Today is Monday the 12 th of January

Today is Monday, the 12 th of January

Today at the lesson we will speak about: • • • winter in Russia and in England New Year’s Day Christmas winter holidays winter entertainment how you spent your winter holidays

Let’s have a talk • • 1. What season is it now? 2. Is it windy/snowy/rainy/cloudy? 3. Is it cold/cool/warm? 4. Is the sun shining brightly? 5. Are there any leaves on the trees? 6. What’s the temperature? 7. Do you like winter? Why?

Read the text and tick the topics which are mentioned (упомянуты)-2 minutes. • • • winter weather lowest temperatures winter sports popular winter dishes interesting things you can see New Year presents

Glossary: • • • Frozen- замёрзший freezing- ледяной the “pole of cold”- «полюс холода» average- средний cross- country skiing- езда на лыжах по пересечённой местности • reindeer racing- гонки на северных оленях

Many people in the world think that Russia is a big, snowy and very cold place- and in the winter, that isn’t far from the truth. A Russian winter brings thick snow, frozen lakes and rivers and freezing cold weather. The “pole of cold”, the place with the coldest temperatures in the world, is Oimyakon, in Yakutia. There, in January, the temperature is – 50 C, with the record temperature of – 71. 2 C in 1926. But Russia is very big and in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast, the average temperature in winter is about 6 degrees. Traditionally, popular Russian winter sports are cross-country skiing and skating, but more people now are doing new sports such as snowboarding, or ice diving in the White Sea. Ice diving is very exciting- you can see strange and beautiful sea animals in the water under the ice. Every winter in Murmansk there is a ten-day Festival of the North, a “mini winter Olympics”. There’s an ice hockey tournament, Russia’s famous 50 kilometer skiing marathon and reindeer racing. It’s fantastic. Don’t miss it!

Fill in the factfile Winter weather Lowest temperatures winter sports interesting things you can see New Year presents

Read again about winter in Russia and write true (t) or false (f) (2 minutes) 1) Russian rivers and lakes are not frozen in winter. 2) A Russian winter brings thick snow and freezing cold weather. 3) Popular Russian winter sports are cross-country skiing and skating. 4) There’s a ten-day Festival of the North in Sochi. 5) The place with the coldest temperatures in the world is Oimyakon, in Yakutia.

Read the text and tick the topics which are mentioned (упомянуты)-2 minutes. Topics mentioned • Winter weather • popular winter dishes • winter sports • interesting things you can see • Christmas presents

Glossary. • • Mild- мягкий temperate- умеренный due to- вызванный, обусловленный influence- влияние humid- сырой, влажный variability- изменчивость the average range of- средний диапазон

Winter in Great Britain The climate in the UK is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The climate in Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid. The weather is so changeable that the English often say that they have no climate but only weather. The most characteristic feature of Britain’s weather is its variability. The English also say they have three variants of weather: when it’s rains in the morning, when it’s rains in the afternoon or when it’s rains all day long. Rainfall is more or less even throughout the year. The average range of temperature (from winter to summer) is from 15 to 23 degrees above zero. Winter temperatures below 10 degrees are rare. It seldom snows heavily in winter, the frost is rare. January and February are usually the coldest months. So, we may say that the British climate has three main features: it is mild, humid and changeable. That means that it’s never too hot or too cold. Winters are extremely mild. Snow may come but melts quickly. In winter the cold is humid cold, not the dry one. In winter boys play football or Rugby, while girls play netball or hockey. Netball is similar to basketball. They are 7 players (usually girls) in each team. They throw the ball through the net at the top of three-metre post. In some schools boys and girls play tennis. New Year’s Eve is a more important festival in Scotland than in England, and it is called Hogmanay. It was believed that the first person to visit one’s house on New Year’s Day could bring good or bad luck. In England the most important holiday is Christmas.

Fill in the factfile Winter weather popular winter dishes winter sports interesting things you can see Christmas presents

Read again about Great Britain and write true (t) or false (f) (2 minutes) 1) It often rains in Great Britain. 2) In winter it’s often very frosty in Great Britain. 3) The weather is changeable (изменчивый) in Britain. 4) June and July are usually the coldest month. 5) New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay in Scotland.

Answer the questions using your factfiles. Winter in Russia • What’s the typical winter weather in Russia? What does the Russian winter bring? • What and where is the lowest temperature in Russia? • What are traditionally popular Russian winter sports? • What interesting things can you see in winter? Winter in Great Britain • What’s the typical weather in winter in Great Britain? Does it often rain? • What are the coldest months? What’s the lowest temperature? • What are the popular winter sports for boys and girls? • What are the most important winter festivals in Great Britain?

