You don’t need an Advent calendar to know that Christmas is coming, but opening a little numbered door to reveal a prize is an idea that everyone – religious or not – can get behind. Here’s a brief history of Advent calendars.

WHAT IS ADVENT?

Advent is the four-week period beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) through the following three Sundays. Historians estimate that Advent, which derives from the Latin word for coming, has been celebrated since the 4th century. Originally, the period was a time for converts to Christianity to prepare for baptism, but it’s now more commonly associated with the anticipation of the anniversary of Christ’s birth on December 25.

ADVENT CALENDAR ORIGINS

Advent calendars typically don’t follow the period of Advent described above. Instead, they begin on December 1 and mark the 24 days before Christmas. Today, most Advent calendars include paper doors that open to reveal an image, Bible verse, or piece of chocolate. The tradition dates to the mid-19th century, when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas. The first known Advent Calendar which is from 1851. Other early styles were the Advent clock or the Advent candle – a candle for each of the 24 days until Christmas, like today’s Advent wreath. In religious families little pictures were hung up on the wall – one for each day in December. Another tradition was to paint chalk strokes on the door, one per day until Christmas Eve.

THE FIRST PRINTED ADVENT CALENDARS

The German Gerhard Lang is widely considered the producer of the first printed Advent calendar in the early 1900s.

Around the same time, a German newspaper  the “Neues Tagblatt Stuttgart” included an Advent calendar insert as a gift to its readers. Lang’s calendar was inspired by one that his mother had made for him and featured 24 colored pictures that attached to a piece of cardboard. Lang modified his calendars to include the little doors that are a staple of most Advent calendars today and they became a commercial success in Germany. Production stopped due to a cardboard shortage during World War II, but resumed soon after, with Richard Sellmer emerging as the leading producer of commercial Advent calendars.

Dwight D. Eisenhower is often credited for the proliferation of the Advent calendar tradition in the United States. During his presidency, Eisenhower was photographed opening an Advent calendar with his grandchildren and the photo ran in several national newspapers.

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THE $50,000 ADVENT CALENDAR

One of the most expensive Advent calendars to ever hit the shelves was a 4-foot, Christmas-tree shaped structure carved from burrelm and walnut wood available through Harrods in 2007. Each of the $50,000 calendar’s 24 compartments housed a piece of organic chocolate from Green & Black, with proceeds going to support cocoa farmers in Belize.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST ADVENT CALENDAR

According to Guinness World Records, the world’s largest advent calendar was built in 2007 at the St. Pancras train station in London. The massive calendar, which measured 232 feet and 11 inches tall, and 75 feet and 5 inches wide, celebrated the reopening of the station following a renovation.

THE LEGO ADVENT CALENDAR

For several years, LEGO has produced an Advent calendar set, featuring figures or constructible accessories behind every numbered door.

source: sellmer-verlag.de, mentalfloss

And now that you are familiar with the history of the advent calendars watch the video and fill in the gaps in the script.

Advent is the start of the Christmas season in Britain, it begins four …… (1) before Christmas. Advent calendars are a …… (2) to Christmas Day, they start on the 1st December. The windows of the calendar are opened every day leading up to Christmas where you can see a pretty picture or find some chocolate inside.

The very first advent calendars were produced in the early 1800’s in …… (3) although not the cardboard type we get these days. Christians thought of different ways of counting down the days from the start of Advent to Christmas Day. At first Christians kept track of the days by making …… (4) on their door, which were rubbed off one by one as Christmas got closer. Advent Candles and putting up a small religious picture to mark each day were other ways of counting down the days.

The first actual advent calendar which we still buy today was produced in the early 1900’s, although first mass-produced in 1908 by Gerhard Lang who worked at the Reichhold & Lang printing office in Munich, Germany. The business produced over thirty different calendar patterns until the 1930’s. These calendars had 24 …… (5) and were a lot better decorated than the advent calendars we have these days.

Before long, advent calendars had doors which when opened contained religious pictures, and some had chocolate in to keep the children’s attention. This was proving to be popular over the years but had to be put on hold when World War Two started, because paper, …… (6) and chocolate were limited. However, once the war was over the production of advent calendars soon picked back up in 1946, not containing chocolates though.

