So, it’s 12th December and of course this next post has to be about Christmas! Many thanks to one of my ex-students, Huiyu from Taiwan, for designing Get Ahead in English’s Christmas logo to go with this blog :)
I’ve found it interesting this year to experience the run-up to Christmas in a different country and have definitely noticed a few differences. The first one, surprise surprise, has been the weather! I’m certainly not complaining about warmer temperatures and more sunshine, but it does make it a little harder to believe that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away!
Still, we’ve bought our little Christmas tree (a fake one, not real as we’ll be away over Christmas itself) and have decorated it with baubles, tinsel and fairy lights. We've been opening a door on our advent calendar each day, and eating Christmas biscuits.
The Christmas markets in Barcelona sell a lot of different goods, including figures for nativity scenes, mistletoe, and handmade jewellery. There are also some very special Catalan Christmas traditions, such as Caganer!
I’ve been writing Christmas cards and wrapping presents while listening to Christmas carols and songs to get into the Christmas mood.
When we arrive at my parents’ house in a couple of weeks, they will have a real Christmas tree with more decorations, and the other rooms in the house will be decorated as well. On Christmas Day, we’ll eat Christmas dinner with turkey (and a vegetarian alternative!), roast potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and lots of other delicious things. Afterwards, we’ll eat Christmas pudding and pull crackers.
We’ll have to wait and see if it’ll be a white Christmas in the UK!
bauble = a shiny, coloured ball used to decorate Christmas trees
tinsel = long pieces of shiny paper, used as a Christmas decoration
fairy lights = small lights on a string, often used to decorate Christmas trees
advent calendar = a picture on card with small doors from 1st – 24th December. Behind each door is a Christmas picture, and sometimes chocolate
nativity = the birth of Jesus Christ
mistletoe = a plant with small white fruits, often used as a Christmas decoration and for people to kiss underneath!
to wrap a present = to cover a gift with decorated paper
Christmas carol = a traditional Christmas song
gravy = a sauce made from meat juices
cranberries = small red fruits
Christmas pudding = a sweet pudding made with dried fruits and spices
crackers = a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It usually has a small toy, a paper hat and a (very bad!) joke inside
a white Christmas = when it snows at Christmas
How do you celebrate Christmas? Can you think of any other vocabulary associated with Christmas? Do you have any questions about this blog, or a suggestion for the next topic? Post a comment!
I’ve found it interesting this year to experience the run-up to Christmas in a different country and have definitely noticed a few differences. The first one, surprise surprise, has been the weather! I’m certainly not complaining about warmer temperatures and more sunshine, but it does make it a little harder to believe that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away!
Still, we’ve bought our little Christmas tree (a fake one, not real as we’ll be away over Christmas itself) and have decorated it with baubles, tinsel and fairy lights. We've been opening a door on our advent calendar each day, and eating Christmas biscuits.
The Christmas markets in Barcelona sell a lot of different goods, including figures for nativity scenes, mistletoe, and handmade jewellery. There are also some very special Catalan Christmas traditions, such as Caganer!
I’ve been writing Christmas cards and wrapping presents while listening to Christmas carols and songs to get into the Christmas mood.
When we arrive at my parents’ house in a couple of weeks, they will have a real Christmas tree with more decorations, and the other rooms in the house will be decorated as well. On Christmas Day, we’ll eat Christmas dinner with turkey (and a vegetarian alternative!), roast potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and lots of other delicious things. Afterwards, we’ll eat Christmas pudding and pull crackers.
We’ll have to wait and see if it’ll be a white Christmas in the UK!
bauble = a shiny, coloured ball used to decorate Christmas trees
tinsel = long pieces of shiny paper, used as a Christmas decoration
fairy lights = small lights on a string, often used to decorate Christmas trees
advent calendar = a picture on card with small doors from 1st – 24th December. Behind each door is a Christmas picture, and sometimes chocolate
nativity = the birth of Jesus Christ
mistletoe = a plant with small white fruits, often used as a Christmas decoration and for people to kiss underneath!
to wrap a present = to cover a gift with decorated paper
Christmas carol = a traditional Christmas song
gravy = a sauce made from meat juices
cranberries = small red fruits
Christmas pudding = a sweet pudding made with dried fruits and spices
crackers = a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It usually has a small toy, a paper hat and a (very bad!) joke inside
a white Christmas = when it snows at Christmas
How do you celebrate Christmas? Can you think of any other vocabulary associated with Christmas? Do you have any questions about this blog, or a suggestion for the next topic? Post a comment!
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