CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR

Topic: National Holidays

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

1.	Christmas	Рождество {25 декабря; главный церковный и светский праздник года; к этому дню по традиции обмениваются подарками и рождественскими открытками [Christmas card], украшают ёлку, устраивают вечера а рождественские представления для детей [pantomime]. 25 и 26 декабря - официальные выходные дни; рождественские святки отмечаются с середины декабря до 6января [Twelfth night]
2.	Christmas Day	день Рождества
3.	festival	празднество, праздник
4.	carol	кэрол, рождественский гимн, хорал, рождественское песнопение (поётся в церквях или на улицах перед часто для сбора пожертвований)
5.	Jesus Christ [kraist]	Иисус Христос
6.	carol service	Рождественское богослужение с гимнами {пение гимнов [см, carol] перемежается чтением
7.	decorate smth with smth	украшать, наряжать что-л. чем-л.
8.	Christmas decorations	рождественское убранство
9.	holly [`holi]	остролист (вечнозелёное растение с красными ягодами)
10.	Christmas tree	рождественская ёлка
11.	to wrap up a gift	завернуть подарок
12.	Christmas sock (stocking)	рождественский носок (чулок)
13.	Christmas Eve	сочельник, канун Рождества
14.	Father Christmas	рождественский дед, Дед Мороз
15.	Chimney	дымовая труба
16.	Christmas pudding	рождественский пудинг (с изюмом, цукатами и пряностями; по традиции подаётся к обеду в день Рождества, обычно украшается веточкой остролиста [`holly])
17.	to pull a cracker	запустить хлопушку
18.	Christmas message	праздничное выступление королевы
19.	Christmas cake	рождественский торт
20.	mince pie ['mins'pai)	сладкий пирожок (круглый, со сладкой начинкой [mincemeat]; традиционное рождественское лакомство)
21.	Boxing Day	день рождественских подарков, второй день Рождества (26 декабря; официальный выходной день [bank holiday]. В этот день принято дарить подарки; состоятельные люди тж. делают небольшие денежные пожертвования прислуге, почтальону и т.п.)
22.	solemnly	серьёзно, торжественно
23.	North Pole	северный полюс
24.	Advent calendar	календарь рождественского поста (большая цветная карточка с маленькими пронумерованными " окошками": их поочерёдно открывают в течение рождественского поста [Advent]; при открытии " окошка" появляется миниатюрная картинка на библейскую или рождественскую тему)
25.	Christmas card	Рождественская поздравительная открытка
26.	Nativity play	пьеса о Рождестве (инсценировка евангельской легенды о рождении Христа; обыкн. исполняется детьми в школах и т.п. перед рождественскими праздниками)
27.	Christmas lights	рождественские огни
28.	to make a snowman	лепить снеговика, снежную бабу
29.	igloo	иглу (ледяная хижина эскимосов)
30.	have a snowball fight	играть в снежки
31.	to decorate the house	украсить дом
32.	put up the Christmas tree	поставить елку
33.	to blow up the balloons	надуть шары
34.	brandy	бренди, коньяк
35.	presents	подарки
36.	sweets	конфеты
37.	tangerine	мандарин
38.	roast turkey	жареная индейка
39.	the Queen's speech	речь королевы
40.	to play cards	играть в карты
41.	polar bear	белый медведь
42.	to be exhausted	быть в изнеможении
43.	mistletoe	омела белая
44.	Christmas-tide	святки (с 24 декабря по 6 января)
45.	to shoot firecrackers	запускать фейерверки
46.	public holiday	государственный праздник
47.	to celebrate	праздновать, отпраздновать; торжественно отмечать (годовщину и т.п.)
48.	celebration	празднование, торжества
49.	on the occasion of	по случаю
50.	to hand smb. smth.	вручать кому-л. что-л.
51.	to keep up a tradition (a custom)	сохранять (поддерживать) традицию (обычай)
52.	a party	вечеринка
53.	the party is in full swing	празднество в полном разгаре
54.	to be in one's best clothes	быть по-праздничному одетым
55.	anniversary	годовщина
56.	to greet	приветствовать
57.	illumination(s)	иллюминация
58.	treat	удовольствие, наслаждение
59.	What a treat it is!	Какое это наслаждение!
60.	to treat smb. to smth.	угощать (перен. Доставлять удовольствие
61.	to enjoy	получать удовольствие, наслаждаться
62.	fun	1. веселье, забава, развлечение 2. предмет шуток, источник веселья, удовольствия
63.	to make fun.of	высмеивать, подшучивать
64.	to do smth. in (for) fun	делать что-л. в шутку

Some Good Rules

1. As you begin the year so you'll end it.

2. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

3. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

4. Christmas comes but once a year.

5. At Christmas great loafs, at Easter clean souls, at Whitsuntide new clothes.

Christmas

If you try to catch a train on 24-th of December you may have difficulty in finding seats. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25-th December. This is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivals of winter.