Towards the end of the 1950’s, chocolate advent calendars re-appeared and started to spread across the world. Ten years later, many countries were using the advent calendar to count the days to …… (7).

Advent calendars are still very popular all across the world and now come in thousands of different varieties, some with just pictures in, others with just chocolate. The religious meaning of the advent calendars has been lost though. Also they don’t stop on Christmas Eve, normally they have a bigger door for Christmas Day.

Just remember, you’re never too old for an advent calendar, I got a Thorntons Advent Calendar this year, you can see it in the video above!

Key

1. Sundays 2. countdown 3. Germany 4. chalk marks 5. doors 6. cardboard 7. Christmas Day

Edgar, an adorable young dragon, is so excited about Christmas that he cannot control the flames from his mouth. He even burns the village Christmas tree, dampening everyone’s Christmas spirit. But when his best friend Ava gives him a thoughtful gift just right for an excitable dragon, he realises how much she cares for him.

1. Who is Edgar?
2. What does he burn?
3. What come out from his mouth?
4. What happens to the snowman?
5. Why does the ice of the ice rink melt?
6. What’s the thoughtful gift?

Song lyrics:

Bastille: I can’t fight this feeling any longer

I can’t fight this feeling any longer

And yet, I’m still afraid to let it flow

What started out as friendship, has grown stronger

I only wish I had the strength to let it show

And I can’t fight this feeling anymore

I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for

It’s time to bring this ship into the shore

And throw away the oars, forever

‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore

And even as I wander, I’m keeping you in sight

You’re a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night

And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can’t fight this feeling anymore

I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for

It’s time to bring this ship into the shore

And throw away the oars, forever

‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore

I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for

And if I have to crawl upon the floor

Come crashing through your door

Baby, I can’t fight this feeling anymore.

Key

1. Edgar is an adorable and excitable young dragon.
2. He burns the village Christmas tree.
3. Flames come out from his mouth.
4. Edgar wants to put the carrot into its face, but the snowman melts because of the flames coming from Edgar’s mouth.
5. Because Edgar runs excitedly to the ice rink and the flames melt the ice.
6. Christmas pudding so that Edgar can ignite it with the coming from his mouth.

Key

Can you fill in the gaps in the sentences?

1. An …… Christmas tree is environmentally friendly.

2. …… are red striped sugar sticks.

3. Strips of shiny metal foil attached to a long piece of thread: ……

4. …… are also called fairy lights in English.

5. The shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year: ……

Key

1. artificial

2. sugar canes

3. tinsel

4. electric lights

5. winter solstice

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a holiday that’s the day after Christmas. Traditionally it’s when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts, known as a “Christmas box”, from their bosses or employers. It hasn’t been that for a long time now – it’s now just another ‘Bank Holiday’ which means most people get the day off. Except for the poor unfortunate souls working the Boxing Day sales which are roughly equivalent to ‘Black Friday’ in the USA. Many folks will also have a special Boxing Day lunch featuring a special meal or leftovers from the Christmas feast the day before.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is a festival marking the coming of the Epiphany, the day when the nativity story tells us that the three wise men visited the infant Jesus. Different traditions mark the date of Twelfth Night on either 5 January or 6 January; the Church of England celebrates Twelfth Night on January 5th and “refers to the night before Epiphany, the day when the nativity story tells us that the three wise men visited the infant Jesus”. In the UK this is the unofficial end of the holiday season and when many people shuffle back to work. It’s also when people usually take down their Christmas trees and decorations. A belief has arisen in modern times, in some English-speaking countries, that it is unlucky to leave Christmas decorations hanging after Twelfth Night.

Hogmanay

Aka Scottish New Year’s. Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year’s Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January—a special Scottish Bank Holiday. The origins of Hogmanay are unclear, but may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances. Customs vary throughout Scotland, and usually include gift-giving and visiting the homes of friends and neighbours, with special attention given to the first-foot, the first guest of the new year.

