Teacher’s Notes and Answer Key I. Read three interesting facts about Santa Claus.

I. Read three interesting facts about Santa Claus. Check the meaning of the underlined
words in the dictionary.

1. The origin of Father Christmas was Bishop Nicholas. He lived in the fourth century
INTRODUCTION LESSON 3
Introduce Christmas vocabulary with help of Longman in a country which is now Turkey. He came from a rich family but secretly gave money
Advent Calendar. I. J O Y to the poor. He became Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
G I F T
Ask your pupils:
P U D D I N G
2. Some legends say that St Nicholas dropped bags of gold down the chimney
chimney.
S T O C K I N G This is the origin of the legend that Father Christmas comes down the chimney
1. What do you like about Christmas?
2. Do you know any Christmas customs?
M I
O R N
S T L
A M E
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with presents.
3. How did some of our Christmas customs begin? R I B B O N 3. The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch name for St Nicholas: Sinterklaas.
4. What is Christmas like in other countries? R E
H O L
I
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Y
D E E R
Dutch settlers in America brought the tradition of St Nicholas with them.
C A R O L
Photocopiable materials will help your pupils remember C A R D S Did you know?
the new vocabulary and learn more about Christmas Read more facts about Christmas and answer the questions.
customs around the world. II. Christmas is a time of celebration. There have been
festivals for about 4000 years in about December. In Greece and Japan there is no Santa Claus!

Christmas Activities - Lesson 1

LESSON 1 Christmas trees are a sign of Christmas. The trees look Generous Agios Vasilis is the saint of letters and learning.
pretty with small presents on them. Children wait for Santa He is celebrated by the Greek Church on the 1st January.
I. Ask your pupils to read the text and find out more about Claus to come. On Christmas day we eat turkey and other
Christmas. good things. We pull crackers with paper hats and small He sneaks into the houses during the night and brings
presents inside. presents.
II. True or False? In Japan there is a priest
priest, Hoteisho, an old man who carries
1(T) 2(F) 3(F) 4(T) 5(F) 6(T) 7(F) 8(F) 9(F) 10(T) When children finish the gap-filling exercise, let them relax a bag full of presents for children.
and invent some jokes in English.
Christmas Activities

III. Put students into teams to play noughts and crosses. • What is the name of Santa in Poland?
Copy the following grid onto the board: LESSON 4 - THE CHRISTMAS STORY • When does he bring presents?
Santa Claus Presents Custom Before reading
Carol Chimney Money box Before your pupils read the play, write down the following
The word ‘carol’ means ‘a singing dance’. Many
Boxing Day Christmas Day Twelfth Night questions on the blackboard. Ask them to find the words
in italics in their dictionaries. Christmas carols are hundreds of years old and
One team starts and chooses a square – they must say - What does an emperor do? tell stories about Christmas.
something true about the word in their square. Either you - In which religions is Jesus the Son of God? • Do you know any carols in English?
or the members of other team decide if the sentence is - What does a narrator do?
acceptable. If it is, they put their symbol, a nought (O) - Do books or plays have scenes?
or a cross (X) in that square. The first team to get three
of their symbols in a row, up, down or diagonally, wins. After reading
After pupils read the play, ask them the following The most important days of the Christmas Festival are 24th-26th
LESSON 2 questions. December. December 24th is called Christmas Eve. December 25th
1. Where did Mary and Joseph live? is called Christmas Day and December 26th is called Boxing Day.
I. 1 (e) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4 (a) 5 (b) 2. Where was Joseph born?
The Christmas season ends after 12 days, on 6 January – Twelfth
3. Why did Mary and Joseph sleep in a stable?
II. Country Food 4. How did the shepherds find the child in Bethlehem? Night. This is the day when people take down decorations.
Germany goose 5. Why did Joseph take Mary and Jesus to Egypt? • When do you decorate a Christmas tree?
Sweden dried cod followed by rice pudding • When does your family take decorations down?
USA turkey True or False?
Norway pork Read aloud the following sentences. Ask your pupils if they
Czech Republic fish followed by rice are true or false.
Greece lamb cooked over an open fire Boxing Day in Britain is the day after Christmas Day.
Italy eels 1. Mary and Joseph lived in Galilee. (T)
2. Mary was married to Joseph. (T) Its name probably comes from the custom of opening
Traditional Polish dishes: borsch (beet root soup), carp, 3. Joseph was born in Nazareth. (F) church money boxes on that day. The money was for poor
herrings, noodles with poppy, dumplings with mushrooms 4. The Emperor of Rome gave orders people. The name was first used in 1849.
and cabbage, kutia (boiled wheat with honey, poppy, nuts to people in Galilee and Judea. (T) • What do you do on the first day of Christmas?
and raisins), makowiec (the poppy seed cake). 5. Mary met an angel called Gabriel. (T)
6. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem on donkeys. (F) • What happens on the second day?
III. Students should identify the country, the date, and 7. They found somewhere to sleep
the place where children find their Christmas presents. but it was cold and wet. (F)
8. The shepherds saw an angel, then a great light, II. Are these sentences true or false? Correct the ones that are false.
Britain 25 December in the stocking then a bright star in the sky. (F)
Netherlands 5 December in the shoe 9. Only the shepherds saw the bright star. (F) 1. Bishop Nicholas was the first Santa Claus.
Greece 1 January next to the bed 10. The shepherds did not tell anyone about the baby. (F) 2. Bishop Nicholas left bags of silver on the doorsteps.
Poland 24 December under the Christmas tree 11. Herod was the king of Judea at that time. (T) 3. Santa Claus brings presents all over the world.
12. Jesus spent the first years of his life in Egypt. (T)
You can find more interesting information concerning
4. In Japan children don’t know Santa Claus.
Christmas food and other customs in Penguin Reader Act out the play! 5. The word ‘carol’ means ‘a merry song’.
Happy Christmas by John Escott. Involve whole class in acting out the play. Some pupils 6. Singing Christmas carols is a very old tradition.
can take care of costumes and decorations, other can be 7. Christmas Eve is on 25 December.
responsible for the technical side of the play (curtains,
places for the audience, etc.). You can also involve the
8. Christmas season lasts 3 weeks.
choir into the play. Remaining pupils can sing Christmas 9. People take down decorations on Boxing Day.
carols between the scenes. You can take the part of 10. Boxing Day is two days after Christmas Eve.
narrator yourself.

