BRITISH FESTIVITY : CHRISTMAS


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 


Click on this following link and follow the instructions !
Enjoy!!
Mrs Morel

     Special thanks to Asiya and Marion for their oral presentation on Christmas in Britain 

                                   

  How is Christmas Celebrated in Britain?

Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries. 
Most people are on holiday in the UK and stay at home with their family on Christmas day, the main day for Christmas celebrations in Britain. 

Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December, with a Christmas dinner at midday for the whole family. It is a  Bank Holiday / Public Holiday
                                                  

How do the British prepare for Christmas?

During the weeks before Christmas Day, the British send cards, watch nativity plays and go to carol services. They put up Christmas decorations in their homes and churches.

                          
                                                            Boxing Day :26th December (Bank Holiday)   

 Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it is typically a non working day in the whole of Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday the following Monday is the public holiday.


Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?


Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.                                               
                                                                    BRITISH  TRADITIONS
What is Carol Singing?
CarolersCarol singing, or Caroling, is singing carols in the street or public places. It is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain, going back to the Middle Ages when beggars, seeking food, money, or drink, would wander the streets singing holiday songs. © copyright of projectbritain.com
People today still go carol singing. People go from house to house singing carols and collecting money for charity.
The traditional period to sing carols is from St Thomas's Day (21 December) until the morning of Christmas Day.
lights

CHRISTMAS PUDDING
                           Mince Pies                A traditional British Christmas treat!

Learn about Christmas in England from the children who live in Britain Christmas traditions why do what we do at chrsitmas time Mince pies are an essential part of Christmas. They are made from minced fruit not meat. In the US, the filling is known by the more accurate name "fruitmince".

What are Mince pies?
They are small pies, usually between 2 and 3 inches in diameter (5-7.5 centimetres), filled with mincemeat (fruitmince).
Ingredients of Mince Pies
The filling is a mixture of raisins, sultanas, apricots, glace cherries, candied citrus peel, apples, various types of nuts and mixed spices typically nutmeg and cinnamon.



Another popular English tradition is that of the Christmas cracker


 These brightly coloured paper tubes  are still widely distributed at Christmas parties and gatherings today. When two people come together to pull the cracker apart, it releases a loud snap and then drops a small trinket or gift.

 Taking the plunge
"It's difficult to understand how diving into a freezing body of water on Christmas Day ever caught on, but it has become an annual custom in Britain (brave Londoners leap into the Serpentine on Hyde Park or, pictured here, Brighton beach), Ireland (where many head for the chilly Irish Sea), and France (there's an  annual dip in Nice)."
(telegraph.co.uk)
 

Here is the Queen's Christmas message 2012 (lots of British people watched it on TV ) 
The Queen has used her annual Christmas Day broadcast to speak of courage and hope in adversity.













Enjoy these Christmas  pictures in the British Isles!

LONDON (England)




DUBLIN  (Republic of Ireland)


 
BELFAST (Northern Ireland)

CARDIFF (Wales)



EDINBURGH (Scotland):around the Princes Street Gardens.










 
Revise your vocabulary !
Christmas treeChristmas wreathHollyPonsettias
Sapin de NoëlCouronne de NoëlHouxPoinsettia
Christmas garland(Christmas)  baubleTinselsStar
Guirlande de NoëlBoule de NoëlGuirlandes décorativesÉtoile
CandlesBow BellsJingle bells /sleigh bells
BougiesNoeudClochesgrelots
LightsStockingOrnamentsChristmas market
Guirlandes lumineusesChaussette de NoëlDécorationsMarché de Noël

Christmas world 
Santa Claus/Father ChristmasBobsleigh/Bob sleighReindeerElves
Père NoëlTraîneauRenneElfs / Lutins
ListChimneyFireplaceGifts / Presents
ListeCheminéeCheminéeCadeaux / Présents
ToysCarol singersChristmas carolVow card
JouetsChanteursChant de NoëlCarte de voeux

Christmas Eve dinner
Christmas Eve dinnerTurkeyGingerbread cookiesChristmas cake/pudding
Réveillon de NoëlDindeCookies en pain d'épiceGâteau de Noël
Yule logEgg-nog/Eggnog/EggflipChocolateCandy cane
Bûche pâtissièreLait de pouleChocolatSucre candy en forme de canne

































































 