Christmas Specials

One of the most well known traditions during Christmas is when many of our favorite British TV shows put on a special created to air during the holidays when people are apt to be watching lots of telly. The special doesn’t necessarily have to have anything to do with Christmas but usually does. Some examples from the past include A Blackadder Christmas, Yes Prime Minister, the Vicar of Dibley. Since it’s revival in 2005, there’s pretty much been a Doctor Who special every year since then. For the last few years there’s usually been a Downton Abbey special, sometimes it’s festive related. Christmas specials are such a part of the holiday season that the Radio Times (UK TV Guide) puts out a massive double issue featuring everything you can watch while you’re eating mince pies and drinking mulled wine.

Mulled Wine

Mulled wine is usually red wine infused with various seasonal mulling spices. It’s usually served hot, providing a nice warm drink on a cold winter’s day. Port and claret are traditional choices for mulled wine, and are often combined.

Mince Pies

While mince pies no longer have meat in them, they’re a delicious Christmas confection enjoyed widely at Christmas. A mince pie is a small British fruit-based mincemeat sweet pie traditionally served during the Christmas season. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices. Now it’s a popular treat during Christmas.

Happy Christmas

This one causes a lot of confusion. Merry Christmas is a more traditional Christmas greeting but over the years ‘Happy Christmas’ is the more common method of wishing holiday merriment in the UK and Ireland. Historically there was ‘moral suspicion’ around Merry Christmas as it implied boisterousness and drinking. Whereas Happy Christmas is more sedate and sober. The Queen herself wishes her subjects a Happy Christmas in her yearly Christmas Address. But most people in the UK say Happy Christmas and it’s not because there is some kind of imaginary ‘war’ on Merry Christmas. In the USA people simply say Merry Christmas instead. Both are perfectly fine.

Father Christmas

This one is easy – Santa Claus, jolly old St Nick. He’s the same guy, does the same things, they just call him Father Christmas instead. Visiting Father Christmas isn’t as widespread a thing as it is here in the USA but people still do it. You can usually visit him in a Christmas Grotto (often in a Lapland attraction). Harrods has a Christmas Grotto and tickets to see him are released in August and sell out right away!

Lapland

There are usually several of these types of attractions that pop up around the UK during the holiday season. Instead of the North Pole, Father Christmas lives in Lapland (the frozen bits of Finland). To celebrate this people visit Lapland attractions that feature a Grotto (to visit Father Christmas), ice skating, usually a Christmas market, hot drinks, reindeer, etc. It’s really an excuse to get in winter gear and go on a day out. And in Great British Tradition, they’re usually disappointing.

Chrimbo/Crimble

Chrimbo is a British slang word for Christmas that originates in 1925 (though it sounds like something a Chav would say). John Lennon also used the version Crimble in Beatles’ song about Christmas.

Crackers

Crackers are an odd thing. We kind of have them here in the US but they’re not common. They’re cardboard tubes filled with a paper crown, toy or trinket and usually a joke. They have gunpowder in them and they make a cracking sound when you pull them apart. They’re great fun. I personally love the jokes, as lame and awful as they usually are.

Pantomime

No, not the obnoxious street artists in Paris. This is a great British tradition that’s the most difficult to explain to non-Brits. A Panto is essentially a play our musical seen at Christmas time. It doesn’t have to be Christmas related and is often not. But the plays are ridiculous and usually family friendly. Modern pantomime includes songs, slapstick comedy and dancing, employs gender-crossing actors, and combines topical humour with a story loosely based on a well-known fairy tale. The big shows usually bring in a famous celebrity (often American) to draw in the crowds.

The Queen’s Speech

On Christmas day at 3pm, most of the nation stops to hear a special Christmas message from The Queen. It’s short and to the point and as a tradition started with the advent of radio. The message is usually a message of goodwill and understanding an it’s the Queen’s personal touch to Christmas celebrations that people appreciate the most – it’s as if she’s speaking right to you. The message is usually recorded in advance and the Queen reflects on the past year and wishes you all a Happy Christmas.

Christmas Pudding

In Britain, Pudding means something completely different than Americans think. A Christmas Pudding is basically a dessert. But it’s so much more than a dessert. It has its origins in medieval England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or just “pud”, though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit. Despite the name “plum pudding,” the pudding contains no actual plums due to the pre-Victorian use of the word “plums” as a term for raisins. The pudding is composed of many dried fruits held together by egg and suet, sometimes moistened by treacle or molasses and flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and other spices. The pudding is aged for a month, months, or even a year; the high alcohol content of the pudding prevents it from spoiling during this time.