On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. People are reminded of Charles Dickens' story " Christmas Carol". Most people decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they have a Christmas tree.

There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents. People wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree. Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24-th December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them presents, fruit and nuts. At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. They will probably pull a cracker with another member of the family. It will make a loud crack and a coloured hat, small toy and joke will fall out.

Later in the afternoon they may watch the Queen on TV as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the UK and the Commonwealth. If they have room for even more food they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie. 26-th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.

Christmas Preparations

Mr. Williams: I'm nearly ready for Christmas now. I've sent off all my Christmas

cards except one, and I've bought nil my presents apart from yours. Have

you sent out the invitations to our party yet?

Mrs. Williams: Not yet. ill send them out tomorrow. Just look at the list again to make sure we haven't forgotten anyone.

Mr. Williams: We're inviting just about everybody in the street, except for the Jones.

It seems a bit rude, but to tell the truth I can't stand that woman.

Mrs. Williams: Well, she's so ill-mannered. Last time she came here she left without saying a word. And apart from that she tells such lies about us. She never stops running us down to the neighbours.

Mr. Williams: That's settled then. We won't invite them. By the way I met Pat O'Dowd last night and he told me he'd be leaving for Ireland next week. He said he was sorry he would miss our party but he might see us at the Rushtons' New Year party.

Mrs. Williams: What a pity! He's so lively at parties... Oh, I saw some gorgeous Christmas trees on sale in the High Street but I didn't have time to ask how much they were.

Mr. Williams: I'm sure they're much too expensive.

Mrs. Williams: Well, we've got to have a tree. If you don't want to buy one, you'll have to go out and dig one up. Oh, and we need a few gifts for the tree. Apart from the holly and the mistletoe that's about everything.

Mr. Williams: It's the same every year - you end up with everything you want and I end up with a headache from worrying about my bank balance.

(From London Linguaphone Course)

Notes

What a pity! - Какая досада! Как жаль!

bank balance - банковский счет

EXERCISES

1. Read the text about Christmas and answer the following questions:

l. Why isn't it possible sometimes to find a seat if you try to catch a train on December, 24?

2. What can you listen to in the churches on that day?

3.What are the traditional meals on that day?

4.Who delivers a traditional Christmas message on TV?

5.What is Boxing Day?

2. Match the following proverbs and their meanings:

1. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 2. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 3. As you begin the year so you'll end it. 4. Christmas comes but once a year. 5. At Christmas great loafs, at Easter clean souls, at Whitsuntide new clothes.

a) At Christmas play and make a good cheer, for it comes but once a year, b) Each holiday has its custom. c) Wherever you may be, you should follow the manners and customs of the people you are staying with. d) If you like to have a good year, then celebrate it properly. e) Never criticize or express displeasure when you receive a gift.

3. Read the following questions and answer them:

1. She is wonderful in this film, isn't she?

2. You are a film star, aren't you?

3. You will be busy tonight, won't you?

4. He can play this role well, can't he?

5. You watch TV in the evenings, don't you?

6. There's a new comedy on in the Forum, isn't there?

7. She has played in hundreds of films, hasn't she?

8. They booked the tickets in advance, didn't they?

1. He is not a comic actor, is he?

2. You don't like symphony music, do you?

3. She didn't dance yesterday, did she?

4. There was nothing worth seeing on TV, was there?

5. There are no tickets for this show, are there?

6. He hasn't seen this picture, has he?

7; You are not going to see this horror film at night, are you?

8. She won't be able to go out with us, will she?

4. Add question tags and answer the questions:

Model: You are Mr. Brown,...?

You are Mr. Brown, aren't you? -- Yes, I am.

Interview

You are Gloria Moon? - You live in Hollywood, ...?

And you have lived there all your life, ...?

You aren't a producer, ...?

You are a film star, ...?

You didn't go to University, ...?

You started work when you were 17, ...?

You worked as a model, ...?

You can't play any musical instrument, ...?

But you can sing and dance,...?

You've been to France, ...?

But you don't know French,...?

You have your own villa on the sea coast, ...?

You are married, ...?

You have no children, ...?

You'd like to take part in our film, ...?

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