Christmas Time

ORIGINS, TRADITIONS & FUN FACTS

Origin of ChristmasAt its origins, Christmas is a Christian holiday.

On the 25th of December, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

The Bible contains two accounts which describe the events surrounding Jesus' birth. According to these accounts, Mary gave birth to Jesus, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. The birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals, because there was no guest room available for them.

Origin of Christmas

Popular tradition holds that three wise men visited the baby Jesus in the stable, and they brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of the king of the Jews.

Who is Santa Claus?http://www.history.com/topics/santa-claus/videos#origins-of-santa-claus

Santa's Reindeer names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet,

Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The names of Donner and Blitzen are basically derived from the Germanic words

for thunder and lightning.

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/freetime/video-zone/how-christmas-trees-are-made

Lapland

Have you heard of Lapland?

What do you know about it?

Would you like to go there?

Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi

Find out more: http://www.santaclausvillage.info/

Top things to do in Lapland1. Watching the Aurora Borealis ( the

northern lights), one of the most surreal natural phenomena on earth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsMW7zbzsUs

2. Dog sledding

3. Visit the Santa Claus village

4. Cross-Country Skiing & Snowmobiling

5. Sleeping in a glass igloo

BEST CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AROUND THE

WORLD

Christmas traditions around the world - GERMANY

An important form of Christmas celebration is Advent.Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. Traditionally, the

calendars are made of card, but there are ones made out of a wreath of fir tree branches, with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it.

Another type is called “Advent Kranz” - it is a ring of four branches that has candles on it.

Germany is well known for its Christmas Markets where all sorts of Christmas foods and decorations are sold. Perhaps the most famousGerman decorations are glass ornaments.

Christmas traditions around the world - Australia

In Australia Christmas comes in the middle of the summer holidays!

Christmas traditions around the world - Australia

Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach. Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day.

Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic.

If they are at home, the day is punctuated by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, or other outdoor activities.

Christmas traditions around the world - Melbourne

Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs.

The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky.

Christmas traditions around the world - Russia

In the traditional Russian Christmas, special prayers are said and people feast, sometimes for 39 days, until January 6th Christmas Eve, when the first evening star in appears in the sky. Then begins a twelve course supper in honor of each of the twelve apostles.

Babushka is a traditional Christmas figure who distributes presents to children. Her name means grandmother and the legend is told that she declined to go with the wise men to see Jesus because of the cold weather. However, she regretted not going and set off to try and catch up, filling her basket with presents. She never found Jesus, and that is why she visits each house, leaving toys for good children.

Christmas traditions around the world

Christmas traditions around the world

Find out much more here:

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/12/christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world-infographic/

http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/

BEST CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN

ROMANIA

Christmas traditions in Romania

Carol Singing

Carol singing usually marks the start of the 12 days of Christmas. In the villages, children and lads usually go from house to house singing carols. They are organized in a ˝bevy˝ with a clearly defined hierarchy, having a leader and a meeting place.

Christmas traditions in Romania

The Pig Sacrifice

A few days before the beginning of the holidays the pig sacrifice takes place. This is done on December 20th, the day of St. Ignatius. This tradition is kept particularly in the countryside, and it was accepted and absorbed by the Christian religion as a natural part of the local community life.

Christmas traditions in Romania

The Christmas Tree

The custom of the Christmas tree was borrowed from Western Europe. Supposedly, it comes from the pagan Germanic tribes and was subsequently absorbed by Christianity. In Romania, the tradition of decorating a tree or a green branch was tied to the wedding ritual or to the burial ritual of an unwed youth.

Christmas traditions in Romania

The Goat Dance

Originally, the ˝goat dance˝ was a grave and serious ceremony.

In time it has turned into a ritual meant to bring prosperity in the year to come. Nowadays, this game has remained a pretext to remember traditions from long ago and also take pride in the colorful traditional costumes worn on this occasion.

Bizarre Xmas traditions around the world

India - decorating mango & banana trees

Brazil - Santa Claus (Papa Noel) is a surfer

Italy - kids are told that a witch (La Befana) delivers their Christmas presents

Japan - everybody orders christmas cakes a long time before Christmas

Finland - families light candles on the graves of their deceased relatives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjlCrxFDlLU

5 Strange Christmas Traditions around the world

Japanese people eat KFC for Christmas dinner

The Irish leave a pint of Guiness beer as a treat for Santa Claus

In Ukraine they hide spider webs under the tree for good luck.

In Norway they say that witched come looking for brooms on Xmas eve.

In Peru they have a massive public fight for Xmas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr4vf9VntKQ

Your own bizarre Xmas tradition

Do you know other strange Christmas traditions, in our country or others?

Could you invent & describe one?

Let’s talk about your Christmas

❖ What happens in your family for Christmas?❖ What’s your favourite tradition?❖ Did you believe in Santa Claus when you were little?❖ What’s the best gift you ever got for Christmas?❖ What’s the worst present you’ve received so far from

Santa?