Now you know a lot about winter in these countries. We may compare the peculiarities. To do this you should use adjectives in your speech. Let’s revise this grammar material

Change the adjectives into comparative or superlative form. You have 3 minutes. • • • The climate is …(mild) in Britain than in Russia. It is …(rainy) in Britain than in Russia. New year’s Eve is the …(important) festival in Scotland. Hogmanay is …(important) in Scotland than in Britain. Winters are …(frosty) in Russia than in Great Britain. The average winter temperatures are …(low) in Russia than in Great Britain. • Oimyakon, in Yakutia is the …(cold) place in Russia. • The …(popular) winter sports in Russia are crosscountry skiing, skating and snowboarding.

Let’s speak about your winter holidays • Please tell the class how you spent your winter vacation. • Did you travel anywhere? • Did your relatives come to visit you? • How did you celebrate New Year’s Eve? • How did you celebrate Christmas? • How would you like to celebrate New. Year’s if you were very rich? (Как вы бы отметили Новый год, если бы вы были богатым? )

USEFUL WORDS: Decorate Christmas Eve Especially Light Custom Present Celebrate Christmas Eve Christmas tree Candles Stocking Украшать Канун Рождества Особенно Свет Обычай Подарок Праздник Канун Рождества Рождественская елка Свечи Чулок

USEFUL VOCABULARY • • • • Have a snowball fight Build a snowman Go sledding Catch snowflakes on your tongue Build a snow fort Collect pine cones Make paper snowflake cut-outs Reread a favorite book from childhood Go ice skating Cozy up in front of a roaring fire and watch the flames Curl up under a blanket with a good book Shop after-Christmas sales (online, in your PJs) Take a long bubble bath Complete a jigsaw puzzle

USEFUL VOCABULARY • • • • Watch the snow fall Wear mittens Breathe in the smell of pine Donate food/toys/clothing to a local charity Mail a handwritten card to an old friend Wear flannel PJs Watch a local hockey game Listen to the wind howl on a chilly night Decorate your home with festive lights Put up a wreath Take a drive to admire your neighbors’ holiday lights Turn on the all-holiday-all-the-time radio station Buy something from a holiday craft fair Listen to carolers

New Year's Day in Russia Late family dinners, sparkling wine and fireworks at midnight are some of the traditional ways of celebrating New Year’s Day in Russia. Children’s festivities may include a decorated fir tree and a visit by the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus.

Background Traditionally, New Year’s Day in Russia fell on September 1, which ended Russia’s tax year. In 1700, in an attempt to westernize the country, Russian ruler Peter I moved the holiday to January 1 according to the Julian calendar. Russia started using the Gregorian calendar in 1918. Between 1919 and 1937, the Bolsheviks banned public celebrations of New Year’s Day, calling it a bourgeois holiday. It became a non-labor day again in 1947. The tradition of having Russia’s leader give a televised address became a New Year’s tradition in 1976.

Symbols • A decorated fir tree • Grandfather Frost • and his granddaughter Snegurochka are the common symbols of New Year’s Day in Russia.

How do Russian people celebrate the New Year? New Year’s Day in Russia is on the 31 st of December – the 1 st of January. Two weeks before people are very busy. They buy fir trees, postcards and presents, decorations for their firs and various food for the holiday dinner. Then people decorate their flats and fir trees with garlands and shiny balls; send postcards to their friends and relatives. On the New year Eve people prepare different salads. The traditional ones are Olivje or Zimniy. Many people invite their friends or relatives to the celebration. At 23. 55 all people listen to the president’s speech. And when the clock beats 12, all people are very happy. They drink champagne and eat tangerines. Then they sing and dance. They go outside and make fireworks. New Year’s Day is really magic celebration for children. They feel themselves like in a fairytale. They dress different costumes. Before the New Year they send letters to Ded Moroz ( Santa Claus) with their wishes. On the 31 st of December they find gifts under the fir tree. Some children wait for Ded Moroz in their flats. He can come to the good children with Snegurochka (his granddaughter). What about me, I celebrate the New Year with my father and brothers. We keep all traditions: we decorate a fir tree, sing and dance in a ring, eat tangerines. At 1 o’clock I go to visit my friends. We think of our wishes and write them in short letters. We believe that all our wishes will come true.

