Winter Holidays & Traditions
This holiday is celebrated on December 25th and marks the birth of Jesus Christ. People often decorate trees, exchange gifts, and sing carols.
Christmas
Which scientist, known for the theory of evolution, was born on February 12?
Charles Darwin
Name two Olympic winter sports that use skis.
Alpine Skiing, Ski Jumping, Freestyle Skiing, Biathlon
Despite the cold, many countries eat ice cream in winter! For example in Japan, people enjoy "ice cream" wrapped in sticky rice which is a popular winter treat. What is the name of this "ice-cream"?
Mochi ice cream
Watch the extract from a movie. What was next?
"New in Town" (2009)
How do people in Russia typically celebrate Maslenitsa?
(name at least 3 main activities)
1. Eating pancakes (blini)
2. Making and burning the Maslenitsa effigy (a straw figure, often dressed in bright clothes and resembling a woman, is created to represent winter or the goddess of winter and death, Marena).
3. Sledding, ice sliding and snowball fights
4. Khorovod (circle dances) and singing of spring songs: These activities were believed to attract spring and bring good luck.
Born on February, 22, this English singer-songwriter, and record producer rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album "Back to Bedlam", achieving worldwide fame with the singles "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover".
James Blunt
In this winter activity, humans don’t pull the sled — instead, they run behind dogs pulling the sled! It’s like the dogs are the bosses. What’s it called?
Dog sledding (or mushing)
Bakers from Sweden and Norway call this kind of pastry kanelbullar and say that the smell of a certain spice and sugar makes cold days feel cozy.
Cinnamon buns
Continue the line from the song:
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
...
But the fire is so delightful
Since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
In Norway, people hide their brooms on Christmas Eve. According to old folklore, why do they do this?
To prevent witches (or evil spirits) from stealing them and flying around on Christmas Eve.
Norwegian folklore holds that Christmas Eve is a time when supernatural beings are active, so hiding brooms keeps them out of mischievous hands.
A soviet author of the dystopian that profoundly influenced later classics by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley and was banned in the Soviet Union as “anti‑Soviet satirez".
Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin
They called it Snurfer (a blend of “snow” and “surfer”). Before modern snowboards, people used it to slide down hills. What was it?
Flat wooden planks
Some recipes of this warming drink include dried fruits (raisins, cranberries).
Mulled wine
This Danish principle, seen in furniture and everyday objects, emphasizes simplicity, functionality, and natural materials—often called “less but better.”
Hugge
This eight‑day Jewish festival of light usually falls in December (sometimes late November). It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and involves lighting candles in a special holder.
Hanukkah (or Chanukah)
Which U.S. president was born on February 12 was the first president in American history to be killed?
Abraham Lincoln
Why is this Olympic sport sometimes called «chess on ice»?
The comparison highlights that curling is a mental game of stategy, foresight, positioning, and calculated risk, much like chess played on ice.
Describe fondue and its cultural origins.
Originated in Swiss Alps, fondue is a hot, communal dish where pieces of food (typically bread, but also meat, vegetables, or fruit) are dipped into a shared pot of melted, seasoned ingredients. The most iconic version uses melted cheese, but there are also oil, broth, and chocolate variants.
Who is the Danish author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, and The Emperor’s New Clothes?
Hans Christian Andersen
In Japan, many people eat this fast‑food meal on Christmas Eve, thanks to a successful 1970s marketing campaign. What is it?
KFC (fried chicken)
This iconic NBA player, born in February 1963, is known for his “Birdman” nickname and spectacular slam dunk career.
Michael Jordan
(born February 17, 1963)
Any jump in figure skating that is peformed with four full revolutions in the air.
Quad (quadruple Jump)
The Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel (1812) made this kind of houses famous. Bakers began creating edible winter “homes” as holiday decorations. What is the name of material of those houses?
Gingerbread
Why do the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have winter and summer seasons in opposite months?
The tilt causes one hemisphere to lean into the Sun’s rays (summer) while the other leans away (winter). As Earth orbits, their roles reverse every six months.