Christmas

Introduction

Christmas

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural  commercial phenomenon. For two millennia people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and  friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

In the United States December 25 – Christmas Day – has been a federal holiday since 1870.

Task

Group A:

Task: follow the link http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas to study the following questions:

An Ancient Holiday 

1.     What did Europeans celebrate long before the birth of Jesus?

  1. 2.     Why did people celebrate during the winter solstice? (solstice – солнцестояние)
  2. 3.     Who celebrated Yule from 21st December in Scandinavia? (Yule – святки)

4.     How did fathers and sons mark the return of the sun?

5.  Up to how many days was it possible for the Yule feast to last?

6.    What did the Norse believe that each spark of the fire represented?

7.    Why was the end of December a good time for celebration?

8.     Why were German people terrified of the good Oden? How did they show their fear?

 

Process

Group B:

Task: follow the link http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas to study the following questions:

 

                                                                   Saturnalia

1.    Who was Saturnalia intended to honour? (be intended – быть предназначенным, предназначаться, подразумеваться; honour – чествовать, поклоняться)

2.     How did Roman society change during Saturnalia?          (society – общество)

3.     In what century did the church decide to make the birth of Christ a holiday?

4.   What was the problem with choosing the date of Christ’s birth?

5.   Why was 25th December chosen?

6. Why do some churches celebrate Christmas on 7th January?

7.     What was the main disadvantage for church leaders of holding Christmas at the same time as other winter festivals?
8.     In what way were Christmas celebrations during the Middle Ages similar to those of Roman times?

Teacher Page

True or false?

  1. Oliver Cromwell took control over England in 1645.
  2. Cromwell and his Puritan forces encouraged the English people to celebrate Christmas.
  3. When the monarchy was reintroduced and Charles 1 became king, Christmas was celebrated again in England.
  4. As a result of the puritan Pilgrims coming to America in 1620, Christmas was not a holiday from 1659 to 1981.
  5. In Boston, from 1659 to 1981, anyone exhibiting ‘Christmas spirit’ (=publicly celebrating Christmas) was fined five shillings.
  6. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday in the USA until 26th June, 1870.