1. The festive season where you live
Transcript item
Jo: So, Tina and I are in Liberty's, which is one of the most famous department stores in London, and we're here to do some Christmas shopping and have a look around, and look at the lovely decorations, including this amazing boat here! Let's go and look around.
Tina: In the food department, at Christmas time, they sell traditional food like cranberry sauce and mince pies. You can buy Christmas cards to send to your family and friends.
Jo: And there's a whole floor dedicated to Christmas decorations! And look at these beautiful London-themed Christmas decorations for hanging on your Christmas tree.
Jo: What did you think of Liberty's, Tina?
Tina: I loved it. But I couldn't afford anything! It was so expensive! But amazing.
Jo: Outside, it's getting dark and the Christmas lights are on.
Jo: Now we're in Piccadilly Circus, which is in the centre of London. And as you can see, the streets of London are decorated with beautiful, sparkly lights.
Tina: So in the lead-up to Christmas, quite a few people like to go to these Christmas markets. Um, I wish you could be here because there's a smell … a delightful smell of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Also, behind me there's an ice rink, so people love to go ice skating, but they also like buying little trinkets in these sort of stalls, to put in their Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve.
Jo: So the ultimate Christmas decoration, of course, is the Christmas tree. And as well as having them inside your house, in most towns and cities, you have big Christmas trees in public places, like this one here in Covent Garden. Really big one. Isn't it lovely?
Jo and Tina: Happy Christmas from the LearnEnglish team!
Christmas is a very special time of year in many parts of the world. In the UK, the festive season often starts early, in November, with Christmas decorations and lights brightening up towns and cities. Shops are full of people buying presents and special food, in preparation for Christmas Day.
Tina and Jo went to London to see what the festive season is like there! Watch the video to find out all about it.
Here are some interesting words and phrases from the video.
We're at one of the most famous department stores in London.
a department store = a big shop divided into several different parts, each of which sells different things
We're here to do some Christmas shopping.
Christmas shopping = buying presents and other things ready for Christmas
They sell traditional food like cranberry sauce and mince pies.
traditional food = food that people always eat at this time of year
You can buy Christmas cards to send to your friends and family.
a Christmas card = a card with a festive picture and greetings
It's getting dark and the Christmas lights are on.
Christmas lights = lights that hang in the streets or in people's homes
In the lead-up to Christmas, people like to go to Christmas markets.
the lead-up to something = the period of time before an event
The ultimate Christmas decoration is the Christmas tree.
the ultimate … = the most important …
Now it's your turn!
Tell us about the festive season where you live! Write a comment, record a voice message or share a photo. If Christmas isn't celebrated where you are, tell us about a different festival.
- Are there decorations in the streets? Tell us about them and share a photo!
- What can you see in the shops and markets?
- Is there any special festive food? What is it?
- What activities do people do?
* Please don't include any people in your photos (even if you can't see their faces) as it's not allowed under the British Council's data protection and child protection policy. We're sorry, but we won't be able to add these.
If you want to practise speaking, you can record your answers using SpeakPipe voice recorder and post a link to the recording in your comment.
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I'm living in Argentina, we still celebreated like a central thingthe Birth of Jesus christ where he born in Bethelem to Mary a Joseph concived by Holy Spirit. In December 8th we arm the christmas tree, althought its summer(like a Chile) the food its heavy, pork, barbecue or roast meat are mixed whit many diferents kind of salads, deserts and jams. After that we make a toast for Christmas, -in the past was a depht moment, but in the last years its a mechanical thing-.The youngest in the family gather around the Chrismas tree to opens your gifts.Its a Special time to share in family.
In Botswana we celebrate Christmas aswell. Christmas hype starts as early as November. We dont decorate street, only shopping centres become colorful with Christmas lights and trees. Various items are normally reduced to attract buyers. Its a norm that we purchase more special foods for the occasion. We normally meet as families and prepare meals mostly on the 25th December. We end the day by enjoying music in the evening not forgetting adults drinks.
My three words are family, snow and presents.
I live in Myanmar, one of the Southeast Asia countries.
Christmas isn’t familiar with me but I love it.
Hi
Hello everyone. I’m Prithibhaa and I live in Malaysia. Let me start with the Christmas decorations. Department stores usually begin decorating at the end of November. You’ll also see colourful, beautiful, and large Christmas tree displays in many popular stores. A wide variety of biscuits, Christmas ornaments, and wine can be found in most shops too.