German Christmas Markets

This is an odd one for a country that fought two world wars against Germany but one popular German import has been the German Christmas Market. These usually take over the central squares of Britain’s major cities as local artisans sell often Christmas themed handmade goods. They’re a good way to pick up a gift or get a nice warm cup of cider (or mulled wine).

Christmas Jumper

One tradition that has grown in popularity recently is to have an Ugly Christmas Jumper party in the office. A jumper is a type of pull over sweater and to qualify as a Christmas Jumper is has to have a garish knitted or cross stitched design that you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing any other time of the year. It’s all for a laugh. Though Grandmother may not appreciate your dislike of her knitted jumpers.

source: anglotopia

We are giving you a clue. Tell the word or expression.

1. 26th December

2. Christmas Day 3 pm

3. artisans

4. 5 January or 6 January

5. garish knitted or cross stitched

6. a special Scottish Bank Holiday

7. cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger

8. Doctor Who

9. John Lennon

10. paper crown, trinket, joke

Key

1. Boxing Day

2. Queen’s Speech

3. German Christmas markets

4. Epiphany, Twelfth Night

5. Christmas jumper

6. Hogmanay, Scottish New Year’s

7. Christmas pudding

8. Christmas special

9. Crimble

10. Cracker

For most people, the decorative centrepiece of the Christmas season is still the Christmas tree itself (real or artificial) which we might decorate or trim with any number of different items. Baubles (=ball-shaped decorations) are still a popular choice. Some people like a themed tree with decorations in a limited number of colours – red and gold, for example. Other people take a more relaxed approach, hanging ornaments in a range of colours and styles. Many of those ornaments will have been store-bought, but one or two might have been lovingly created by a small child in the family. They may take the form of stars, angels, reindeer, presents, Santa Claus or snowflakes.

Some people add extra sparkle to their tree by draping it with tinsel (=a long string of shiny material). Most people put some form of fairy lights (=small electric lights on a string) around the boughs of the tree. If they’ve had those fairy lights for several years, they’ll hope that they’re still working this year!

Away from the tree, people might hang a wreath (=arrangement of leaves in a circular shape) on their front door. Wreaths are usually made out of holly or branches from a fir tree as we associate these evergreen plants with Christmas. Another popular plant used for decoration at this time of year is mistletoe, which has white berries. It is often hung above doors as it is a tradition for people to kiss beneath it.

Of course, Christmas decorations are not restricted to the inside of the home. In recent years, more and more of us choose to illuminate the outside of our houses and apartments with lights in the shape of Father Christmas, snowmen, icicles, etc.

Season’s Greetings to all of you!

source: dictionaryblog.cambridge.org

Lyrics:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

‘Tis the season to be jolly

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Don we now our gay apparel

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Fa, la, la, la, la

Fa, la, la, la, la

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Can you match the words and their definitions?

Key

1. c. 2. d. 3. a. 4. b.

Eight things you didn’t know about holly

1. Holly berries are an important food for birds, but you wouldn’t want to snack on them – the berries are toxic to humans, and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Not such a merry Christmas, then.

2. Although it is closely associated with Christmas, holly was linked to winter traditions before Christianity: Druids considered it a sacred plant, and often wore holly crowns on their heads.

3. Henry VIII wrote a love song called “Green groweth the holly”, which talks of holly and ivy resisting winter blasts – “So I am and ever hath been unto my lady true”. We can’t help but think that Anne Boleyn might have disagreed.

4. In pagan times, holly was thought to be a male plant and ivy a female plant. “The Holly and the Ivy” is a traditional British Christmas carol which refers to these old fertility myths.

5. In Christian tradition, the berries are often said to represent the blood spilt by Christ, and the prickly leaves his crown of thorns.

6. It is considered unlucky to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve.

7. In heraldry, holly is used to symbolize truth.

8. It used to be believed that a holly tree could not be struck by lightening – making them a safe place to shelter during a storm. But we wouldn’t suggest you tried it.

source: The Telegraph

True or false?

