The document describes various winter holiday traditions in the United States, including choosing a Christmas tree, decorating with ornaments, making gingerbread houses, caroling, traditions around mistletoe, egg nog, candy canes, attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve, leaving cookies and milk for Santa, and engaging in winter activities like ice skating and sledding. Key details are provided about the narrator's personal family traditions and experiences with large snowfalls in their town.

1. Winter and Christmas
in the United States!

2. Choosing the tree
Every year my family and
I go to choose the perfect
Christmas tree!

3. Decorating the tree

4. My mom, dad, sister, and I
hang up all of the ornaments
on the Christmas tree.

5. Christmas activities
Gingerbread Houses
Me and my sister Lucy make
houses out of gingerbread and
candy every year. It is really
fun, and delicious!

6. Caroling
Sometimes groups of people go from door to door and sing
Christmas songs for all the neighbors.

7. Mistletoe
Don’t get caught under the mistletoe! It is tradition to hang this plant
above doors at Christmas time. If you are underneath it with
someone, you have to kiss!

8. Egg Nog
Egg nog is a traditional Christmas drink made of eggs, cream, milk,
vanilla and rum . You can also make it without rum. It is a warm and
sweet drink.

9. Candy Canes
Candy canes are the most typical candy on Christmas. They
usually taste like peppermint, but they can be other flavors as
well.

10. Christmas Adverts
Christmas advertisments are usually very good.
In Britain, John Lewis company makes really
nice advertisments every year. Here are a
couple of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSLOnR1s74o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=0N8axp9nHNU

11. Christmas Lights
Many houses put lots of Christmas lights on their house to
decorate. On Christmas Eve, after we go to mass, my family and
I drive around our neighborhood and look at all of the lights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1AC-Q2rZLQ

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14. The Nativity
Many people have scenes of the Nativity, and they put
them up at Christmas time to decorate.

15. Christmas Books
We have many Christmas stories. The most famous one is “Twas
the Night before Christmas”. My favorite book is called “The
Polar Express”. I read it every year on Christmas Eve.

16. Stockings
We hang Christmas stockings over the fireplace so that Santa Claus
can put small presents in them. Stockings usually have your name on
it.

18. Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, most people attend mass. We listen to the story
of Christmas, sing Christmas hymns, and hold candles.

19. Cookies and Milk
On Christmas Eve, we put out a plate of Christmas cookies and a glass
of milk for Santa Claus when he comes to bring gifts. We also write a
letter to Santa for him to read when he comes down the chimney.

20. Winter Activities
Ice Skating
Me and my friends like to go ice skating. There are many
ice rinks but we can also skate on the lakes.

21. Sledding
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Sledding is a really fun activity. We use “sleds” or “tubes” to slide
down a hill. You can go really fast. This movie is from last year, with
two of my friends.

22. This is from the snow day at my
university last year. It was the
first time in history that classes
were cancelled. We had 50.8
centimeters of snow.
A lot of students made
this giant snowball and
pushed it through the
streets. The police had
to come to remove it!

23. Christmas Vocabulary!
Do you remember?
1. The most traditional Christmas candy.
2. People put up these to decorate their house at Christmas time.
3. It is the most famous American Christmas story.
4. If you are caught underneath this plant with someone, you have to kiss each
other.
5. Me and my sister make these every year. We use a lot of candy to
decorate them.
6. On Christmas Eve, many people attend this at midnight.
7. On Christmas Eve, children leave this snack for Santa to eat when he
comes with presents.
8. It is a traditional drink made with rum, milk, vanilla, and eggs.
9. Many people do this activity and sing for people in the neighborhood.
A. Candy cane E. Mass I. Christmas lights
B. Snow forts F. Mistletoe J. Sledding
C. Gingerbread houses G. Egg Nog K. “Twas the Night Before Christmas”
D. Cookies and Milk H. Caroling L. The Nativity Scene

24. Blizzard in Neenah!
At the beginning of December of two years ago, there
was a big snow storm in my town. We got 40
centimeters of snow.

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36. Your Friends from Wisconsin!

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