The Christmas Spirit: The Three Wise Men

Tonight is the night: The Three Wise Men are coming!

Click here for a different point of view of the arrival of The Three Kings

A Christmas Commercial

This could be your Homework Assignment 7: How would you explain the title of this commercial: "Apple-Holiday-TV Ad- Misunderstood"? Make sure you write a clear explanation where you include the four different parts of the title

Getting Ready for Christmas 2013

Learn how to say "Happy Christmas " in several languages: 

Barack Obama´s version of "Jingle Bells"

Christmas humour:

The first cartoon pays homage to the word "selfie", word of the year

10 tips and tricks for your Christmas holidays: 

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Have a look at the title of this video : KODA in Kindergarten Holiday Concert. KODA stands for "Kid of Deaf Adults". 

In this video a girl sings the songs for her deaf parents in the audience in a very enthusiastic way. She tries to keep up with her classmates´performance of the songs while using the sign language and all those signs together with her facial expressions make the video really funny. Enjoy!

The Queen´s English

Here´s a good listening and reading exercise.

The standard accent of Standard English in England is called either "RP" (= Received Pronunciation) or "Queen´s English" and making a pun (=word play) on words, this is the best example of Queen´s English you´ll ever hear: Queen Elizabeth II´s 2012 Christmas speech - read the transcript below, if you need to:

“This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.

It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.

Prince Philip and I were joined by our family on the River Thames as we paid tribute to those who have shaped the United Kingdom’s past and future as a maritime nation, and welcomed a wonderful array of craft, large and small, from across the Commonwealth.

On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing over the elements.

That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service. As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.

We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted.

For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love. And those who have lost loved ones may find this day especially full of memories. That’s why it’s important at this time of year to reach out beyond our familiar relationships to think of those who are on their own.

At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others.

This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son ‘to serve, not to be served’. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.

The carol, In The Bleak Midwinter, ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: ‘What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part’. The carol gives the answer ‘Yet what I can I give him – give my heart’. I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”

Christmas 2012

Just a few words, some links and some images to wish you Happy Holidays. 

Let´s start with 20 Christmas facts you never knew and then move on to some Santa-related topics: 

Would you like to have a chat with Santa?: Click here; if you´d rather write a letter to him, click here

For all those lovers of maths and physics, some facts about Santa Claus:


Does Santa really exist? from Beyond on Vimeo.

The following video is not suitable for little children, because it depicts Santa´s life as a retired man (OMG, no more presents!) ; here´s an introduction to his current life:

After 1,742 years on the job, Santa has retired to an Erickson Living community. But while he may be jolly, the man in the red suit is having some trouble adapting to life below the North Pole. When he isn't gobbling up all the cookies on campus, he's letting his reindeer run wild. And if that's not bad enough, Santa's retirement threatens to put an end to the holiday season as we know it! It's up to the residents of Erickson Living to save the dayA video made with real residents of the Erickson Living community (a campus-style retirement community where adults age 62 or older can live an active, engaging lifestyle).

What would Christmas be like without music? Here´s a Christmas medley

And this is the full song list:

0:31 Mistletoe & Wine -- Cliff Richard
0:45 'Home Alone' Theme -- John Williams
1:02 Jingle Bells -- James Lord Pierpont
1:23 Sleigh Ride -- Leroy Anderson
1:42 Stop The Cavalry -- Jona Lewie
2:03 Lonely This Christmas -- Mud
2:30 Fairytale of New York -- The Pogues
3:07 Stay Another Day -- East 17
3:35 Hello Mistletoe (Goodbye Cold Snow) -- Brett Domino
4:03 Merry Xmas Everybody -- Slade
4:33 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer -- Johnny Marks
5:08 Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree -- Brenda Lee
5:44 Another Rock & Roll Christmas -- Gary Glitter
6:08 Jingle Bell Rock -- Bobby Helms
6:35 Frosty the Snowman -- Gene Autry
6:58 Santa Claus is Comin' to Town -- John Frederick Coots & Haven Gillespie
7:18 Silent Night -- (Traditional)
7:50 Away in a Manger -- (Traditional)
8:12 The First Noel -- (Traditional)
8:34 Step Into Christmas -- Elton John
8:53 Gaudete -- (Traditional)
9:13 Walking in the Air -- Aled Jones
9:30 Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto -- Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg
10:04 Drummer Boy -- Justin Bieber
10:16 The Twelve Days of Christmas -- (Traditional)
10:23 Do They Know it's Christmas -- Band Aid
11:14 White Christmas -- Irving Berlin
11:43 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Judy Garland
11:58 Last Christmas Together -- Spectre Morse
12:13 Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End) -- The Darkness
12:20 Last Christmas -- Wham!
12:50 All I Want for Christmas is You -- Mariah Carey
13:19 What Christmas Means to Me -- Stevie Wonder
13:35 Wonderful Christmastime -- Paul McCartney
13:45 It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year -- Andy Williams
13:50 Mary's Boy Child -- Jester Hairston
13:56 Joy to the World -- (Traditional)
14:01 Winter Wonderland -- Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith
14:08 Happy Xmas (War is Over) -- John Lennon & Yoko Ono
14:23 I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday -- Wizzard

And, finally, a video where some little children explain what Christmas, Santa Claus and holidays mean for them:

Christmas Glitter