Warm up

Talk to a friend and say how you spend Christmas.

Do you do the same things? Are there any differences?

What do you usually have for dinner on Christmas Eve? Do you get and give any Christmas presents? Who do you get them from? When do you get them?

How much do you know about Christmas traditions over the world? Try the following quiz.

The Challenge

Where was the first Christmas tree decorated?
1. Iceland
2. Latvia
3. Belgium
In which country is the same dish – stuffed cabbage- served on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day?
1. Romania
2. Morocco
3. Australia
Why do Finnish people light candles on Christmas Eve?
1. To show Santa where the chimney is.
2. To remember their dead relatives.
3. To keep Santa's reindeers warm.
If Hungarian children haven’t behaved well during the year, Santa places something next to the sweets in a red bag. What is it?
1. A lot of English homework.
2. A piece of coal.
3. A golden birch.
In the days of the Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. The important time was New Year, when someone brought presents to children. Do you know the name of that “someone”?
1. Father Ghost.
2. Father Sock.
3. Father Frost.
At tea time in New Zealand, families and friends get together on Christmas Day and they ...
1. go picnicking.
2. barbecue.
3. have a precooked meal on the beach.
At midnight on Christmas Eve, in Mexico, the bell-sounds beckon families to the Midnight Mass. Thousands flock to the churches to attend the well-known "Mass of the …."
1. Roast beef.
2. Rooster.
3. Robin.
The Chilean version of Santa Claus, "Viejito Pascuero" (Old Man Christmas), is believed to visit every house in Chile on Christmas Eve, riding his sleigh pulled by flying reindeers. As per popular legend, he is a small-sized man who goes down through chimneys or enters through…
1. garages.
2. cellars.
3. windows.
The warm weather enables the Australians to take part in the traditional Australian Christmas Eve… service.
1. Cosmetics.
2. Capoeira.
3. Carol.
Christmas in Cuba is one of the most joyous occasions in the country and observed with great fun and festivity. Following the declaration of Cuba as an atheist nation in 1962, the festival was removed from the list of holidays of the Cuban calendar in the year 1969 when Fidel Castro decided it was interfering with the…
1. salsa festival.
2. Havana cigar festival.
3. sugar harvest festival.
In Syria, which animal gives out Christmas presents?
1. An eagle.
2. A horse.
3. A camel.
In Greece, terrible creatures called Kallikantzori – goblins - play tricks on people at Christmas. To stop them you have to…
1. burn an old shoe.
2. whistle loudly.
3. eat garlic.
Celtic and Teutonic people had long considered mistletoe to have magic powers. It was said to have the ability to make you …
1. increase fertility.
2. amass a fortune.
3. get good marks at the EOI.
In the far north of Canada, Eskimos celebrate a winter festival called “sinck tuck”, which features parties with…
1. ice-skating.
2. fishing.
3. dancing.
The primary decoration in most southern European, Central American and South American nations is…
1. a star.
2. a manger.
3. an angel.