This is a video lesson on ‘Symbols of British Christmas.

First, you can elicit from your Students what they know about the symbols of British Christmas, and
if they are the same in the country where they live.
Then you watch a video on it (you can use the subtitles or watch the segment without them.) Here’s
the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqDnT2yj3Hw
After watching, you can ask your students to answer the questions given below.
Also for the teacher, the whole script of this video episode.

(II) Symbols of Christmas

1) What is Christmas supposed to celebrate? 1) ………………………………………….
2) Why is holly a symbol of Christmas? 2) ………………………………………….
3) What are people obliged to do under the 3) ………………………………………….
mistletoe? …………………………………………….
4) When did the tradition of the Christmas tree 4) ………………………………………….
become popular? …………………………………………….
5) Where does the tradition of present giving come 5) ………………………………………….
from? …………………………………………….
6) What symbol of Christmas has been the most 6) ………………………………………….
popular? …………………………………………….

SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS (04:49)

Christmas is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

But it is not the image of nativity that most British people associate with the festival.
One of the main symbols of Christmas is holly.
Holly is an evergreen. (evergreen – a plant that keeps its green leaves throughout winter)
Evergreens that produce berries in winter were thought to have magical powers.
Evergreens were a very important part of pagan religion and are still used in Christmas celebrations.
Mistletoe is a plant that is important at Christmas.
Like Holly, Mistletoe bears fruit during the Christmas season.
Today, mistletoe is hung up in many houses and offices.
Any two people who meet under the mistletoe are obliged to kiss.
This is a Scandinavian tradition.
Around the middle of the 19th century the tradition of the Christmas tree became popular in Britain.
It is under the highly decorated Christmas tree that the presents are placed.
Presents are another important symbol of Christmas.
They are normally opened by the family on Christmas Day.
The giving of presents comes from the festival or Yule, the Roman Saturnalia, and the Christian
tradition.
The seeds of our commercially obsessed Christmas were sown in 1822. (seeds of – an expression
meaning the start of something. The thing that started something else.)
American Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. It was this poem that
helped popularise the exchanging of gifts. (popularise – make popular)
Complaints of commercial pressure of Christmas destroying its true meaning were heard as early as
1850.
The symbol of Christmas that has been most used by business to encourage people to spend money
is, of course, Santa Claus.