Student’s Worksheet 1 Is Christmas always white? 1. In pairs discuss the following topics:
a. What is your favourite time of the year? b. What holidays and traditions are typical for each of the seasons of the year?
Is Christmas always white? In the European tradition, the Christmas season brings to mind familiar sights connected with winter time: decorated trees, snow, jingle bells, and Santa Claus on his sleigh with reindeers. However, there are places in the world where Christmas is not so cold and white, but is full of sun and very warm instead. Christmas in Australia and New Zealand is celebrated during summer. The average temperature in the summer months there may even reach more than 35 centigrade. Australia and New Zealand are multicultural countries, and their Christmas traditions are derived from a mixture of cultures and nationalities. Many traditions are similar to ours - people decorate Christmas trees, spend time with their families and exchange presents. Also, their traditional food may be similar - many people prepare roast meat, roast potatoes, pumpkin, hot vegetables and Christmas pudding. What is different from our European tradition is the fact that dinner is often served outside in the garden, and people organise barbecue parties for Christmas.
Gwyneth
always very I live in Melbourne, Australia. It’s usually have hot at Christmas here and we power! My the air-conditioner running at full many years land grandparents came here from Eng English dishes ago, so we usually cook traditional t turkey with for Christmas. We always have roas For Christmas, cranberry sauce and hot vegetables. cousins and we always send a lot of cards to our family and friends and watch nativity plays. My Candlelight I take part in a traditional Carols by year. Many ry eve concert that takes place in our city ls together people come and sing traditional caro family, light with artists. I really like to sit with my utiful! a candle and sing together. It’s so bea
Patrick I come from Wellington, New Zealand. We have Christmas in summer and I really enjoy this time. It’s always a great holiday season for all Kiwis. We never hav e snow for Christmas, but we can go to the beach instead. Our snowman isn’t made out of snow, but sand, so we play this way and hold a competition to see who can build the biggest one on the beach. Our San ta Claus often wears a red shirt and red shorts, but the hat stays the same!
Ricky
a lot of food for Christmas. I live in Perth, Australia. We cook e outside, so we invite our When it’s hot we prefer to spend tim ecue dishes such as grilled family and friends and prepare barb es - cold meat and salads and beef and lamb. We also eat cold dish I love our traditional food! also some crabs for Christmas dinner. on Boxing Day, which is on Another tradition in my family is that suitcases and go away! This the 26th of December, we pack our st to dive and snorkel. I can’t year we are going to the northern coa wait for Christmas this year!
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Student’s Worksheet 2 Is Christmas always white? 2. Read the text and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):
a. It’s rather cold during Christmas in Australia. b. In Australia, Christmas traditions are all different from those in European countries. c. Christmas barbecue parties are popular in Australia and New Zealand. d. Traditional English food is new in Gwyneth’s family. e. Carols by Candlelight is a ceremony celebrated by families at home. f. Patrick sends a lot of Christmas cards to his friends. g. It sometimes snows in New Zealand for Christmas. h. Santa Claus in New Zealand wears different clothes from the European one. i. Ricky particularly likes traditional Christmas food. j. Ricky’s family will spend some of Christmas day outside their home. 3. Which of the following expressions best describes Christmas time in Australia and New Zealand?
barbecued food, playing in the snow, dinner outside, going to the beach, riding in a sleigh, singing carols, warm clothes, gloves, cold dishes, reindeer 4. Complete the words and phrases:
a. Australia and New Zealand are m...................................al countries. b. The a.......................... temperature in summer may be even 35 c........................ . c. Many people prepare roast m.........., roast p............, pumpkin, and traditional Christmas p................ing. d. Australian kids make snowmen out of s............ . e In Australia, many families go away on B............... D......... in order to d............ in the ocean. 5. Work in pairs. Prepare a description of your favourite Christmas dish. Describe it to your partner and let him/her guess what it is.
6. Optional: Imagine that you have a pen friend who lives in Australia. Write an informal letter to your friend describing typical Christmas traditions in your family. Your letter should have between 180 and 200 words and should not include addresses.
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