The play comes from Penguin Reader Happy Christmas

by John Escott.

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 I. Solve the crossword puzzle to find out the title of one of the most popular Christmas songs.

1
2
3
4

I. Work in pairs. Try to match customs with the countries. 5

Check your answers with the teacher. 6
7
(a) Mexico (b) Spain (c) Egypt (d) China (e) Denmark 8
Christmas Activities - Lesson 2

Christmas Activities - Lesson 3

9
1. The tradition is for the father to decorate the Christmas tree.
Family cannot see it before the meal when it’s also time to open the presents. 10
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2. Christmas is on 7 December. For forty days before this, people should not eat meat.
After visit to church, people eat a special Christmas meal called fatta (meat and rice).
What is one of the most popular Christmas songs? ______________________
3. People light up their houses and put decorations on Christmas trees.
These are called Trees of Light.
1. the feeling of happiness, typical for Christmas
4. People perform story about the birth of Christ for nine nights before Christmas (Las Posadas). 2. a present
Children play with piñatas. Piñatas are made of old newspapers and glue, they can be star- 3. a special sweet food that contains a lot of dried
or bell-shaped and have candy and prizes inside. Children are blindfolded and have to break fruit. Families in Britain have it on Christmas
a piñata with the stick. When they break it, the sweets fall out. Day for the dessert.
4. a long sock which children leave in their house
5. Hogueras (bonfires) is the festival which celebrates the shortest day of the year and on Christmas Eve and find presents in it
the beginning of winter. People jump over fires as a symbolic protection against illness. 5. a dark green plant with white berries. If you are
caught under it at Christmas, you will probably
get a kiss.
6. decoration for Christmas tree
II. Find out about Christmas food in different countries. 7. girls tie their hair with it, you can also use it to
Match the columns and check your answers with your teacher. wrap presents
8. one of 8 animals which pull Santa Claus’ sleigh
Country Food 9. a plant with sharp dark green leaves and red
berries, a decoration at Christmas
Germany fish followed by rice 10. a traditional Christmas song
Sweden dried cod followed by rice pudding 11. people send millions of them before Christmas
USA eels
Norway lamb cooked over an open fire
Czech Republic turkey
Greece goose II. Complete this paragraph using the words below. Write the words in the spaces.
Italy pork
turkey paper celebration presents December trees Santa Claus crackers
What do people in Poland eat at Christmas Eve?
What’s the most popular main meal on the first day of Christmas?
Christmas is a time of _______________. There have been festivals for about 4000 years in about
____________. Christmas ____________ are a sign of Christmas. The trees look pretty with small
III. Make presents calendar for the countries below. Match the columns. __________ on them. Children wait for ___________ to come. On Christmas day we eat __________
and other good things. We pull _________ with _________hats and small presents inside.
Britain 1 January in the shoe
Netherlands 24 December in the stocking Christmas crackers have small presents, paper hats and jokes inside. Think of a joke you could
Greece 25 December under the Christmas tree put into a cracker.
Poland 5 December next to the bed
Question: Can you name seven Indian animals?
Answer: Six elephants and a tiger.