What do people do? New Year’s Day is a family holiday for many Russians. Dinner usually starts late on December 31. Traditional meals include Russian salad, herring and sparkling wine. A pre-recorded address by the country’s president appears on TV, listing the achievements of the past year, at 11. 55 pm (23: 55) local time in each of Russia’s time zones. Many people watch his address and raise a toast to the chiming of the Kremlin clock. The Russian national anthem begins at midnight and people congratulate each other and exchange presents. Some people go out to make a snowman or light fire crackers in their backyards. People may celebrate the day at a friend’s house or attend the fireworks in their city. Celebrations for children include a decorated fir tree and Grandfather Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, who gives presents. Grandfather Frost often comes with his granddaughter, Snegurochka (“The Snow Girl”). As things quieten down later in the day, many people visit their friends or relatives. Another tradition is to wish a “Happy New Year” to passers-by throughout January 1.

Public life • New Year’s Day is a national holiday in Russia, in which most businesses and public offices are closed. The Russian Labor Code declares January 1 -5 as a non-labor period. If any of these days fall on a weekend, they move to January 6 or January 8 (January 7 is Christmas Day). Schools and universities are usually closed as part of their winter vacation at this time of the year. There may be limited public transport on January 1.

Christmas celebration in Russia In Russia, Christmas is annually celebrated on January 7 th, thanks to the Russian Orthodox Church that has made it an official holiday in the country. Previously the occassion was observed on December 25 th in much the same way as it was in the rest of the world, complete with Christmas trees and Christmas gifts, Saint Nicholas and the like. But after the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It was much later, in 1992, that the holiday began to be openly observed again. However, the church in Russia still uses the old Julian calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the Western nations. This is why Christmas is celebrated in Russia on January 7 th. But these days, a few Russians have begun to celebrate Christmas on the 25 th of December. Today, Christmas is celebrated in the country in a grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in Cathedrals. The main religion in Russia is called Russian Orthodox. The Russian Orthodox Church is more than one thousand years old and most of the Christian population in the country belong to it. In Russia, many people don’t eat meat, eggs or milk from a few weeks before Christmas and it is customary to fast until after the first church service on Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The menu usually depends on the wealth of the families. A typical Christmas dinner however, includes delicacies such as hot roast Pirog (Russian pies made out of meat or cabbage), and Pelmeni (meat dumplings). A Christmas ceremony of great significance here is the blessing of individual homes. During Christmastime, a priest visits every home accompanied by boys carrying vessels of holy water. A little water is sprinkled in each room, which is believed to usher in happiness and fortune to them. Another popular custom here is that of young children going from house to house on the first day of Christmas carrying a star and singing carols and getting sweets from adults. Russia celebrates a white Christmas what with the weather being very cold and snowy during this time and the temperature always dropping to minus degrees.

Skiing is probably the most widely known activity associated with winter. The sport has gained wide popularity due to its publicity during the Winter Olympics.

Snow sledding probably tops the list of popular winter activities for children. All you need for a fun-filled afternoon is an inexpensive sled and a snow covered hill. All you need for a funfilled afternoon is an inexpensive sled and a snow covered hill.

Ice skating is a popular winter activity. The metal blades which are attached under the boot of the skate will cut into the ice. This propels skaters' around the ice skating rinks of frozen lakes, and indoor arenas everywhere.

Frozen over lakes and rivers shouldn't get in the way of some great fishing. After a sufficient thickness of ice has accumulated, the winter ice fishing season can begin. Cutting a hole through the ice gives you access to the fish below.

What other winter entertainment do you know?

Write a letter to your teacher about your winter holidays • • • Don’t forget to include the following topics: Russian winter Holidays in winter Winter entertainment, etc. Why do you like winter holidays

Enjoy wintertime!

Summer holidays are gone winter with its snow is here • Summer holidays are gone. • You’ll be fine. The sun will shine, • Winter with its snow is here, • There’ll be no snow or rain. • And how long will it take us • It will not take much time • From today to New Year? • If you go there by plane. • • • Think of presents and cards. • We did not find a plane • Think about Christmas trees. • Took a very big balloon • It will not take you long • And how long will it take us • If you go there in your dreams. • From the Earth to the moon? • • • It is windy and cold. • Come along , come along, • Life is boring and no fun. • Don’t forget to sing this song. • And how long will it take us? • If you don’t go alone, • From the snow to the sun? • It will never take too long.