RECIPE :Christmas pudding
 
 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2      cups          Pillsbury's Best All Purpose Flour* -- sifted
     1/3  cup           sugar
   1 1/4  teaspoons     soda
   1      teaspoon      salt
   1      teaspoon      French's Cinnamon
     1/4  teaspoon      French's Ginger
     1/4  teaspoon      French's Nutmeg
     1/4  teaspoon      French's Cloves
   1      cup           suet -- ground or grated
   1       cup          buttermilk or sour milk
   1      cup           raisins
     1/3  cup           molasses
                        Butterscotch, Nutmeg or Hard Sauce

STEAM for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.Sift together the flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and
cloves. Stir in suet, buttermilk or sour milk, raisins, and molasses.  Mix
until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn into well-greased 2-quart mold or
casserole.  Cover with tight cover or aluminum foil.  Place on rack in large
steamer or kettle.  Add boiling water to height of 2 inches in steamer,
cover.  Steam 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until pudding springs back when touched
lightly in center.**  Serve hot, cut into slices with Butterscotch, Nutmeg,
or Hard Sauce.  
*For use with Pillsbury's Best Self-Rising Flour, omit soda and salt.
**If desired, Christmas Pudding may be baked in a 300 degree oven.  Place  a
pan of water in oven.  Cover pudding and bake 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

Butterscotch Sauce:  Combine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
flour and 1/8 teaspoons salt.  Stir in 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk. Cook over
medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

Hard Sauce:  Cream 1/2 cup butter. Add gradually 2 cups sifted confectioners'
sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.  Blend in 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1
tablespoon boiling water, 1 teaspoon French's Vanilla and 2 teaspoons
French's Rum or Brandy Flavoring, if desired.  Chill until serving time.

Nutmeg Sauce:  Cream 1/4 cup butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, creaming
until light and fluffy.  Blend in 1 egg yolk, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1
teaspoon French's Vanilla. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Cook in
top of double boiler over boiling water, stirring constantly until slightly
thickened. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon French's Nutmeg.

                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
CHRISTMAS GAMES 
Have a good fun !!
1 - http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/christmas/games/hideandsock/ 
2 - http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/christmas/games/santasquiz/

Publié par à 4 commentaires:

HISTORY :3 - THE VIKINGS

About the year 800, bands of fierce raiders began to attack the English coasts. They were the Vikings. They came across the North Sea, just as the Anglo-Saxons had done 400 years earlier.
In time, like the Anglo-Saxons, they made their home here. They drove the Saxons out of part of the country and took it for themselves.
King Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex, fought them in a great battle, but he could not drive them right away and had to let them have part of the country, called Danelaw.

      -Where did the Vikings come from?

The Vikings lived over one thousand years ago and came from the three countries of Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

  -Who were the Vikings?

Vikings were also known as the Norsemen. They were great travellers and sailed to other parts of Europe, where they traded, raided, and often settled
They were also farmers, fishermen, trappers and traders. Viking craftsmen made beautiful objects out of wood, metal and bone; Viking women were skilful weavers, produced fine, warm textiles.

Norsemen means 'people from the North'
Many Vikings were great travellers and sailed all over Europe and the Atlantic Ocean in their long ships.

 Viking ship

   -When did they invade Britain?


The Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 9th Century AD and lasted for 300 years. 
The Vikings first invaded Britain in AD 793 and last invaded in 1066 when William the Conqueror became King of England after the Battle of Hastings.

The first place the Vikings attacked in Britain was the monastery at Lindisfarne, a holy island situated off the Northumberland coast in the north east of England. A few years later the island of Iona (off the west coast of Scotland), came under attack and its monks were slaughtered.

Soon no region of the British Isles (Britain and nearby islands) was safe from the Vikings. They attacked villages and towns in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and England.

No matter how many times the Vikings were beaten, they always came back, and in the end all their efforts paid off.
 It was the Vikings (Norse) of Normandy who finally conquered England in 1066 and changed British history for ever.
   -Why did the Vikings invade Britain?
Most Vikings who sailed overseas were simply searching for better land for their farms. Their land was not very good for farming. Norway was very hilly, Sweden was covered in forests, and Denmark had a lot of sandy home land
    -Where did the Vikings settle in Britain?
The area eventually settled by Vikings was called the Danelaw. It formed a boundary separating Anglo-Saxon England from Viking England and was defined in a treaty between the English King Alfred and Viking King Guthrum in AD 880. It lay north of Watling Street, a Roman road running from London north-west to Chester and covered northern and eastern England. It included counties north of an imaginary line running from London to Bedford and then up to Chester.
The Vikings settled in:

  • Islands off the coast of Scotland - Shetland, Orkney and The Hebrides
  • Around the north and north west coast of Scotland
  • Parts of Ireland - Dublin is a Viking city
  • The Isle of Man
  • Small parts of Wales
  • Parts of England known as Danelaw
                                 HOUSES

Click to enlargeMost people lived on farms. The Vikings lived in long rectangular houses made with upright timbers (wood), wattle and daub or stone. They were usually one room with a cooking fire in the middle. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof.
Animals and people lived in the same building. The animals lived in a byre at one end of the house and the people lived at the other.

