Read the text:

Christmas Day, 25th December, is a very special day for Christians all over the World. In Britain
we have three or four days’ holiday for Christmas. It is a happy time, especially for children.
In the weeks before Christmas everyone is busy. People send Christmas cards to all their friends
and relations. You can buy Christmas cards or you can make them yourself. Many children make
their cards at school.
People decorate their houses with Christmas cards, holly and paper decorations – bells, chains and
stars. They buy a Christmas tree and put it in the sitting-room. The children decorate it with
red, gold and silver balls, and little coloured lights. You can put a star or an angel on top of the
tree.
On Christmas Eve everyone puts their presents under the tree. Young children go to bed early
and hang empty stockings at the foot of their beds.
During the night Father Christmas comes down the chimney and puts presents in the stockings.
Father Christmas is a very happy old man. He wears red clothes and has a big white beard. On
his back he has a big sack of presents for good children. He rides over the houses in a sleigh.
Reindeer pull the sleigh through the sky.
Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of London, in Trafalgar Square. This
is a present from the people of Norway to the people of Great Britain. In the evening before
Christmas people sing special songs – Christmas carols – round the tree.
In the big cities, especially in London, there are Christmas decorations in the streets. All the
shops decorate their windows with Christmas trees, presents, coloured lights and artificial snow.
The shops are very busy at Christmas. Everyone wants to buy presents for their family and
friends. And people buy a lot of food and drink for all the Christmas meals and parties. On
Christmas Eve, 24th December, some shops are open late in the evening. Then they close for
three days.
At midnight or early in the morning Christians go to church for a special service. Everyone opens
their presents on Christmas morning and then it’s time to decorate the table with candles and
crackers. For Christmas dinner people eat roast turkey, roast potatoes, green vegetables and
sauces. Then they have the Christmas Pudding. After dinner they pull crackers and put on paper
hats. They read out jokes from the crackers, or play games. At five o’clock it’s time for tea and
Christmas cake.
The day after Christmas is Boxing Day. People visit their relations or go to parties. Or they just
spend a quiet day at home. No one works on Boxing Day. After Christmas everyone needs a
holiday!
True or false: Answer these questions:

1. In Britain there is a 1. What people decorate their houses

one week holiday for with?
Christmas. ………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Many children make 2. Where do they put a Christmas tree?
paper decoration at ………………………………………………………………………………….
school. 3. What can you put on top of the tree?
3. Father Christmas comes …………………………………………………………………………………
during the night. 4. What’s the name for special songs for
4. On Christmas Eve all Christmas?
shops are closed. …………………………………………………………………………………
5. People eat fish and 5. When people open their presents?
chips for Christmas. …………………………………………………………………………………
6. Day after Christmas is 6. What do people do on Boxing Day?
called Boxing Day. ………………………………………………………………………………..