1. Holly berries are toxic to birds.

2. Holy berries represent the blood spilt by Jesus Christ.

3. Holly symbolizes hope in heraldry.

4. A holly tree is a safe shelter in a storm.

5. It’s lucky to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve.

Key

1. false

2. true

3. false

4. false

5. false

“The Holly & The Ivy”

The holly and the ivy

When they are full grown,

Of all the trees in the wood

The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly wears a blossom

As white as any flower,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To be our Saviour.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry

As red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To do sinners good.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle

As sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

On Christmas Day in the morn.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark

As bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,

To redeem us all.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are full grown,

Of all the trees in the wood,

The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The rules are:

1. No-one should open their presents until given permission by Prince Philip, who supervises the proceedings.

2. Every pesent should be a cheap „joke gift”. The cheaper the better. The most memorable Christmas presents down the years are a ’Ain’t Life a Bitch’ bath hat given the Queen by Harry, a ’grow-your-own-girlfriend’ kit given to Harry by Kate (before he began dating Meghan Markle), and a white leather toilet seat given by Princess Anne to Prince Charles, although he actually liked it so much that he now takes it with him on overseas tours. Princess Diana once fell foul of the family’s ’cheap and cheerful’ motto when on her first Christmas at Sandringham as a newly-wed in 1981 she bought everyone cashmere sweaters and mohair scarves to general amusement. Princess Anne, in return, handed over a loo-roll holder. But the next year Princess Diana cracked it when she gave Fergie a leopard print bath mat.

The Royal Family has some other quirky Christmas traditions including giving over 1,500 Christmas puddings to palace staff and dressing up in a black tie for an intimate family dinnner. The Queen and Prince Philip stay in Sandringham until early February in memory of Her Majesty’s late dad George VI, who died at the estate on February 6, 1952. Not in the least superstitious the Queen insists on the Christmas decorations remaining up until she leaves.

Can you find the equvivalent of these Hungarian sentences in the script?

1. Egyáltalán nem babonás.

2. Senkinek sem szabad kibontania az ajándékát.

3. Minél olcsóbb, annál jobb.

4. Szigorú eljárásokat és szabályokat kell követni.

5. A királyi családnak más fura karácsonyi szokása is van.

Key

1. Not in the least superstitious.

2. No-one should open their presents.

3. The cheaper the better.

4. Strict procedures and rules that must be followed.

5. The Royal Family has some other quirky Christmas traditions.

“Here we go a-wassailing among the leaves so green!” If you’ve ever heard a caroler sing this phrase and thought, “What the heck is a wassail?”, you’re not alone!

From the carol, “Here We Come A-wassailing,” a wassail is “a toast made to wish good health.” And so, in this carol, they seem to be toasting good health quite a lot. More specifically though, this is an Old English toast, adopted from the Old Norse ves heill meaning “be healthy!”

Wenceslaus

“Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the feast of Stephen.” Good King WHO?

Wenceslaus the First was a duke of what is now the Czech Republic. Sainted and dubbed “king” shortly after his death in 935, he was known for his piety and generosity to the poor. The carol “Good King Wenceslaus” is traditionally sung on Saint Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26), which honors one of the earliest Catholic saints. The carol depicts a cold Saint Stephen’s night in which Wenceslaus journeys into the snow to help an old man.

Tidings

If you’ve ever been baffled by a caroler bringing you “tidings of comfort and joy,” (from the carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”) your confusion ends here.

Derived from the Old English tidan, meaning “to happen,” a tiding is “a new piece of information or an announcement of an event.” You can think of it as news rolling in on the tide. So, whether your carolers come in on a surfboard or a sleigh, the correct response to tidings is “thank you.”

Figgy pudding

Have carolers ever camped out on your porch demanding figgy pudding, making threats like “we won’t go until we get some!” Don’t be alarmed. You’re not caught in a protest; it’s just another old Christmas carol: “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

A distant cousin of the fruit cake, figgy pudding is “a traditional fig-based cake common in England in the 1600s.” The carol re-popularized the dessert in the 1900s, and now countless carolers ask for it every year. (However, there is little known about anyone actually receiving any.)

