April Fool’s Day, Christmas, Halloween

1. April Fool’s Day, Christmas, Halloween

2. Vocabulary • April Fool • April Fool's Day • Fool • Hoax • Gullible • Play a joke (on someone) • Practical joke • Prank • Prankster • Spoof story

3. Video Clip • Watch the short video • Of the new vocabulary words we just learnt, which one describes it best? • What did the scientist say was happening? • What was the TV broadcasting company? • When did this advert occur?

4. April Fool’s Day • What are some tricks people play on April Fool's Day? • What is the background of this day? • Do you have the same tradition in your country?

5. The Origin of April Fool’s Day The most popular theory about the origin of April Fool’s Day involves the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century. The theory goes like this: In 1564 France reformed its calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. Those who failed to keep up with the change, who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them. Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born.

6. April Fool’s Day Discussion • Do you play tricks on April 1st? • What sort of tricks do you play? • Have you ever tried fooling your family on April Fool's Day? • Do you always look forward to April Fool's Day? • Have you ever been tricked on April 1st? • Are you mad if someone play tricks on you?

7. Playing a Prank • Imagine it is April Fool’s Day and your best friend is staying at your house in Beijing. You plan to pay a prank on him/her. - What prank will you play? - What materials do you need to play the prank? - Do you need someone to help you? - What time will you play the prank?

8. Christmas

9. Vocabulary in Pictures

10. History • Why did and do people celebrate Christmas? • Why do they give each other gifts? Celebrate the birth of Jesus Gifts are exchanged partly because the Bible tells of the wise men (magi) bringing gifts to the Christ-child as they came to worship Him

11. Santa Claus • What places do you see Santa Claus? • Who was he? • Who is he now? • Santa Claus comes from a real person in 325 A.D. – Saint Nicholas in Turkey • Reputation for kindness and generosity • Legends of financial miracles on behalf of the poor and unhappy

12. Writing a Letter to Santa • Imagine you are writing a letter to Santa Claus at the North Pole, or are helping a child write a letter. What would you write and ask Santa for? What would you encourage your child to write?

14. If you grew up in a western country, would you follow tradition and pretend that Santa was real with your children? Debate Parents should tell their children that Santa Claus is not real, that he does not leave them presents at Christmas and does not watch to see whether or not they have been good or bad.

15. Stockings • Why do children hang stockings up at Christmas? Stockings were originally hung, hoping that Saint Nicholas would bring gold coins (as legend says he did for three poor girls that needed money to get married) Most were filled with small gifts, especially fruit and nuts Naughty children in Italy were the first to get a lump of coal in the stocking

16. The Christmas Tree • Where did the Christmas Tree come from? • Christmas tree is a German tradition, dating to about 700 A.D. • “Yule” log was a large foundational log placed in the fireplace • Name comes from an associated celebratory cry heard about Christmastime because the nights were becoming shorter

17. Christmas Carols and Cards • What are Christmas carols? • Have you received a Christmas card before? • Songs or “carols” [songs] were sung by small choirs for the pleasure of those that happened to walk by • Christmas cards started in London in 1843

18. Christmas Carols • Watch the two short video clips of the song Silent Night. • Although these songs are the same, how are they different? • Watch the next clip of a small group busking. • What is your opinion of busking like that for money? • What about in China?

19. Changing Traditions • Discuss in groups what traditions have changed in China? - Music - Food - Family customs - Holidays - Relationships

20. A Christmas Story The class will be divided into two groups. With your group you need to create a story using the vocabulary listed on the following page. Pay attention to the following when planning the story:

21. Story Vocabulary Group A Group B Christmas wreath Candy cane Stocking Wrap Happiness Mistletoe Carols Father Christmas Hail • New Year’s Eve • Decorations • Christmas tree • Toy • Tinsel • Santa Claus • Freezing • Joy • Snowflake

22. Topic Questions • Do you celebrate Christmas in your country? What about other people in China? How do they celebrate Christmas?

24. Halloween Vocabulary

25. Origins of Halloween Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic  and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to create the holiday we know today. Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity and life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween has long been thought of as a day when the dead can return to the earth, and ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghosts. The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween. In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. Although the superstitions and beliefs surrounding Halloween may have evolved over the years, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people can still look forward to parades, costumes and sweet treats to usher in the winter season.

26. Answer with a Partner • What three religious or people groups did Halloween originate from? • In ancient times, what did people think happened on Halloween? • What did people do to get rid of the ghosts? • What do people still do now on Halloween?

27. Trick or Treating • Watch the video clip. • What do children do when trick or treating? • What are the positive things about trick or treating? • What might be some negative things about trick or treating?

28. Costumes • Imagine you are going to a Halloween party. Describe to a partner what costume you would wear. - What is it supposed to represent? - What does it look like? - Why did you chose that costume?

29. Topic Questions • If you could choose to be any monster or creature, what would it be? • What is your favourite magical story? • Character in a book? • Film? • Legend? • Can you describe the best costume you've seen. • Do you think there are really witches and monsters and creatures living amongst us in the real world, or are those things just from our imagination?