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The Christmas Feast and Santa Claus — Рождественский банкет и Санта-Клаус

Christmas takes place on December 25. There are some traditions connected with it. One of them is to give presents to each other. It is not only children and members of family who give presents to each other. It’s a tradition to give Christmas presents to the people you work with, to give presents to friends, to send them Christmas cards. Another tradition is to have a Christmas Feast.
On Christmas day, the year’s greatest feast was served. Although now we have different foods, the idea is still the same. The feast was started off with drinks and music. Once everyone was seated, the food was served, after dessert, people drank and danced. The banquet lasted hours and was the highlight of the day. During the Feast they served beef, meat pies, roasted duck, geese, pigs, porridge, fancy cakes, and toast. Christmas was a huge celebration filled with lots of eating, drinking, singing, dancing, and gift giving.
The beginning of custom of gift giving during Christmas

started from the three wise men, with their three gifts for the Christ child* Since then people have made up different things to tell their children where their Christmas presents came from. Saint Nicholas was known in early Christian legends for saving storm-tossed sailors, standing up for children, and giving gifts to the poor. Although many of his stories can’t be proven true, his legend spread throughout Europe, and he was soon known for his extreme generosity and gift giving.
Many stories include him riding through the sky on a horse and wearing his red bishop’s cloak, sometimes accompanied by Black Peter, an elf whose job was to punish the bad children. The most known legend is when he walks through the streets in his bishop clothes, carrying a sack full of presents, and leaving a gift on the windowsills of children’s houses.
From the different parts of the world, there are different names of Santa Claus, but the spirit of Christmas remains the same. Spanish children call their Santa Balthasar, children in Italy have a female Santa named La Belfana, Denmark has a gnome named Jule-Nissen, Holland
has Sinter Klaas, Germany has Sanct Herr, Russia and Ukraine Dedushka Moroz and there are even some places that believe the Christ child brings their presents.
Christmas is a holiday, when all fairy tales come alive. It is time when aunt Happiness and uncle Goodness strolling around, while Dedushka Moroz and Santa Claus give gifts.

Рождественский банкет и Санта-Клаус

Рождество проходит 25 декабря. Существует несколько традиций, связанных с ним. Одна из них — дарить друг другу подарки. Друг другу дарят подарки не только дети или члены одной семьи. По традиции нужно дарить рождественские подарки людям, с которыми вы работаете, друзьям, посылать им рождественские открытки. Другая традиция — рождественский банкет.
На Рождество бывает самый большой банкет. Хотя сейчас у нас другие кулинарные предпочтения, идея остается та же самая. Как только все рассаживались, начинали подавать еду, после десерта люди пили и танцевали. Банкет продолжался часами и был основным моментом дня. В ходе банкета подавали говядину, пироги с мясом, жареных уток, гусей, свинину, овсянку, праздничные пироги и тосты. Рождество было огромным праздником, с большим количеством еды, питья, песен, танцев и подарков.
Традиция дарить подарки началась с тех времен, когда три мудреца сделали три подарка маленькому Иисусу. С тех пор люди выдумывали разные истории, чтобы рассказать своим детям, откуда появились их рождественские подарки. Святой Николас был известен в ранних христианских легендах как спаситель унесенных штормом моряков, защитник детей и податель подарков бедным. Хотя многие из его историй не могут быть достоверно доказаны, легенды о нем распространились по всей Европе и вскоре он стал известен своим чрезвычайным великодушием и подарками.
Во многих историях его описывают едущим по небу на лошади в своем красном плаще, иногда его сопровождает Блэк Питер, эльф, работа которого заключается в наказании плохих детей. Самая известная легенда рассказывает, что он ходит по улицам в одежде епископа с мешком, полным подарков, и кладет их на подоконники окон домов, где живут дети.
В разных частях мира существуют различные имена Сйнта-Клауса, но дух Рождества остается всюду одинаковым. Испанские дети называют своего Санта-Бальтазаром, у детей Италии — это женщина Санта по имени Ла Бельфана, в Дании — гном по имени Джуле Ниссец, в Голландии Зинтер Клаас, в Германии — Занкт Герр, в России и Украине — Дедушка Мороз, в некоторых местах даже полагают, что подарки приносит маленький Христос.
Рождество — это праздник, когда оживают все сказки. Это время, когда тетушка Счастье и дядя Доброта прогуливаются вокруг, а Дедушка Мороз вместе с Санта-Клаусом дарят подарки.

Questions:

1. When does Christmas take place?
2. What traditions can be connected with Christmas?
3. What was the feast on Christmas day?
4. Where did the custom of gift giving during Christmas start from?
5. What was Saint Nicholas known for?
6. What is the most known legend about Saint Nicholas?
7. What kind of holiday is Christmas?

Vocabulary:

To connect — связывать
feast — праздник
highlight — основной момент
roasted duck — жареная утка
goose ( мн. ч. geese) — гусь
fancy — разукрашенный, необычный
huge — огромный
wise — мудрый
to save — спасать
to toss — бросать, выбрасывать
bishop — епископ
cloak — плащ
to accompany — сопровождать
to punish — наказывать
sack — мешок
windowsill — подоконник
spirit — дух
to stroll around — бродить, прогуливаться

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