Winter and Christmas in the United States!

Choosing the tree

Every year my family and I go to choose the perfect Christmas tree!

Decorating the tree

My mom, dad, sister, and I hang up all of the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

Gingerbread Houses

Me and my sister Lucy make houses out of gingerbread and candy every year. It is really fun, and delicious!

Christmas activities

Caroling

Sometimes groups of people go from door to door and sing Christmas songs for all the neighbors.

Mistletoe

Don’t get caught under the mistletoe! It is tradition to hang this plant above doors at Christmas time. If you are underneath it with someone, you have to kiss!

Egg Nog

Egg nog is a traditional Christmas drink made of eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and rum . You can also make it without rum. It is a warm and sweet drink.

Candy Canes

Candy canes are the most typical candy on Christmas. They usually taste like peppermint, but they can be other flavors as well.

Christmas Adverts

Christmas advertisments are usually very good. In Britain, John Lewis company makes really nice advertisments every year. Here are a couple of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSLOnR1s74ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=0N8axp9nHNU

Christmas Lights

Many houses put lots of Christmas lights on their house to decorate. On Christmas Eve, after we go to mass, my family and I drive around our neighborhood and look at all of the lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1AC-Q2rZLQ

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The Nativity

Many people have scenes of the Nativity, and they put them up at Christmas time to decorate.

Christmas Books

We have many Christmas stories. The most famous one is “Twas the Night before Christmas”. My favorite book is called “The Polar Express”. I read it every year on Christmas Eve.

Stockings

We hang Christmas stockings over the fireplace so that Santa Claus can put small presents in them. Stockings usually have your name on it.

Midnight Mass

On Christmas Eve, most people attend mass. We listen to the story of Christmas, sing Christmas hymns, and hold candles.

Cookies and Milk

On Christmas Eve, we put out a plate of Christmas cookies and a glass of milk for Santa Claus when he comes to bring gifts. We also write a letter to Santa for him to read when he comes down the chimney.

Winter Activities

Ice Skating

Me and my friends like to go ice skating. There are many ice rinks but we can also skate on the lakes.

Sledding

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Sledding is a really fun activity. We use “sleds” or “tubes” to slide down a hill. You can go really fast. This movie is from last year, with two of my friends.

This is from the snow day at my university last year. It was the first time in history that classes were cancelled. We had 50.8 centimeters of snow.

A lot of students made this giant snowball and pushed it through the streets. The police had to come to remove it!

Christmas Vocabulary!Do you remember?

1. The most traditional Christmas candy.2. People put up these to decorate their house at Christmas time.

3. It is the most famous American Christmas story.

4. If you are caught underneath this plant with someone, you have to kiss each other.

5. Me and my sister make these every year. We use a lot of candy to decorate them.

6. On Christmas Eve, many people attend this at midnight.7. On Christmas Eve, children leave this snack for Santa to eat when he comes with presents.8. It is a traditional drink made with rum, milk, vanilla, and eggs.9. Many people do this activity and sing for people in the neighborhood.

A. Candy cane E. Mass I. Christmas lights

B. Snow forts F. Mistletoe J. Sledding

C. Gingerbread houses G. Egg Nog K. “Twas the Night Before Christmas”

D. Cookies and Milk H. Caroling L. The Nativity Scene

Blizzard in Neenah!

At the beginning of December of two years ago, there was a big snow storm in my town. We got 40 centimeters of snow.

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Your Friends from Wisconsin!

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