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 The Christmas Story
People in the Play SCENE 6
Narrator
Angel Outside a third inn.
Mary This innkeeper looks sorry that he has to give Joseph and Mary bad news.
Joseph
1st Innkeeper 3rd Innkeeper: I’m sorry. I’d like to help, but all my rooms are full.
2nd Innkeeper Joseph: What can we do? The baby is coming soon.
3rd Innkeeper
3rd Innkeeper: There is a stable at the back of the inn.
1st Shepherd
2nd Shepherd
It’s not as comfortable as one of my rooms.
3rd Shepherd But it’s warm and dry.
1st King You can sleep there with the animals, if you want to.
2nd King Mary: Oh, thank you, sir!
3rd King Joseph: Yes, thank you.
Narrator: So Mary’s baby was born in a stable in Bethlehem.
Acting note: The Narrator stands at the side of the stage. She remembered the angel’s words, and called her son Jesus.
When he/she is talking to other people, the Narrator steps into the scene.
SCENE 7
Narrator: More than 2,000 years ago, a woman lived in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee.
Her name was Mary. On the hills outside Bethlehem. Three shepherds are sitting around a fire.
She was planning to marry a man called Joseph. One day, when she was out Their sheep are near them, and there are stars in the sky.
walking, she saw an angel.
The angel’s name was Gabriel. Narrator: In the fields near Bethlehem, three shepherds were sitting around a fire.
Suddenly, there was a great light – and an angel stood in front of them!
SCENE 1 Angel: Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news.
Today, in the town of Bethlehem, a child was born.
A quiet street in Nazareth. Mary is walking along the street. He is God’s son. You will find him in a stable. You can follow my star, in the sky.
She looks up suddenly and sees the Angel. It will show you the way.

Christmas Play
Christmas Play

Mary [afraid]: Oh! Who are you? The angel moves away and the shepherds look up into the sky.
Angel: Do not be afraid, Mary. God has sent me to speak to you.
You are going to have his son. 1st Shepherd: Look, that star is brighter than all the others!
You will call the boy Jesus. 2nd Shepherd: That is the star that we must follow.
Narrator: At that time, Caesar Augustus was the Emperor of Rome. 3rd Shepherd: We will leave now. We must see this Son of God.
One day, he gave an order. Each man must return to the place where he was born.
There he must pay money to the Emperor. SCENE 8

SCENE 2 Inside the stable. Mary is sitting with the baby Jesus; the baby is in the crib.
Joseph is standing next to them. The animals are standing near them.
Inside Mary’s house. Mary is sitting on a chair, thinking. Joseph comes into the room. The three shepherds are down on their knees, thanking God.

Joseph: Mary, we must go to my birthplace – to Bethlehem, in Judea. Narrator: So the shepherds followed the star to Bethlehem.
Mary: It is a long way to travel, Joseph. There they saw the baby Jesus, and thanked God.
Narrator: It was a long journey. Then they told the news to everyone they saw.
The sky was beginning to get dark when at last they reached Bethlehem.
SCENE 9
SCENE 3
Inside the stable.
On the road to Bethlehem. Mary is riding on a donkey, and Joseph is walking Mary, Joseph and the baby are in the same places
next to her. It is beginning to get dark. as they were in scene 8.
The three kings are standing in front of them.
Mary: My baby is going to come soon, Joseph. I am very tired. Each king has a gift for the baby.
Joseph: Then we must find a place to stay for the night.
Narrator: The little town was full of people. Narrator: Some time later, three kings came from the East.
1st King: We have heard about this special baby. We have travelled a long way to see him.
SCENE 4 2nd King: We followed a bright star in the sky.
3rd King: And we bring gifts for the Son of God.
At an inn in Bethlehem. Joseph is standing outside the door.
The innkeeper is shaking his head. SCENE 10

1st Innkeeper: I’m sorry. We have no room for you. Inside the stable. Joseph is sleeping and dreaming about the angel.
The angel is standing next to him.
SCENE 5
Narrator: After the kings went away, Joseph saw the angel in a dream.
At another inn. Joseph and Mary are outside. Angel: King Herod will look for the boy and will try to kill him.
This innkeeper looks tired and angry and only half opens his door. So take your family to Egypt, and wait there.
Narrator: So Joseph and Mary took Jesus into Egypt, and they were safe there.
2nd Innkeeper: We’re full. There are no rooms here. Go away! And that was the first Christmas.

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