Сценарий внеклассного мероприятия What makes Christmas?
материал (9 класс) по теме

Сценарий

 (Звучит рождественская песня)

   Teacher: Good morning, dear friends! We’re glad to see you here! Today we are going to tell you about a wonderful winter holiday. It is Christmas.

   In many countries of the world, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a high point of the year. But why? Can it have any real meaning for us today?

   Pupil 1: From November onwards, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Coloured lights decorate many town centers and shops, along with shiny artificial snow painted on shop windows.

   In streets and shops, “Christmas trees” (real or plastic evergreen “conifer” trees) are also decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments.

   Pupil 2: Shopping centres become busier as December approaches and often stay open till late. Shopping centres speaking systems play Christmas Christian songs, and groups of people often sing carols on the streets to raise money for charity. Most places of work hold a short Christmas party about a week before Christmas, where traditional Christmas food may be eaten.

   By the middle of December, most homes are also decorated with Christmas trees, coloured lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms. These days, many more people also decorate garden trees or house walls with coloured electric lights, a habit which has long been popular in the USA.

   Look at our classroom: it is decorated in the best Christmas tradition. What makes you believe it’s a Christmas party?

(Зрители отвечают):

   1) I see that you have a Christmas tree over there. As far as I know, the most popular of all the Christmas evergreens is the fir tree. The idea of bringing a fir tree indoors at Christmas is said to belong to Martin Luther, the German religions reformer, who lived in the 16th century. He brought a fir tree indoors and decorated it with candles to show his children how beautiful the stars had looked one night when he was walking through the forest. Decorated fir trees have been popular in Germany ever since. In England the fir tree appeared at Windsor Castle in 1841. The fact was widely reported in pictures and Christmas trees became popular at that time.

   2) I don’t see them here but there should be a lot of lights, perhaps candles. As far as I know they are symbols of warmth and everlasting life. The candle lights placed in the windows in the past meant to welcome weary travelers. In medieval times a special candle was lit every night for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas (between Christmas Eve and the eve of the 6th of January – Saint Nicolas’ Day).

   3) I can teach you how to make a real English Christmas decoration. For this you need a piece of coloured paper about 15 cm wide. You should fold it this way (показывает) and cut it out with the help of scissors.

   Pupil 3: I think that Christmas is associated not only with a fir tree, but with a person as well. Look at this toy! Who’s this? Right you are! Everybody knows “Father Christmas” or “Santa Claus”. He has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures are seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas, and many children believe this is true. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer. He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.

   In shops or at Christmas parties, someone dresses up as Father Christmas and gives small presents to children, or asks them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

   Pupil 4: By the way, do you know where this character comes from? Father Christmas is based on a real person, Saint Nicolas, which explains his other name “Santa Claus” (it comes from Dutch “Sinterklaas”). Nicolas was a Christian leader from Myra in the 4th century BC. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children’s stockings.

   Teacher: Do you know the sound that is produced by Santa’s sledge? Of course, it’s jingling of bells. Let’s sing a famous song “Jingle, Bells!” (Исполняется песня)

   Pupil 5: Christmas is a time when carols, celebration songs and hymns, telling the story of birth and life of Jesus Christ, are sung. For example, this one:

         Once in royal David’s city

         Stood a lowly cattle shed,

         Where a mother laid her baby

          In a manger for a bed.

          Mary was that mother mild,

          Jesus Christ her little child.

   Pupil 6: Children and some adults enjoy carol-singing from door to door, which is done on Christmas Eve. The group of singers is called carol-singers. It is a custom to give them some presents for their singing. Here’s one more carol for you to enjoy:

   Pupil 7: You know that Christmas is a great occasion and the majority of people gather together with their families to celebrate it, to share their happiness, attend church and exchange gifts. Usually the whole family has a big Christmas dinner in the afternoon or in the evening. The dinner includes the roast beef of old England, the more modern turkey or goose with chestnut stuffing and roast potatoes and traditional Christmas pudding (usually plum pudding). The lady of the house who made the pudding fetches it herself. Brandy is poured over it, it is lit up and brought into the dark room to the triumph of the whole family.

   Pupil 8: Pudding which is the highlight of a Christmas dinner is a special rich dish made with lots of dried fruit, eggs, suet, and very little flour. A proper Christmas pudding is always stirred from East to West (in honour of the three Wise Men). Every member of the family must give the pudding a stir and make a secret wish. A coin is traditionally placed into it and it will bring luck to the one who will find it.

   Pupil 9: And what do you usually do when you can’t congratulate somebody personally? Of course, we send a postcard. In many countries, most people post Christmas greeting cards to their friends and family, and these cards may be hung on the walls of their homes. In the United Kingdom this year, the British Post Office expects to handle over one hundred million cards EACH DAY, in the three weeks before Christmas.

   Pupil 10: Do you know where the tradition of Christmas cards began? Here’s some information for you. The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first “Penny Post” public postal deliveries began. (Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service was the 19th century’s communication revolution, just as e-mail is for us today.) As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted without envelope for one half-penny – half the price of an ordinary letter. By the way, what makes Christmas cards special?

   Pupil 11: Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures: Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

   I see that some of you have prepared Christmas greeting cards. Let’s have a look at them. (Зрители показывают и вручают открытки.)

   Pupil 12: And do you know that the 26th of December is also a holiday? In English-speaking countries, the day after Christmas is called “Boxing Day”. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their “alms boxes” (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today – small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.

   Pupil 13: Let’s play a game “Twenty Questions”. I’ve got a present in this box. The person who will guess what it is will get it. You may ask only general questions so that I can answer “yes” or “no”. Have a try! Join in our game. Don’t be so shy!

   Teacher: You know, some people believe that you can learn your fortune on Christmas Eve. There’s some magic about this holiday. If you have a closer look at our Christmas tree, you’ll see some notes on it. If you want you may come up and try to learn your fortune.

(Желающие подходят и читают «предсказания»:

You will receive a present smaller and better than you ever expected.

Ты получишь подарок меньше, но лучше, чем ты ожидал(а).

You will grow up to be a raving beauty.

Ты вырастешь настоящей красавицей/ настоящим красавцем.

Trouble lies in your future unless you smile every day before breakfast.

В будущем тебя ждут неприятности, если ты не будешь улыбаться каждый день перед завтраком.

You will perform on television and be a tremendous success.

Ты выступишь по телевидению и будешь иметь огромный успех.

A very strange visitor will come to your house. Beware!

К тебе придёт очень странный посетитель. Берегись!

You’ll find a purse full of money. Watch your steps!

Ты найдёшь кошелёк, полный денег. Смотри под ноги!

Study hard and you’ll become a professor.

Учись прилежно и станешь профессором.

You’ll pass your test with good and excellent marks.

Ты сдашь экзамены на 4 и 5.

You will marry a creature from another planet.

Ты выйдешь замуж (женишься) за существо с другой планеты.)

Teacher:   You understand that it’s only a joke, but there’s some sense in them.

   As you can see there are so many aspects of Christmas: for some people it is just another winter holiday, for others – an opportunity to get together with their family, still for some people it is a great religious tradition to observe. Many people hope for more than presents at Christmas. They want somehow to return to a time in their childhood, when life was simpler before the troubles of adult life arrived. We shouldn’t forget that behind all the fun and decorations, there must somehow be a message and we should decide for ourselves what makes Christmas for us.