Submitted by Nedra Rivera, Madrid, Spain
Santa's Favorite Christmas Superstitions
Can you match the two halves of these Christmas superstitions?
|1. To have good health in the following
||a) . as the number of houses where you eat
mince pies during Christmastime.
|2. A child born on Christmas day .
||b) . means that Easter will be green.
|3. Snow on Christmas day .
||c) . eat an apple on Christmas Eve.
|4. If you eat a raw egg before eating anything
else on Christmas morning .
||d) . where a fire is kept burning throughout
the Christmas season.
|5. Good luck will come to the home .
||e) . will have a special future.
|6. You will have as many happy months in
the coming year .
||f) . you will be able to carry heavy things.
Do you believe in this type of superstition?
Are there any similar Christmas or holiday superstitions in
To have good health throughout the next year, eat an apple
on Christmas Eve.
A child born on Christmas Day will have a special future.
If you eat a raw egg before eating anything else on Christmas
morning, you will be able to carry heavy things.
Snow on Christmas means Easter will be green.
Good luck will come to the home where a fire is kept burning
throughout the Christmas season.
You will have as many happy months in the coming year, as
the number of houses where you eat mince pies during Christmastime.
Submitted by Simon Gill, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Here's one that works well for me and fits in well with my
criteria for a good classroom activity:
1. no preparation
2. no special materials
3. no direct teacher involvement
5. produces a lot of language
6. lasts a long time
You need a pile of small pieces of paper, enough for everybody
in the class to have as many as there are other people in
the class (eg for a class of 16 you need 16 X 15 = 240). If
you want to be involved yourself you can be; it's up to you.
Get each person in the class to write the name of ONE classmate
on each piece of paper they have. Next to the name they should
write the gift they'd like to give that person. Money is no
object. It should be suitable for them, though.
Students circulate and give their "gifts" to one another,
explaining the reason for their choice.
Feedback: get students to say what were the funniest/ craziest/
best/ most useful etc gifts they got. This is more a fluency
than an accuracy activity but can be used to focus on various
aspects of language: offers, expressing gratitude, clauses
of justification etc etc.
Submitted by Patrice Palmer, Hong Kong
I teach in Hong Kong so I think it is interesting to have
students learn about how Christmas is celebrated around the
world and in their own country.
Introduction and Brainstorm
1. Write Christmas in a large circle on the board.
2. Elicit from students what comes to mind when they think
of Christmas (e.g. when is it, traditions, turkey) Group Activity
Before the lesson, go to the website: http://www.Christmas.com/worldview
There is a map of the world and you can click on a part of
the world and get a print out of how Christmas is celebrated
in that country. The print out is 3-4 short paragraphs.
Have students pick out the main points of how Christmas is
celebrated in that country. They should write some points
on the board under the country heading. It will then be easy
to compare and talk about the similarities and differences.
Prepare a sheet with columns. One column for student name
and other for what they do at Christmas. (This was interesting
to me because so many people buy and give gifts at Christmas
even though they do not celebrate it formally in Hong Kong).
Whole Class Activity
Ask students what they found out through their interviews.
How is it celebrated?
At the end of the activity, I give each student a candy cane
which they absolutely love!
Submitted by Gwyneth Box, Madrid
Twelve Days of Christmas
Christmas is a time when students want fun activities, and
songs and bits of coloured cardboard always go down well.
My students enjoy sorting out the words to the Twelve Days
of Christmas, which is readily available on any festive cassette.
We listen to the start of the song so they get the hang of
how each phrase is repeated. (There is no need for them to
hear it all at this stage.) I give the students the information
about the gifts as follows (a total of 36 pieces of cardboard
for each pair of students.)
in a pear tree.
They have a few minutes to sort out the words - the bright
ones will begin to line up the numbers in a column at this
We listen again and they have to get the twelve combinations.
Because of the way it repeats over and over, they have plenty
of opportunity to correct and confirm as they go. However
they invariable panic and enjoy a small riot with their partner
as they scrabble for words. (All good clean fun.)
After listening all through, it's a good idea to let them
have a few minutes to see if they can add any of the remaining
We usually listen again all through before checking, as it
is a tricky exercise.
When we get to the checking stage, I find that some of the
students can't resist joining in with the tape. (If you really
can't bear to listen all through again to confirm their answers,
you can always just play the very last verse and check from
'12 lords' back to 'a partridge', but I think the students
enjoy the whole thing.)
If you want, you can then move on to discuss the most unsuitable/unwelcome
presents the students have ever received, or presents in general.
NB: I refuse to explain any vocabulary until the song is complete,
although I will tell them how the words are pronounced.
I use this as a pure sound exercise, and find it gives them
confidence to see they can do it without understanding more
than a few words. This really needs the students to be working
at large tables - unless they're young enough to get down
on the floor - as they need plenty of space.
One point which is useful for any activity like this that
uses lots of little bits of cardboard, is to colour code:
I had copies of the song made on six different coloured cards
(i.e. one on each) several years ago.
At the end of the class they all get swept into a big envelope
and can easily be sorted out next time they are needed. This
saves the hassle of repeatedly having to cut out new sets
of materials - you can use the same ones over and over again.
(Gwyneth is the editor at http://www.patchword.com)
Submitted by Stephen Rogers, Madrid,
Anti-Christmas Christmas Lesson
Level: Upper-intermediate to proficiency
Time: Half an hour to a lifetime
Focus: Fluency speaking, advanced vocab, conversation, destroying
students' enjoyment of Christmas.
