This week, we are sending a special greeting out to all of our audience members: learners and teachers around the world. It has been a wonderful year filled with the adventure of producing this course, getting feedback from every corner of the globe, and making new friends online. Learn some holiday words with the video and audio files here. We'll be back with a lesson for you next year!
Script
Anna: Hello, from Let’s Learn English! Happy Holidays!
Dr. Jill: During the holidays, we spend time with our families and friends.
Anna: So, we made a holiday video card for you!
ALL: Happy Holidays!
Anna: People in the United States celebrate the holidays in many different ways.
Dr. Jill: There are three big holidays at this time of year: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas.
Phil: Hanukkah and Kwanzaa last for many days.
Anna: Candles are important to both celebrations. Sometimes people call Hanukkah the Festival of Lights.
Pete: Kwanzaa celebrations often include music, songs, dance and storytelling.
Phil: Christmas falls on December 25.
Penelope: Christians believe this holiday is the birthday of Jesus Christ.
Anna: Religious people often go to places of worship to celebrate the holidays.
Phil: But many religious and nonreligious people celebrate the holidays.
Pete: Some families decorate their homes and put up Christmas trees.
Phil: Presents are a big part of Christmas.
Penelope: Young children tell Santa Claus what they want. They write him letters or visit him in department stores.
Dr. Jill: All these holidays have one thing in common – big meals and special foods!
Anna: The most important part of this time of the year is spending time with family and friends.
New Words
candle - n. wax that has been formed into a stick or another shape and has a string in the middle that can be burned
celebrate - v. to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion or holiday
Christmas - n. a Christian holiday that is celebrated on December 25 in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ or the period of time that comes before and after this holiday
Hanukkah - n. an eight-day Jewish holiday that is celebrated in November or December - n. the 12th and last month of the year
holiday - n. a special day of celebration
holiday card - n. an illustrated piece of card or high quality paper featuring an expression of friendship usually given on holidays
Jesus Christ - n. the man who Christians believe is the son of God and whose life, death, and resurrection as reported in the New Testament of the Bible are the basis of the Christian religion
Kwanzaa - n. an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1
present - n. something that you give to someone especially as a way of showing affection or thanks
religious - adj. believing in a god or a group of gods and following the rules of a religion (nonreligious = not following the rules of a religion)
Santa Claus - n. a jolly man with a white beard and a red suit who gives toys to children at Christmas
worship - n.the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god
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Holiday Songs
Want to sing carols or just practice singing in English? Here's a cute video you can sing along with.
Free Materials
Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website.
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Now it's your turn Are you celebrating a holiday at this time of year? What are you doing to celebrate? Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson. And answer our poll about our next program.