                 - CLOTHES



Men wore tunics and trousers and women wore a long dress with a pinafore over it. Their clothes were fastened with belts and brooches. They made their clothes from wool and linen.







QUIZ 
 
Test your knowledge on the Vikings : http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/viking/1.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/what_happened_to_the_vikings/ 

The History Channel shows us the Lost World of the Vikings and the advances and technology of the Nordic culture






Publié par à Aucun commentaire:

3 - THE ANGLO - SAXONS



The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons.
 The new settlers were a mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. Most were Saxons, Angles and Jutes. 
 If we use the modern names for the countries they came from, the Saxons, were German-Dutch, the Angles were southern Danish, and Jutes were northern Danish. 
 

Why did Anglo-Saxons invade Britain?


Historians are not sure why the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain.
 Some sources say that the Saxon warriors were invited to come, to the area now know as England, to help keep out invaders from Scotland and Ireland. 
Another reason for coming may have been because their land often flooded and it was difficult to grow crops, so they were looking for new places to settle down and farm.

 To know more about the Angle- Saxons' way of life :http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/anglo_saxons/anglo-saxon_life/
To revise for your test : do the following quiz (don't forget to do the quiz of each section !!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/anglo_saxons/who_were_the_anglo-saxons/teachers_resources.shtml
Publié par à 2 commentaires:

HISTORY :2 -THE ROMANS (43 AD to 410 AD)


 
To revise your lessons: :http://www.brims.co.uk/romans/

 Test your knowledge on the Romans:do the following quiz :
http://www.brims.co.uk/romans/quiz.html

 Special thanks to Guilhem and Théo for their long oral presentation ! 


 
The Romans came to Britain 2000 years ago. The Roman Empire made its mark on Britain, and even today, the ruins of Roman buildings, forts, roads, and baths can be found all over Britain.
Britain (not Scotland) was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years! The Roamns divided England into four areas centred by the following towns London, Cirencester, York and Lincoln.
By the time the Roman armies left around 410 AD, they had established medical practice, a language of administration and law and had created great public buildings and roads.
Many English words are derived from the latin language of the Romans. 

                                                            SOME VESTIGE OF THE ROMAN PERIOD 
 
France : the Pont du Gard in Nîmes
North of England : Hadrian's Wall

Location of Hadrian's Wall

                                                                            
England (Colchester in Essex) : Camulodunum is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain as recorded by the Romans
        
    Roman Houses and Villas
There was a significant difference between the south-eastern half of Britannia (the Roman name for Britain) and the north-western region. In the south-east Roman style country homes known as villas were established. In the north and west of Britain, few villas have been found.
Not all Romans lived in villas. The majority of people living in the country lived in houses in the style of the celtic houses. These houses were usually round and made of timber and thatched.

Did you know?
Only one percent of people in Roman Britain lived in villas.

How do we know what Roman houses were like?

A lot of building material has survived from the Roman period, but mainly for buildings constructed of stone and tile. There is little evidence of wattle and daub buildings, which are thought to have been used throughout the Roman period.
Roman houses, especially ones belonging to rich people, were so well built that the remains of villas and even towns have been found.

We can tell from these finds that:
  • the Romans were good builders
  • most people of Roman Britain lived in the countryside
  • rich Romans living in the country, lived in villas and everyone else lived in huts.
  • Some people lived in the towns


Publié par à 5 commentaires:

REMEMBRANCE DAY


November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars.
Click here to go to the British legion website
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One.

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare.
poppy iconWhat is Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day is on 11 November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War.

Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain.
This year it is on 11 November!

A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph.


image: Map of Whitehall 


Cenotaph
The Cenotaph in White Hall

Wreaths (= couronnes) are layed beside war memorials by companies, clubs and societies. People also leave small wooden crosses by the memorials in remembrance of a family member who died in war.



poppy iconPoppy Day
Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans.
poppy iconTwo minute silence
At 11am on each Remembrance Sunday a two minute silence is observed at war memorials and other public spaces across the UK.

Remembrance Day quiz

How much do you know about the origins of Remembrance Day? 15 Questions.
Publié par à Aucun commentaire:
Inscription à : Articles (Atom)