a rich, fruity pudding which you douse in flaming brandy – said to ward off evil spirits.
Traditional Christmas Eve Drink
To add good cheer to the merry-making of English Christmases, posset was drunk on Christmas Eve. It was made of hot milk combined with spices, lemon and sugar, and bits of oatcake and bread was added.
The posset was taken with a spoon, and lucky, indeed, was the fortunate youth or maiden who drew out the lucky coin or the wedding-ring which had been dropped in the posset-pot!
During the 19th century, on Christmas Eve, the custom was to offer each caroling guest a posset cup and a piece of apple pie or tart.
1.4 cups milk2.4 tablespoons sugar3.4 slices toast4.1 teaspoon cinnamon5.4 cups of beer (preferably ale)
Heat the milk, sugar, and toast in a saucepan, but don't let it boil. Stir the cinnamon and beer together in a punch bowl.
Discard the toast. Pour the hot milk over the ale and stir. Drink from mugs while warm. Serves 8-10.
Some posset contained raw eggs. The egg-nog (eggs beaten with sugar, milk or cream, and some kind of spirit) is a modern form of this drink. (In Britain, nog is slang for ale.)
3.6 Church Services and Christmas Carols
Many people will go to church to sing carols and to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. More people attend the church on this day than any other day of the year. People put on their best clothes to go to church.
English have special songs which they sing during the Christmas season. The songs are known as carols and they are about Jesus and the time when he was born. They were written for a special purpose, often to accompany performances of religious dramas dating from medieval times.
Caroling (singing carols in the street) is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain, going back to the Middle Ages when beggars, seeking food, money, or drink, would wander the streets singing holiday songs. copyrightfprojectain.com
In the Middle Ages, carols were dances accompanied by singing. It is thought that they were introduced to England from France.
Over the years, the word 'carol' changed its meaning, referring only to certain kinds of songs, the word carol became known as Christmas songs.
Christmas Carols were once banned
Christmas carols were banned between 1647 and 1660 in England by Oliver Cromwell who thought that Christmas should be a solemn day.
The tradition of carol singers going from door to door came about because they were banned from churches in the Middle Ages. Cop
yrightfrojctbritain.com
Carol Singing
People today still go carol singing. This is where people go from house to house singing carols and collecting money for charity.
The traditional period to sing carols was from St Thomas's Day (December 21) until the morning of Christmas Day. copyrightofojectbritain.com
Carol Service
Probably the most famous carol service is 'The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols' held in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. It takes place on Christmas Eve and always begins with the carol, 'Once in Royal David's City' sung by a solo chorister.
Interesting facts…
St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to formal church services.
What does the word carol mean?
The word carol comes from the ancient Greek chorus, which means "dancing in a circle," and from the Old French word carole, meaning "a song to accompany dancing”.
Biggest selling Christmas Carol
White Christmas by Irving Berlin is the biggest-selling Christmas song of all time. It is estimated to have sold approximately 350 million copies on record and sheet music.
The Story of the Silent Night Carol.
The carol Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" for the first time.
The first instrument on which the carol "Silent Night" was played was a guitar.
Other Christmas Carols
1843 - O Come all ye Faithful
1848 - Once in Royal David's City
1851 - See Amid the Winters Snow
1868 - O Little Town of Bethlehem
1883 - Away in a Manger
3.7 Advent Calendars
What is advent?
Advent is the start of the Christmas season in Britain. It begins four Sundays before Christmas.
The first sign of Christmas in a British home is the children's advent calendar. It starts on the first day of December. The calendars are a fun way to help children to know when Christmas Eve will arrive, an important night for them because Father Christmas will visit those bringing gifts.
An Advent calendar is a poster or card with twenty-four small doors, one to be opened each day from December 1 until Christmas Eve. Each door conceals a picture. Every morning children open 1 window of the calendar to see a pretty picture or find a chocolate inside.
This popular tradition arose in Germany in the late 1800s and soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Originally, the images in Advent calendars were derived from the Hebrew Bible.
