Try to guess how Christmas is celebrated in different countries.
| The USA Finland Russia France Brazil Germany | ||
| In ……., Christmas is always called 'Noël’. Everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the old way with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Fir trees in the garden are often decorated too, with lights on all night. Father Christmas is called Père Noël. The Christmas meal is an important family gathering with good meat and the best wine. | ||
| They love to decorate their houses at Christmas. Many houses will have little wooden frames holding electric candles in their windows, and coloured pictures of paper or plastic which look beautiful from the outside at night. Father Christmas - 'Der Weihnachtsmann' - brings presents in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve (December 24th), after people have been to a church meeting. | ||
| ………. people believe that Father Christmas (Santa Claus) lives in the north part of …….. called Korvatunturi, north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in …….. | ||
| Christmas was not celebrated very much here. New Year is more important time - when 'Father Frost' brings presents to children. | ||
| …….. is so multi-cultural that you will find many different ways of celebrating Christmas. A friend writes about Christmas meals, "Our family (Eastern European origin) fill turkey with trimmings. My grandparents and their relatives preferred keilbasi (Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups. My husband's Italian family insisted on lasagna!" | ||
| Father Christmas is called Papai Noel. Many Christmas customs are similar to USA or UK. For those who have enough money, a special Christmas meal will be chicken, turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits, often with beer. Poorer people will have chicken, rice and beans and will also drink beer and coke. For dessert people enjoy some ……. sweets Brigadeiro made of condensed milk and chocolate. |
3. Read the text and do the tasks following below.