Holly

Holly is actually a tree with glossy green leaves, whitish flowers, and red berries. From American Holly to English Holly, the boughs or “branches” of this tree are a traditional Christmas decoration.

The word itself is a shortening of the Old English holegn, another name for the same evergreen plant, which has represented rebirth on the European continent for centuries. And now, the decoration and evergreen plant will live on through the lyrics of “Deck the Halls” forever.

Yuletide

“Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!” Confusing . . . . As is the case with tidings, the yuletide signifies the coming of the holiday season. Yule comes from the Old Norse word jol, relating to the pre-Christian winter feast. After the advent of Christianity, the term was adopted into Old English as a word to represent the Christmas season.

And, what about troll? Well, this type of troll is referring to the way a person walks, so in this case, this song is talking about strolling around singing a Christmas song.

Low

The traditional Christmas carol, “Away in the Manger” starts off pretty straightforward: “Away in a manger no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.”

But, as the song continues, there are some words leaving us to scratch our heads . . . like this line: “the cattle are lowing, the baby awakes.” What exactly does lowing mean here? Lowering their heads? Feeling “low?” Well, actually, this term simply means the same as mooing.

Noel

Sure, we all know the song, “The First Noel.” And, chances are most of us sing along to it every time it’s played. But, does anyone know what a noel actually is?

“The First Noel the angel did say / Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;

In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep / On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.”

Does that help at all? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Well, guess what? Noel is actually a very simple word meaning “the Christmas season” or simply “a Christmas carol.”

Bobtails

“Jingle Bells” is one of those happy-go-lucky holiday tunes that everyone knows and loves. And, who wouldn’t with these fun lyrics?

“Dashing through the snow / On a one horse open sleigh

O’er the fields we go / Laughing all the way.”

Nothing about these lyrics has us questioning what we’re singing. We totally get it’s about a sleigh ride in the snow, and we are laughing our butts off in the process. But, what about the next line: “Bells on bobtails ring”?

What now? Bobtail is defined as “an animal that has had its tail cropped.” So, it seems the song is referring to a “horse with bells on its harness.”

Parson Brown

Nothing defines Christmas quite like a fresh blanket of snow. And, the song, “Winter Wonderland” could prepare us for the blizzard of the century with its happy lyrics. Even those who aren’t snow lovers can appreciate how catchy this song is. However, there is a section that tends to trip up a lot of listeners:

“In the meadow we can build a snowman / Then pretend he is Parson Brown”

Who is Parson Brown, and why would anyone want to name a snowman after him? Well, it seems that there is no one famous by that name, but a parson is actually a minister that can perform marriage ceremonies.

Once bitten, twice shy

Although not as happy-go-lucky as other holiday songs, “Last Christmas” is a favorite. Who doesn’t like a sad, down-in-the-dumps love song now and then?

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart / But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears / I’ll give it to someone special.”

That’s right, try, try again! But, many want to know what Wham! is talking about with the lyric: “once bitten, twice shy.” Well, it’s an idiom that refers to getting hurt by someone and not wanting it to happen again. Better to be shy the second time around, for sure.

Heel

Who doesn’t love the Grinch during the holidays? He’s cranky, hairy, and green, but grows a heart so big it’s impossible to hate him. And the song, “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is a fun one to sing no matter how old you are:

“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch / You really are a heel.”

But we have to ask, what is a heel exactly? This song can’t be talking about the part of a foot, right? Nope, this is an old phrase used to describe a “bad or selfish man.” And, we won’t even go into other lyrics from this song like “You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce.” Yummy.

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis

If you’re staring at these few words completely mystified, you aren’t the only one. “Gloria Hosanna in excelsis” is from the traditional Christmas song, “Ding Dong Merrily On High,” and is pretty darn confusing:

“Ding dong merrily on high / In heav’n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! verily the sky / Is riv’n with angel singing

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis! / Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!”

Actually, there are plenty of words that look a little strange, including riv’n. Well, after some research riv’n seems to mean “to split,” while the expression, Gloria Hosanna in excelsis, means “Glory! Hosanna in the highest,” with hosanna being “an expression of praise.”