Many Advent calendars today have no religious content. Now, alongside traditional Advent calendars depicting angels and biblical figures are those whose doors open to display teddy bears, pieces of chocolate, or photos of pop stars.
People around the world send Christmas Cards to their friends and family.
Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often winter pictures, Father Christmas, or jokes.
In England have cards which are traditional e.g. pictures of the nativity scene; formal e.g. a painted picture of a winter scene or Christmas Tree; cute e.g. a snow scene with cute little animals or funny e.g. Rudolf throwing snowballs at Father Christmas or on the sleigh. .com
3.8 History of Christmas Cards
The first Christmas card was created and sent in 1843. A man named John Calcott Horsely printed the first Christmas card for Sir Henry Cole, the friend who had given him the idea. Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy British businessman, wanted a card he could proudly send to friends and professional acquaintances to wish them a "Merry Christmas."
The card depicted a typical English family enjoying the holiday, and people performing acts of charity. An important part of Victorian Christmas spirit. A thousand copies of the card were printed and sold for one shilling. This is reportedly the first Christmas card to be produced and sold to the public.
So who sent the first ever Christmas card?
Sir Henry Cole sent the first ever Christmas card. John Calcott Horsely printed the first ever Christmas card. copyrighfojectbritain.com
3.9Who is Santa Claus?
Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, 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! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings. ofprojectbritain.com
When the Dutch introduced Sinter Klaas to the Americans they called him Santa Claus.
What are the different names of Father Christmas/ Santa Claus?
Father Christmas is called different names around the world. The most popular name now-a-days is Santa Claus.
Austria: Christkind ("Christ child")
Belgium: Sinterklaas
Canada: Santa Claus; Père Noël ("Father Christmas")
Denmark: Julemanden
Finland: Joulupukki
France: Père Noël ("Father Christmas");
Germany: Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man"); Christkind in southern Germany
Hungary: Mikulás ("Nicholas"); Jézuska or Kis Jézus ("child Jesus")
Italy: Babbo Natale ("Father Christmas"); La Befana
Netherlands & Flanders: Sinterklaas
Norway: Julenissen
Poland: Swiety Mikolaj
Portugal: Pai Natal ("Father Christmas")
Russia: Ded Moroz, "Grandfather Frost
Spain: Papa Noel
Sweden: Jultomten
Switzerland: Christkind
United Kingdom: Father Christmas; Santa Claus
United States: Santa Claus
3.10 Who is Father Christmas?
Father Christmas is British version of Santa Claus. He is an old jolly man with white hair, a beard and a moustache. He is dressed in a red suit outlined in white. Father Christmas and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in the North Pole.
Interesting facts…
The red coat is 'new'. Images of Father Christmas prior to about 1880 most pictures showed him with a green coat. The red became the most popular colour after the US introduction by Coca Cola during the 1930s.
How do you know what Father Christmas looks like?
People owe much about what they know about the Father Christmas today to the Americans of the 19th Century. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore described what he imagined Father Christmas to look like in a poem.
The poem is often referred to as 'The Night Before Christmas', but originally it was titled 'A Visit from St Nicholas'.
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,And he looked like a peddler just opening his sack.
His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.He had a broad face, and a little round bellyThat shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.He was chubby and plump,--a right jolly old elf--And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself
History of Father Christmas in England
Father Christmas was originally part of an old English midwinter festival, normally dressed in green, a sign of the returning spring. He was known as 'Sir Christmas', 'Old Father Christmas' or Old Winter'.
In this earliest form, Father Christmas was not the bringer of gifts for small children, nor did he come down the chimney. He simply wandered around from home to home, knocking on doors and feasting with families before moving on to the next house.
The Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is based on Father Christmas. He is described as a large man with a red beard and fur-lined green robe.
Father Christmas, the man English know today dressed in red, became known in England during the 1870's.
Children visit Father Christmas in shops
In shops or at children's parties, someone dresses up as Father Christmas and gives small presents to children and ask them what gifts they want for Christmas.
