CHRISTMAS

Focus: to make students compare how Christmas is celebrated in Britain / The USA and Spain
Level: elementary pre-intermediate
Time: 45 ! min"
Skills: oral# readin$
Vocabulary: The %ocabulary is presented in the &ui' and in the picture matchin$ acti%ity" Both e(ercises
also include common Christmas %ocabulary"
How to use this activity:
Step )
*o the &ui' +irst" Check answers"
,ey-
)-b .-c /-c 4-b 5-b
- 0 wish you a 1erry Christmas and a 2appy 3ew 4ear
5-b
6- a-)
b-/
c-
d-4
e-.
+-5
7-a
)!- a-4
b-/
c-.
d-)
Step 2
*o the picture matchin$ acti%ity" Check answers"
8" chimney C- decorations B- mistletoe 9- reindeer A- slei$h *- snowman 2- stockin$ :- an$el
,- bells ;- Christmas tree 0- $i+ts / presents
Step 3
Copy one set o+ cards +or each pair o+ students"
*i%ide the class into pairs" <i%e each pair one set o+ cards and tell them to shu++le them"
Tell them to look +irst +or the headin$s= Christmas in Spain, British / American Christmas)# and to make
two $roups with the cards that $o under each headin$"
>nce they ha%e the two $roups ask them to match each card in the +irst $roup =Christmas in Spain? with
the correspondin$ card +rom the second $roup =British / American Christmas?"
<o round the class helpin$ with %ocabulary and occasionally correctin$ wron$ matches"
0+ necessary# check when they +inish"
You can use the photos as flashcars to help with vocabulary !"hristmas puin#$ mince pies$ roast
turkey%
0+ there are students +rom other nationalities in the class# ask them to e(plain =it could be in Spanish? how
Christmas or 3ew 4ear is celebrated in their country"
1. What colour is Santa's suit?
a. green b. red c. yellow
2. What colour are Santa's boots?
a. brown b. white c. black
3. Santa's sleigh is pulled by ...
a. dogs b. horses c. reindeer
4. Santa Claus in the U.S. is ... in !ritain
a. St. "icholas b. #ather Christ$as c. Santa
%. What do you say at Christ$as?
a. &appy Christ$as' b. (erry Christ$as' c. )ood Christ$as'
*. +rder the sentence,
Christ$as - (erry - happy - .ear - wish - and - you - "ew - / - a - a
0. carol is ...
a. a type o1 1ood b. a Christ$as song c. a decoration
2. (atch the words with their translations,
a- naughty 13 tra4ieso
b- coal 23 4ela
c- holly 33 carb5n
d- star 43 estrella
e- candle %3 6os 7res 8eyes (agos
1- 7he 7hree Wise (en *3 $u9rdago
:. 7he origin o1 Christ$as trees is ...
a. )er$an b. #rench c. !ritish
1;. (atch the days and the dates,
a- Christ$as <ay 13 31st <ece$ber
b- "ew .ear's <ay 23 24th <ece$ber
c- Christ$as =4e 33 1st >anuary
d- "ew .ear's =4e 43 2%th <ece$ber
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CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN BRITISH / AMERICAN
CHRISTMAS
Christmas officially starts early in
December
Christmas officially starts in mid to
late Noember
The Three !ise Men arrie on
camels "ith the #resents
Santa Cla$s or %ather Christmas
dro#s do"n the chimney "ith the
#resents
Children &et their #resents in
shoes
Children &et their #resents in
stoc'in&s
Children &et their #resents on the
(
th
)an$ary
Children &et their #resents on
Christmas Day
Na$&hty children &et a l$m# of coal Na$&hty children &et no #resents
Presents are o#ened on Christmas
Day and* more traditionally* on the
(
th
)an$ary+
Presents are o#ened on Christmas
Day+
Christmas sao$ry delicacies
incl$de seafood and roast lamb+
Christmas sao$ry delicacies incl$de
roast t$r'ey and roast #otatoes+
Some of the ty#ical Christmas
desserts are ,t$rr-n. /a hard* s"eet
#iece of chocolate or no$&at0 and
,#olorones. /s"eets that cr$mble
easily0+
Some of the ty#ical Christmas
desserts are mince #ies and
Christmas #$ddin&+
Ne" 1ear consists of eatin& 23
&ra#es and drin'in& caa at the
stro'e of midni&ht+
Ne" 1ear consists of drin'in&
cham#a&ne and 'issin& #eo#le yo$
don.t 'no" at the stro'e of
midni&ht+
Children leae the Three !ise Men
a &lass of mil'+
Children leae %ather Christmas one
or t"o mince #ies on a #late and a
carrot for the reindeer+
Peo#le sin& ,illancicos. at
Christmas*
Peo#le sin& carols at Christmas+
Children don.t &o to school from
the 33
nd
Dec to 3
nd
)an /de#endin&
on the academic year0
Children don.t &o to school from the
33
nd
Dec to 4
th
)an /de#endin& on
the academic year0