Round yon virgin

“Silent Night” is a favorite to sing, and it’s easy to see why. The lyrics have a certain peacefulness that only this season can bring:

“Silent Night / Holy Night

All is calm / All is bright.”

But, then we slip into a few confusing words like, round yon virgin. Hmm. Well, let’s break it down. The word round seems to mean “to go around,” and the word yon is short for yonder. So (according to Slate), this phrase basically translates to, “Everything is calm and bright around that virgin mother over there and her child.”

source: dictionary.com

What strange word is missing from the carols? Do you remember?

1. “Here we go …… among the leaves so green!”

2. “Good King looked out on the feast of Stephen.”

3. “…… of comfort and joy”

4. “Troll the ancient …… carol, Fa la la la la la la la!”

5. “the cattle are ……, the baby awakes.”

6. “The First …… the angel did say / Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.”

7. “…… through the snow / On a one horse open sleigh.”

8. “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch / You really are a …… .”

9. “Ding dong! verily the sky / Is …… with angel singing.”

10. “Round ……Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child.”

Key

1. a-wassailing

2. Wenceslaus

3. tidings

4. Yuletide

5. lowing

6. Noel

7. Dashing

8. heel                                              

9. riv’n

10. yon

– Phew.

– Father Christmas?

– Oh, uh, hi. I didn’t mean to wake you. Was just trying to find the loo.

– It wasn’t you. It’s that stench.

– I’m sorry deary. Just go back to sleep.

– I was dreaming of sugar plums then along came the ghost of Christmas ass.

– Listen, just give me a second, okay and I’ll wrap this thing right up.

– What is that smell?

– Oh, jeez not again…

– Holy Saint Nicholas!

– Please, girls, go back to bed.

– He is dropping yule logs down his chimney.

– Come on now, a little privacy would be great. I’ve been holding this thing since Dubai.

– The whole house smells like a gingerbread manslaughter.

– I’m sorry it’s the milk and cookies, okay, every year destroys me.

– Well, now that you are here dumping lumps of coal in our toilet, what did you get me for Christmas?

(toot)

– Gross!

– I don’t make a meal of it, okay. It’s not that bad.

– Look, what I’ve found.

– Jesus, there’s another one? Whoa! Put that back!

– I was looking around for that horrible stench and I’ve found this under the tree.

– That’s not for you.

– Look. iPhones! Hundreds of them! All for us!

– As soon as I’m done here, I’m gonna get those gifts back and you’re all going on the naughty list.

– Oh, yeah. Then I’m going to put you on Instagram. #Busted.

– Do you know who I am? Do you have any idea?

– Put it in the cloud with his stinky farts.

– You can’t blackmail Santa!

– Look, Kringle!

– You never should have pinched off a hot slice of fruitcake without using Poo-Pourri.

– Poo-Pourri?

– Poo-Pourri? The gift that stops stinking! Since we are exchanging gifts, here is one for you. Next time spritz the bowl before you go and and noone else will ever know.

– So, you can keep sneaking without wreaking!

– And your dingleberries will smell like jingleberries.

– Anything else?

– Yeah, Santa, hurry up, I really need to take a sh…

– Jingle Bells, your poo smells before you drop a bomb. Click right here to save your rear at PotPourri.com!

(stomach growling)

Poo-Pourri is a company that devises and sells fragrant sprays for toilets. These are made of essential oils and other natural compounds, which coat the surface of the water and, the manufacturer claims, hold in bad odours. Poo-Pourri is best known for its viral YouTube advertisement, Girls Don’t Poop.

Santa Claus facts:

1. Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel. Two of his names — Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas — both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago.

2. The man behind the story of Father Christmas/Santa Claus was St. Nicholas, a Bishop who lived in the fourth century in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now Turkey).

3. Santa Claus’s sleigh is led by eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder (variously spelled Donder and Donner) and Blixem (variously spelled Blixen and Blitzen), with Rudolph being a 20th-century inclusion.

4. What’s Santa’s address? It’s Santa Claus, North Pole.

5. The USPS has a program called Letters to Santa, which guarantees children a response from the North Pole, but no presents. Parents mail their children’s letters to the “North Pole Postmark Postmaster,” along with Santa’s response and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,

Just like the ones I used to know

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white)

And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white)

And may all your Christmases be

(All your Christmases be white)

(All your Christmases be white)

“White Christmas” is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world’s best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. Other versions of the song, along with Crosby’s, have sold over 50 million copies.

Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel. He often stayed up all night writing—he told his secretary, “Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I’ve ever written—heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody’s ever written!”

The first public performance of the song was by Bing Crosby, on his NBC radio show The Kraft Music Hall on Christmas Day, 1941. At first, Crosby did not see anything special about the song. He just said “I don’t think we have any problems with that one, Irving.”

The song initially performed poorly and was overshadowed by Holiday Inn’s first hit song: “Be Careful, It’s My Heart. By the end of October 1942, “White Christmas” topped the Your Hit Parade chart. It remained in that position until well into the new year. It has often been noted that the mix of melancholy—”just like the ones I used to know”—with comforting images of home—”where the treetops glisten”—resonated especially strongly with listeners during World War II.

Although Crosby dismissed his role in the song’s success, saying later that “a jackdaw with a cleft palate could have sung it successfully,” he was associated with it for the rest of his career.

What rhymes with what? Fill in the rhymes.

1. know – ……

2. glisten – ……

3. white – ……

Key

1. know – snow

2. glisten – listen

3. white – bright – write

Is it actually different from normal chocolate, though? Turns out, that depends on the calendar.

If you buy a branded calendar from a chocolate manufacturer, like Cadbury or Lindt, then you can expect the chocolate to taste pretty similar to their regular fare. The size and shape of the treat might be different, but the way you eat it certainly will be.

Advent calendar chocolate is usually pretty thin, and generally comes as a square with rounded corners and an embossed shape on its surface. That means it will melt quickly when you put it on your tongue, and the relatively large surface area means your taste buds are getting a pretty intense chocolate hit. And while you might typically take another bite or reach for another sweet quite quickly, with Advent calendar chocolate you know you only get one piece per day, so most people will take their time to savor it a little longer.

It tastes different because you’re paying more attention to it, basically.

If you’ve got a more generic calendar, though, you might be getting a kind of chocolate you don’t often eat.

Cheap chocolate often isn’t ‘real’ chocolate at all: it’s something called compound chocolate, which means that instead of being made with cocoa butter, it’s made with cheaper fats. In all likelihood, it’s made with palm kernel oil, or possibly coconut oil. That gives it a different flavor than true chocolate, and can also give it a slightly different texture, making it seem slightly waxy or a bit oily. Compound chocolate is actually easier to work with and to mold into shapes, and that, along with the lower price point, means it is ideal for Advent calendars.

So yes, you might find that the chocolate in your Advent calendar tastes nothing like the chocolate you plan on serving at your holiday party. Whether you prefer it or not comes down to your own personal taste— plus a healthy dose of nostalgia. If you have fond memories of tucking into Advent calendar chocolate in the lead-up to idyllic childhood Christmases, it probably tastes like pure joy.

Reméljük sikerült megérteni a cikk lényegét. Ha igen, akkor nem lesz nehéz válaszolni az alábbi kérdésekre!

1. Miért más élmény az adventi naptárból csokit enni, mint különben?

2. Miben különbözik a csoki maga?

3. Milyen hatással van ez a csoki fogyasztás élményére?

4. Miért találjuk másnak az ízét?

5. Miben különbözik az olcsó csoki a márkástól?

Válaszok:

1. Meg kell találni és ki kell nyitni az ajtót illetve ablakot, és utána ízlelgetni a csokit. Kedves gyermekkori élményeket idéz fel.

2. Általában vékony, lekerekített a sarka és dombornyomásos kép van rajta.

3. Mivel nagyobb a felülete, gyorsan elolvad, és intenzívebben hat a nyelv ízlelőbimbóira.

4. Mivel csak egyet lehet belőle enni egy nap, a legtöbben egy kicsit tovább ízlelgetik. Azért találjuk másnak az ízét, mert több figyelmet fordítunk rá.

5. Nem kakaóvajjal, hanem pálmaolajjal vagy kókuszolajjal készül, ezért az íze és az állaga különböző. Könnyebben formálható, ezért ideális az adventi naptárokhoz.

source: mentalfloss