Age: Adults or older teens.
No. of students: 6+ (though you could miss out some of the
roles, or double up on the kids roles to be more flexible)
Materials: Role cards and props - something to represent
a TV, a remote control for father, a tray for mother, perhaps
drinks and food.
1. Do usual 'So what's a typical Spanish Christmas like? Oh,
really?' stuff. Students should go on about how much fun it
is, all the family together, etc. etc.
2. Then tell them that a typical British Christmas is a bit
different, as our traditions involve eating too much, drinking
too much, watching crap TV, and arguing with the rest of the
family. Consolidate this by telling them about your last Christmas,
using all the usual sitcom cliches about unpleasant relatives,
bored sulky kids, the Bond film you've seen a million times
but have to watch because Granny wants to, etc.
3. They are now prepared for the row. Assign roles and give
them the cards. The language is very advanced so you will
need to give individual help with any problems. It is essential
they all understand fully what their role is, but that they
don't see the other cards.
4. Arrange the room into typical living room style and give
out the props.
5. Let them go for it! Most classes will love it and keep
going for a good half hour to an hour. If things start to
pall, leave the room and knock loudly until someone lets you
in. Be the neighbour from next door who is having a lovely
Christmas, singing carols, making punch etc. This should be
enough to kick the whole thing off again.
6. Homework: Tell your students to go home and practise the
row on their family on Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS ROW - ADVANCED
KIDS You have had too much to eat and aren't feeling too
well. You know Mother wants you to be on your best behaviour
so you are determined to annoy everyone. You don't want to
do the washing up, only play with your toys which you aren't
happy with as you wanted something different and more expensive.
Earlier you overheard Granny criticising Mother's cooking
and know that you shouldn't really say anything about this
to Mother, who is looking a bit overwrought, but . . .what
the hell! You're bored and it'll be good for a laugh.
MOTHER You have spent all day slaving over a hot stove trying
to make this the perfect Christmas, but no one has thanked
you and no one seems keen to help you with the washing up.
You have had a couple of sherries and are feeling a bit squiffy
and unappreciated. Seek compliments; the less you get the
more upset you get. Try to politely persuade the kids to do
the washing up (or Father, but not Sharon's boyfriend - he's
a guest!), and try to control them as you don't want them
to annoy everyone and spoil Christmas for the adults. Try
to diplomatically stop Father from drinking any more as you
know he gets belligerent when drunk. Try to be the perfect
host. You feel no one is eating or drinking enough (especially
after all the money you have spent on food and drink!). Try
to organise some party games.
FATHER You've had a varied mixture of drinks, far too much
to eat and are started to get irritated and argumentative.
There are far too many people about, the kids are making too
much noise, Granny is being boring and keeps making critical
comments about everyone, and Mother is started to get on your
nerves because she seems to feel doing a bit of cooking on
Christmas day is the equivalent of organising a Royal wedding!
You haven't complimented her and don't intend to as it would
just make her worse. You are feeling far too placid to do
the washing up and just wish everyone would shut up and let
you watch the Bond film in peace (it's your favourite). What's
more, Sharon's new boyfriend seems like a shiftless good-for-nothing
who's only after one thing and is trying to ingratiate himself
with everyone. Interrogate him to find out his job, prospects,
SHARON (16 years old) You are just about at the end of your
tether. The kids are too loud, father is being a slob, mother
is hovering about and appears to be on the verge of a nervous
breakdown, Granny is hassling you (and every one else). To
make matters worse your new boyfriend is spending Christmas
day and your family are embarrassing you in front of him (as
you knew they would). Mind you, you're going off him fast.
He's being so oily and ingratiating with everyone and you're
starting to think he may only be interested in you for one
thing . . . Refuse to do the washing up (you always end up
doing it and think the kids should do it for a change). Stand
up to Granny, you're old enough to speak your mind to her
THIS year. You want to watch Top of the Pops on TV. Try to
make Father switch over.
SHARON'S BOYFRIEND (17 years old) You're feeling a bit stressed
out as there seems to be a lot going on you don't know about.
You're trying to be nice to everyone (even listening sympathetically
to Granny, who is sooo boring!!) as you think it will score
points with Sharon. You don't have a job or any intention
of studying and are content to hang out in pubs with your
mates, picking up girls. You're hoping that if you impress
her family, Sharon will be pleased and tonight could be your
lucky night! Her Father seems to be a bit suspicious, so try
to avoid him. Offer to help Mother.
GRANNY (78 years old) Ooohh, it's awful. Things didn't use
to be like this when you were younger. That's the problem
with the younger generation, they don't realise how lucky
they are. The kids are spoiled, when you were a child you
used to get an apple for Christmas (if you were lucky) and
didn't complain. Sharon is wasting her time going to school
and then university, she's only going to get married and have
kids so what's the point? Mind you, her new boyfriend seems
like a nice chap. The TV is awful, as usual. All sex and violence,
and terrible music. Your daughter (Mother) is panicking and
over-reacting about the whole day. You used to cook Christmas
dinner for twice as many people as this, with only £1.50 to
spend, and didn't complain. Her lazy husband is a waste of
space, she should have married nice Mr Jenkins from the undertakers.
You've had four sherries and are determined to tell everyone
what you think. You made a negative comment about Mother's
cooking a while ago and hope no one overheard and mentions
it. Everyone seems to have forgotten how old you are. Keep
the second page of activities