8th grade. Unit 5. Lesson 1. The twelve days of Christmas

👉Communicative area: speaking about how you spent Christmas holidays

👉Active vocabulary: to take down, by, by the time

👉Active grammar: Past Pefect

1. Are you happy to be back at school? 

2. Did you have good holidays? 

3. Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? 

4. What interesting activities did you take part in? 

5. Was taking down the Christmas decorations as much fun as putting them up? 

6. What seasonal customs and traditions did you observe during your holidays?

Read an entry from Kate’s diary. How does she feel? Why?

5 January. 

The presents have been opened, the puddings eaten and lots of carols sung. Christmas and New Year’s Day have been and gone. People are back at work or school. And the Christmas tree in the corner of the room looks a bit sad: there are more needles on the floor and that traditional Christmas smell has almost disappeared. So it’s time to bin the tree and vacuum those needles. When Granny calls in the evening, she won’t have to worry that we haven’t taken down the decorations yet. She is sure it is bad luck to do it a day sooner or later. 

 Children are traditionally told that you can’t take down your decorations before 5 January because the Three Wise Men won’t be able to find their way. I remember I read a children’s book some time ago. It says that if you didn’t take the Christmas decorations down on the Twelfth Night, you must then leave them up until Candlemas Day (Сретение). If after that date a berry or a leaf is left, “the goblins can get through the keyhole and spill the milk, break the china and let rats and mice into the house”!!! It’s a pity that while in Britain we rush (торопимся) to take the decorations down, in mainland Europe families are celebrating by taking the day off and exchanging presents.

Answer the questions. 

1. When is the Twelfth Night? 

2. Has Kate taken down the Christmas decorations yet? 

3. What does Kate have to do on 5 January? Why? 

4. Is the same custom observed in your family? 

5. What other customs does Kate mention?

Look at the questions below. How are they formed? Give short answers to the questions. What should be done to make negative sentences?

1. Had Kate taken down the Christmas decorations by 5 January? 

2. Had the Christmas tree lost most of its needles by the time Kate started tidying up? 

Give full answers to the questions. 

1. Had the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus by 5 January? 

2. Had you taken down the Christmas decorations by 6 January?

3. Had the Christmas tree smell disappeared by that time? 

4. Had Kate’s classes begun by 6 January? 

5. Had your school term started by 6 January? 

6. Had you taken down the decorations by the time you returned to school? 

7. Whom had you visited by the end of your winter holidays? 

8. What new things had you tried by the end of the twelve Christmas days?