We always had fresh nuts at Christmas and loved cracking them while sitting in front of the open fire place! My favourites were (and still are) walnuts and Brazil nuts. And Christmas was the only time we got figs and dates. But that has changed today. I eat them all on a regular basis.
I remember writing a Christmas wish list every year. I know it’s a bit late now to write yours, but you never know! 😉 If you haven’t already done so, www.wikihow.com can help you.
My mother took me to visit Father Christmas every year. My friends all think that it’s rather strange, but I adored this tradition. It was a magical experience for me.
Most department stores in town had a grotto with Father Christmas sitting and waiting for children to come and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. And we always left with a lovely little present in our hands!
If you’re in London next year and have a child with you, why not go and experience a grotto (link to: www.timeout.com) yourself? I would definitely go again! 😉
Most of you know how long it takes to wrap up the presents for Christmas. And often unwrapping takes seconds. Here’s a little game to play to make unwrapping more fun. 🙂
Unwrap The Present Game
1. Wrap a present up in lots of layers of wrapping paper. The more layers you have, the longer the game will take.
2. Leave a small note on each layer, with a funny little message (e.g. “For the person who has the longest nose”, “For the person who is wearing the prettiest glasses” or “For the person who went to Scotland this year”).
3. The first player unwraps the first layer. He/she reads out the message and everyone in the group has to decide who the parcel is meant for.
4. The player who is given the parcel unwraps the next layer and reads out the next message. Again the group decides who gets the parcel.
5. The last player who unwraps the parcel keeps the present. (Of course, you can make sure that this present goes to a particular person!)
Is there anyone who doesn’t like unwrapping presents? Even animals in the zoos love it (link to: www.vancouversun.com)!
A Christmas Tree is an evergreen conifer (such as a fir, pine or spruce) or an artificial tree, decorated with Christmas ornaments usually made of glass, metal, wood, ceramics or even paper. Traditionally the tree was decorated with apples and nuts and illuminated by candles. Today, most people use fairy lights, tinsel and baubles, and complete the decoration with a Tree-Topper placed at the top of the tree. The most common tree-toppers are the angel or the star, but some people also use a finial.
Why not look at the short video on history.com to learn a bit about the history of Christmas trees?
Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas, is said to bring presents to the homes of good children on 24 December, the night before Christmas Day.
Take a look at this short video clip (link to: www.history.com) if you’re interested in his origins!
You’ll often see the words “Season’s Greetings” on Christmas cards. This can be translated as “Frohe Festtage” and is a greeting commonly used before or during the Christmas holiday.
And, you’ve probably heard about the Christmas stockings which are hung on the mantlepiece or at the foot of children’s beds on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill with toys, sweets and other gifts. These presents are often called stocking fillers.
Oh, and if you do decide to offer turkey at Christmas (a tradition in Britain), you’ll want to know how to stuff it. Marthastewart.com has a nice little video clip to teach you. You don’t know how to prepare the stuffing? This recipe (link to: www.bbc.co.uk) looks quite easy.
