Learn English with Anglophenia

British Christmas


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Published: 12.16.2022
Level 4   |   Time: 3:13
Accent: British

Anglophenia explains how a British Christmas differs from an American Christmas.


triangle Directions 목표 Direcciones Instruções


  1. READ the VOCABULARY

    It is important to read the vocabulary before you watch the video. This will improve your ability to understand the video. It will also help you understand how the new vocabulary is used naturally.

  2. WATCH the VIDEO

    The first time you watch the video, just try to understand the overall situation.

  3. ANSWER the QUESTIONS

    First try to answer all the questions from memory. Then rewatch the video and try to answer the questions that you missed.

  4. WATCH and READ the SCRIPT

    Watch the video again while you read the script. Reading and listening at the same time will help you hear each individual word and improve your listening accuracy.

  5. DO the ACTIVITIES

    There are several different activities that focus on test preparation, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.

  1. LEA el VOCABULARIO

    Es importante leer el vocabulario antes de ver el video. Esto mejorará su capacidad para comprender el video. También le ayudará a comprender cómo se usa el nuevo vocabulario de forma natural.

  2. VER el VIDEO

    La primera vez que vea el video, intente comprender la situación general.

  3. RESPONDE a las PREGUNTAS

    Primero intente responder todas las preguntas de memoria. Luego, vuelva a ver el video e intente responder las preguntas que se perdió.

  4. MIRAR Y LEER

    Mire el video nuevamente mientras lee el guión. Leer y escuchar al mismo tiempo lo ayudará a escuchar cada palabra individual y mejorará su precisión auditiva.

  5. HACER LAS ACTIVIDADES

    Hay una serie de actividades diferentes que se centran en la preparación de la examen, el vocabulario, la gramática y la estructura de las oraciones.

  1. 어휘 읽기

    비디오를 보기 전에 어휘와 배경을 읽는 것이 중요합니다. 이렇게 하면 비디오를 이해하는 능력이 향상됩니다. 또한 새로운 어휘가 어떻게 자연스럽게 사용되는지 이해하는데 도움이됩니다.

  2. 비디오 보기

    비디오를 처음 볼 때 전체 상황을 이해하려고 노력하세요.

  3. 문제에 답하기

    먼저 모든 질문에 답을 해보세요. 그런 다음 비디오를 다시보고 놓친 질문에 답해보세요.

  4. 비디오 보면서 대본 읽기

    대본을 읽는 동안 비디오를 다시 보세요. 읽기와 듣기를 동시에 하면 각각의 단어를 듣고, 듣기 정확도를 향상시킬 수 있습니다.

  5. 액티비티 하기

    듣기 정확도, 발음, 어휘, 문법 및 문장 구조에 초점을 맞춘 다양한 액티비티가 있습니다.

  1. LER o VOCABULÁRIO

    É importante ler o vocabulário antes de assistir ao vídeo. Isso melhorará sua capacidade de entender o vídeo. Também ajudará você a entender como o novo vocabulário é usado naturalmente.

  2. ASSISTA ao VÍDEO

    Na primeira vez que assistir ao vídeo, tente entender a situação geral.

  3. RESPONDA às PERGUNTAS

    Primeiro, tente responder a todas as perguntas de memória. Em seguida, assista novamente ao vídeo e tente responder às perguntas que você errou.

  4. ASSISTA e LEIA o SCRIPT

    Assista ao vídeo novamente enquanto lê o roteiro. Ler e ouvir ao mesmo tempo ajudará você a ouvir cada palavra individualmente e a melhorar sua precisão auditiva.

  5. FAÇA as ATIVIDADES

    Existem várias atividades diferentes que se concentram na preparação para o teste, vocabulário, gramática e estrutura de frases.

triangle Vocabulary 어휘 Vocabulário Vocabulario


  • ☐ ☐ ☐ made it to [exp] - arrive at
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ toss [v] - throw
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ the North Pole [n] - where Santa/Father Christmas lives [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ stockings [n] - socks [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ a fireplace [n] - the area in a house where a fire burns [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ leave out [phv] - put in an open area, not hide, not put away
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ mince pie [n] - a pie made with meat (or sometimes fruit) [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ grownups [n] - adults
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ a Christmas cracker [n] - a paper tube filled with prizes [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ a tube [n] - a round hollow shape
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ pull apart [phv] - dismantle
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ an explosive [n] - something that explodes (like a bomb)
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ hence [adv] - so, therefore
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ cheesy [adj] - silly, stupid, not cool
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ a crown [n] - the hat that a queen or king wears [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ mandatory [adj] - obligatory, a rule
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ a feast [n] - a large meal
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Brussels sprouts [n] - a type of vegetable [image] vocab image
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ gross [adj] - disgusting
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ dense [adj] - thick, heavy
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ aged [p.p.] - left for a long time
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ soak [v] - put in liquid/water for a long time
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Majesty [n] - a title for a king or queen
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ carry on with [phv] - continue
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ debatable [adj] - unclear, more than one opinion
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ box up [phv] - put into a box
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Black Friday [n] - the famous US shopping day after Thanksgiving
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ trample [v] - run over
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Brits [n] - British people
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ adopt [v] - start using
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ withered [adj] - looking old, having lost all moisture [image] vocab image

[n] - noun,  [v] - verb,  [phv] - phrasal verb,  [adj] - adjective,  [exp] - expression



triangle Questions 문제 Questões Preguntas (difficult)


  1. What do British people call Santa Claus?

    Father Christmas



  2. How do British children send their letters to the North Pole?

    They toss them in a fire.



