Its time to learn English Phrases connected with an English Christmas

Its time to learn English Phrases connected with an English Christmas Here you will find a short text with English phrases connected with an English Christmas.Test your English reading comprehension. Please make sure to make a few sentences with the words in bold. This will help you learn new English words in context. English Collocations with Christmas The traditional English Christmas is beginning to change as society changes. We all hold on to (try to remember) our family  traditions for as long as we can. They usually bring back happy memories of times past and so it is  with my memories of a traditional English Christmas.When the tree is decorated the Angel (dressed in white) is usually placed on the top branch to look  down on the family as a sign of peace and to remind us what Christmas should be about. We always  sent Christmas cards (greetings) to family and friends every year. We wrote the cards a few weeks  before Xmas so that they would arrive in time. Every mantlepiece (shelf above the fireplace) was  adorned (decorated) with the cards we received also. This tradition has died out (almost  disappeared) due to technology so greetings now are usually sent on-line.In the month of December the Christmas Shopping starts in earnest (seriously). Depending on the  size of the family and the ages the presents will vary a lot. Th e children will have prepared their  Santa list (the list of gifts they want) weeks in advance. Traditionally we used to write a letter to  Santa and throw it up the chimney (the long pipe above the fireplace to let the smoke escape).Nowadays (in modern times) the letter is posted to Santa at the North Pole.  Those presents that will not be delivered by Santa are carefully wrapped (covered in coloured  wrapping paper) and placed under the tree. Some people pick up the presents marked for them and  try to guess what is inside. As we get closer to the Big Day (Christmas Day, the 25th December) the Christmas stockings are hung on the fireplace. There are always little surprises to be found there on Christmas morning.Finally on Christmas Eve (the night before Christmas day 24 th December) a plate of food for Santa  and his Reindeers is left beside the tree. A mince pie for Santa and carrots or biscuits for the  Reindeer. Many parents sneak down (move slowly and quietly) the stairs on C hristmas Eve to eat  some of the pie and biscuits so that the children really believe Santa has come.On Christmas morning the children get up early (awake early) to see if their wishes have come true  and the tearing and rustling of wrapping paper is very audible (can be heard). The Turkey is put in  the oven and the parents settle to the task (get ready) of preparing the Christmas dinner. This is the  focus of the day. A traditional Xmas dinner is usually Roast Turkey and all the trimmings (roast  potatoes, roast veg, cranberry sauce, Christmas pudding and cake) all cooked to a traditional family  recipe.The table is beautifully decorated and paper hats (coloured hats) and crackers (paper tube that  contains a small toy and a joke and makes a small bang when pulled between two people) beside  every plate. The plan is to finish the dinner before or in time to listen to the Queens Christmas  address (televised speech) to the country. English Phrases connected with Christmas Bah Humbug one of the great quotes from the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol. This is  used by people who do not feel the joy of Christmas that others feel.Merry Christmas Sir! Bah  Humbug..go away!! Don’t Look a Gift horse in the mouth this is used when somebody gets a gift or something for free  even though they might not find it so useful. They are expected to be grateful.Michael got a pair of  gloves from his Aunt for Xmas. He was hoping to get some money. His mother told him to be more  grateful and not to look a gift horse in the mouth.The More the Merrier  usually an expression when more people turn up to your party than you expected or some unexpected visitors turn up for your family dinner. Do you mind if a few friends  come around for dinner? My daughter asked. No not at all I replied. The more the merrier.Like Turkeys voting for Xmas  when people accept something without putting up any resistance even though they know the outcome will be bad.The company wanted to reduce the salaries by  10% as they were having a difficult trading period. They wanted the staff to agree. They all did even  though they know it was like turkeys voting for Xmas. Worse was to follow.