Christmas

Christmas is held in honour of the birth of Christ. It is described in the Holy Bible Maria - a mother of Jesus Christ is expecting a God’s baby. She knows about him from the angel. Tsar Irod and all people know that a holy child is appeared, but they don’t know where and when.
On that day, about 2009 years ago, on the 25th of December (by old style) and on the 7th of January (by new style) Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, wisemen from the East came to worship him.
They gave the child presents - gold, frankincense and myrrh.
That’s why nowadays we try to please our friends and relatives giving them Christmas presents.
People decorate Christmas trees with tinsels, baubles and fairy lights, and wrap paper strings around th branches.
American and Great Britain people have a traditional meal: turkey, christmas pudding, mince pies. In Russia we usually eat tangerines, tasty things and what not!
But first of all it is a spiritual holiday.
In Russia orthodox people begin posting from the 28th of November up to the 6th of January. They usually don’t eat eggs, dairy products during this time. On Christmas Eve people go on church services to celebrate the Christ’s birth in unity with God.
In Britain and the U.S.A. some people also go to a special church service called Midnight Mass and sing carols.
Joy, laugh and merry - making is going around.

Home task

1. Put 5 questions to the text.
2. Put all underlined words into your vocabularies, giving their transcription and translation.

1 Where was Jesus Christ born?2 What presents did wisemen give the child?3 Do  American and Great Britain people have a traditional meal?4 Is Christmas a spiritual holiday?5 Who goes to a special church service?