How do children write to Father Christmas?
Children write letters to Father Christmas to tell him what they would like for Christmas. Some children will send their letters by post or e-mail but the more traditional way is to throw the letters into the back of the fireplace. The draught then carries the letters up the chimney to Father Christmas. copyrightfprojectbritain.com
What happens on Christmas Eve?
On Christmas eve Father Christmas piles all of the toys onto his sleigh and rides across the sky with his reindeers. The most famous one is Rudolf, the reindeer at the front who leads the way with his red nose. ofrojectbritain.com
He enters British houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in stockings (large socks) or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.
5. Vocabulary of Christmas words
advent – the arrival of someone or something important
Advent – the coming (or second coming) of Jesus Christ; the month leading up to Christmas
angel – a spiritual being acting as a messenger of God(usually shown as a human being with wings)
berry- a small round fruit
Bethlehem- the small town in the Middle East believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ
Candle- a cylinder of wax with a central wick (like string) which burns to produce light
Chimney- a vertical pipe in a house that allows smoke and gases to escape from a fireplace (Father Christmas traditionally enters a house through its chimney)
Christ- the title of Jesus (also used as His name)
Christian- a person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective
Christianity- the religion based on the teachings and person of Jesus Christ
Christmas-the annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (Christmas Day is on 25 December in Western Christianity)
Christmas cake- a rich fruit cake covered with white icing, eaten at
Christmas card - a greetings card that people send to friends and family at Christmas time
Christmas carol- a religious song or popular hymn that people sing at Christmas time
Christmas Day- 25 December, the birthday of Jesus Christ
Christmas Eve – the evening or day before Christmas Day (24 December)
Christmas holidays- the holiday period for about a week before and after Christmas Day
Christmas present – a gift or present given at Christmas
Christmas tree – an evergreen tree (often a spruce) that people decorate with lights and ornaments at Christmas
Cracker – a decorate paper tube that makes a sharp noise (crack!) and releases a small toy when two people pull it apart
decoration – something that adds beauty ; ornament
eggnog – a tradition Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk
Father Christmas – an imaginary being who brings presents for children on the night before Christmas Day (also known as Santa Claus) – traditionally an old man with a red suit and white beard
Fireplace – a party enclosed space in house were people light a fire for warmth
Frankincense – a gum used for incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
gold – a yellow precious metal, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
holly – an evergreen plant with prickly dark green leaves and red berries
Jesus – the name of Christ, the central figure of Christianity (believed by Christians to be the Son of God)
Joseph – the husband of Mary (the mother of Jesus)
Magi – the wise men from the East who brought gifts for the baby Jesus
Manger – a trough for food for horses of cattle (used by Mary as cradle or bed for Jesus) the mother of Jesus
Mary – the mother of Jesus
Mistletoe – a parasitic plant with white berries, traditionally used as a Christmas decoration
Myrrh – a gum used for perfume of incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus
Nativity – the birth on a person
The Nativity – the birth of Jesus Christ
nativity play – a play that people perform at Christmas based on the birth of Jesus
ornament – an object that adds beauty to something; a decoration
present – a thing given to somebody as a gift
reindeer – a deer with large antlers found in some cold climates (believed to pull the sleigh for Santa or Father Christmas)
Santa Claus – an imaginary being who brings present for children on the night before Christmas Day (also known as Father Christmas) – traditionally an old man with a red suit and white beard
shepherd – a person who looks after sheep
slight – a sledge or light card on runners pulled by horses or reindeer over snow and ice
star – a bright point in the night sky with is a large, distant incandescent body like the sun
the Star of Bethlehem - the star that announced the birth of Jesus and guided the wise men to find Him
tinsel – a decoration consisting of thin strips of shiny metal foil, traditionally used at Christmas
turkey – a bird like a large chicken, traditionally eaten at Christmas
wreath – tree boughs intertwined into a circle
white Christmas – a Christmas with snow on the ground
Xmas – abbreviation or informal term for Christmas
