Holidays Countdown

Holidays Countdown

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Mrs Debains, Mrs Busin and Chloe wish you a Merry Christmas !!!!

Candlelights in Ireland

In Ireland, people often place a lit candle on the windowsill on Christmas Eve. This tradition symbolizes hospitality and the opening of the home to welcome passersby in search of refuge.

Princess Kate plays the piano for Christmas...

A Scottish Tradition

The Scots love to celebrate Christmas with ceilidhs (pronounced "kay-lee") : parties with music, dance, and storytelling. These festive events bring families together around traditional Scottish culture.

What is a bannock ?

A bannock is a round flatbread from flour, popular in Scotland and Britain, often served in sections. Scottish people eat this kind of bread at Christmas.

The Monarch's Christmas Message is a speech by the British King or Queen on Christmas Day. It began in 1932 with King George V's radio broadcast and is now available on TV, radio, and online.

The Monarch's Christmas Message

Boxing DayWhat is it ?

Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, was a day off for servants and workers. Employers used this day to give them 'boxes' containing Christmas leftovers, money, and gifts, which they took home to enjoy with their families.

What meat do we eat at Christmas ?

The Christmas tree in New Zealand

In New Zealand, they do not have a traditional Christmas tree... but a pohutukawa, a tree with red flowers.

A question of vocabulary...

The Christmas tree in India

In India, instead of the traditional Christmas tree, families often decorate banana or mango trees. These trees are decorated with garlands, lights, and sometimes even gifts hanging from the branches.

What are Christmas Crackers ?

Christmas crackers are festive decorations that snap open, containing a small gift, a paper hat, and a joke. They are used in Christmas celebrations across the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Cookies for Santa Claus

In the United States, children often prepare homemade cookies that they leave under the tree, with a glass of milk, for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. It is to say "Thank you" to Santa Claus for his gifts.

Do you know the most famous reindeer ?

He was found by Santa Claus. He was immediately noticed thanks to his red nose, which allows Santa Claus to move forward in the fog. He is also considered the leader of Santa Claus's reindeer.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

How do you say "Père Noël" in English ?

Santa Claus (in the USA)Father Christmas (in the UK)

A funny Christmas Tradition !

Do you know Surfing Santas ?Traditional Santas wear red suits with white fur and big black boots to fight off the northern winter. In Australia, it's summer at Christmas time so you're much more likely to see a Santa on a surfboard.

Christmas illuminations in the streets of London

The Christmas lights are installed throughout the city of London from early November until the end of December !

The most famous Christmas Tree in the United States is ...

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually at Rockefeller Center, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The tree is put in place in mid November and lit in a public ceremony on the Wednesday evening following Thanksgiving.

The Mistletoe

The mistletoe tradition holds that a man is allowed to kiss any woman standing beneath a sprig or bouquet of Mistletoe, and vice versa. If a kiss is refused, bad luck befalls the person who said “No.”

How do you pronounce this word ?

SLEIGH

/ˈsleɪ/