I’d also like to introduce a festival called Kartigai, which is celebrated by Hindus. This year, we celebrated it on the 3rd of December. It is known as the Festival of Lights. Homes, streets, and temples are decorated with earthen oil lamps to mark the celebration. I enjoy the beautiful moonlight and the warm glow of the rows of oil lamps .
Hi Prithibhaa,
Thanks for sharing a photo and telling us about Kartigai. It sounds like a beautiful festival.
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I live in Cologne,Germany and here the lead-up to Christmas starts in mid-November when the first Christmas markets open.
We have at least eight Christmas markets which are open continuously until Christmas Eve, and also many smaller ones that are only open temporarily.
The variety attracts many tourists from other cities and even other countries, so they are very crowded, especially on weekends.
Each market offer different crafts, food and beverages and everywhere is a smell of mulled wine, sausages and roasted almonds.
I prefer the smaller markets because they are cosier.
Hi Tagga,
Thank you for telling us about the Christmas markets in your part of Germany. Just reading your comment I can almost smell the aroma of mulled wine, sausages and roasted almonds!
I hope you can enjoy them and avoid too many crowds!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I don't know much about Christmas except "Last Christmas I gave you my heart....."
Jocking!🙂
I have seen, in many movies the cheerfully exited people, preparing for the gracious occasion of Christmas.
I saw the bells on the trees, I saw the gifts, I saw the quick and extravagant shopping of youngsters, I saw overloaded kitchen cabinets of Moms for this beautiful event, and I saw the special clothing and the mistry of Santa clause in the curious eyes of green explorers.
I never had a chance to attended one real event, or to feel the charisma of environment, but the pleasure on the faces reflect the depth of happiness in the hearts.
I advocate any such event which can decorate and butify the earth with smiling faces, as nothing is more precious then a smile.
May you all get the blessings of the day.
Quaid Naseem
December 2025.
Hi Quaid Naseem,
It's true that many of our ideas about Christmas come from Christmas movies ... watching them has become a holiday tradition in itself! Have you got a favourite one? My favourites are Home Alone and Elf – they always make me feel very festive :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hello! I'm from Santiago of Chile, and Christmas here is a very important moment, but different if I compare with other cultures. In the first time, we celebrate Christmas in summer, with heats days and near to the season vacations.
The commercial season begins after Halloween; You can look candies in the market, little gifts and decorations for your home. As you know, in november exist "Black Friday", and people take this moment to buy a lot of gift, to prepare the moment of Christmas.
Other great point is that we celebrate Christmas in december 24th and midnight of december 25th.
People share in family, and after the dinner, go to different parties of places (if the body can moved, because Christmas for us is after midnight).
And the food.... barbecue and a lot of delicious food. People prepares its best menues for this time!
Hi rauldrollet,
Thanks for sharing your comment! I guess living in the Northern hemisphere, I always associate Christmas with cold weather ... and snow! I think it would be really fun to celebrate it in summer sometime – a Christmas barbecue must be fun and delicious!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I’m in Portugal and here Christmas decorations start in November. Shopping centres are the first to bring the Christmas spirit. But for me and my family, Christmas starts in December. On December 1st, which is a public holiday, we decorate the tree — sometimes together as a family, sometimes each in our own home. When I was young, I decorated the Christmas tree with my sister and my mom. In the end, my sister and I went to the bedroom and my mom hid chocolates in the tree. Then we found the chocolates and ate one per day.
In my town, on Christmas Day, it’s common to see people walking in the morning and going to buy bread, king cake, and sponge cake. Rabanadas — I don’t know if this is the English word or how exactly they’re made — are prepared on Christmas morning, and my breakfast that day is always one rabanada and coffee with milk. So delicious! In the evening, we all have dinner together, and then Santa comes at midnight with presents and makes a lot of noise, hahaha.
Hi RitaFerreira,
Thank you so much for telling us about Christmas traditions in Portugal! It's nice that you have a public holiday for putting up the tree and really getting into the Christmas spirit :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi Yvonne,
Thank you for telling us about Malaysian Chinese New Year. It sounds like such a colourful celebration, with really delicious food!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
happy christmas day
I love christmas.and I hop one day to see how people celebrate it