  3. Where do British children hang their stockings?

    Around their bed



  4. What food & drink do British people leave out for Father Christmas?

    Brandy and a mince pie



  5. Why are Christmas crackers called "crackers"?

    There is a small explosive inside that makes a cracking sound when they are opened.



  6. What three things are typically found inside a Christmas cracker?

    A paper crown, a plastic toy, a joke



  7. What side dishes are served with turkey in a traditional British Christmas dinner?

    Roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts



  8. What do Americans eat for dessert over Christmas?

    Pumpkin pie, pecan pie



  9. What are the seven steps to make Christmas pudding?

    It is 1) flavoured with dried fruit and spices, 2) boiled, 3) soaked in alcohol, 4) aged for several months, 5) boiled again, 6) soaked in alcohol again, 7) set on fire



  10. What do British people actually do when the Queen (or King) is giving a Christmas speech?

    Pretend to listen and carry on with whatever they are doing.



  11. When is Boxing Day?

    The day after Christmas, December 26th



  12. These days, what do people usually do on Boxing Day?

    Go shopping



  13. When should the Christmas tree be taken down in Britain?

    Within 12 days of Christmas



  14. What happens if you don't take down the Christmas tree soon enough?

    You will have bad luck.



triangle Questions 문제 Questões Preguntas (easy)


Are these Christmas traditions British, American, or both?

  1. Write letters to Santa/Father Christmas.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  2. Toss letters to Santa in the fire.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  3. Hang stockings around the fireplace.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  4. Leave out milk and cookies for Santa.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  5. Open Christmas Crackers.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  6. Put on colourful paper crowns.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  7. Eat a big feast for Christmas dinner.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  8. Eat pumpkin pie for dessert.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  9. Pretend to listen to the King's or Queen's Christmas speech.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  10. Go shopping on Boxing Day.
    American
    British
    Both British and American

  11. Leave up the Christmas tree until summer.
    American
    British
    Both British and American



triangle Discussion 논의 Questões de discussão Discusión


  1. What nine traditions did she mention? Which ones were you already familiar with? Which ones were you unfamiliar with?
  2. What are (at least) three differences between British and American Christmas that she mentions?
  3. Do you know of any other differences that she did not mention?
  4. Which of the traditions mentioned in the video seem the most unusual? Which would you most like to try?
  5. What do Americans usually eat for Christmas dinner? How about people from your country?
  6. Based on this video, would you prefer to celebrate Christmas in the US or the UK? Why?
  7. She lists 9 (actually 10) differences between American and British Christmas. Can you think of 9 differences between how people in your country and people in the US (or the UK) celebrate Christmas?
  8. Can you think of a few key similarities?
  9. What is the most unique or unusual Christmas tradition in your country?

triangle Script 대본 Roteiro Texto


Here are 10 Christmas traditions that never made it to America.

Letters to Father Christmas.

In America, kids write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox, but in England we toss them straight in the fire. We're not trying to make children cry. Burning the letters sends them directly to the North Pole where Santa can read your Christmas wishes in the smoke.

Hangings stockings.

American children traditionally hang stockings around the fireplace for Santa to fill with presents, but in the UK, we hang stockings around the bed. Being surrounded by presents is a great way to wake up on Christmas morning.

Also, instead of leaving out milk and cookies for father Christmas, we leave him brandy and a mince pie because he is a grownup.

Christmas crackers.

A Christmas cracker is a brightly decorated cardboard tube filled with fun prizes. When grabbed and pulled apart, a tiny explosive inside makes a loud cracking noise. Hence the name. Inside the cracker is usually a cheesy plastic prize, a paper crown, and a terrible joke.

Christmas Hats.

Inside the Christmas cracker are colourful paper hats that it is absolutely mandatory to wear.

Christmas dinner.

A British Christmas dinner is just as big a feast as an American one. The main dish is usually roast turkey. We serve the turkey with roast potatoes and veggies. Traditionally, brussels sprouts, which are gross, but it's tradition, so we eat them anyway.

Christmas pudding.

Americans love to have their pumpkin and pecan pies for Christmas dessert, but in the UK, we have Christmas pudding. This is a very dense boiled cake, flavoured with dried fruit and spices. It's then soaked in alcohol, aged for several months, boiled again, soaked in alcohol again, and then set on fire. Come to a British Christmas. We soak everything in alcohol and then light it on fire.

The Royal Christmas message.

That's right. Every Christmas Day, her Majesty, the Queen gives a holiday speech reflecting on the events of the past year. We all sit around pretending to pay attention but secretly carrying on with whatever it was we were doing before.

Boxing Day.

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day. Its origins are debatable. Some say that it's a day when workers would receive a box of gifts from their bosses. Others say that it's a day when people would box up gifts for the poor.

But the main thing that happens on Boxing Day nowadays is shopping. It's kind of like our Black Friday, only nobody gets trampled to death.

[ Pantomime. ] Cut out

Taking down the Christmas tree.

We Brits believe that the Christmas tree and decorations should be taken down within 12 days of Christmas. Otherwise, you'll have bad luck for the rest of the year. This is maybe a tradition that Americans should consider adopting. I've certainly seen people keep their old brown dry withered Christmas trees until almost the 4th of July.