1.15 Fröhliche Weihnachten!
15. Fröhliche Weihnachten! Happy Christmas! Germans are traditionally famous for their Christmas celebrations. Many of their customs have spread around the world, and will be familiar to children. Film 15 shows Christmas preparations in Germany. This section is designed to use in the festive season, whatever stage you are in the course. It suggests some language work based on a few Christmas words, and some creative activities which will help give a taste of how the Germans enjoy Weihnachten: ■ cooking simple festive recipes, ■ craft activities such as making an Adventskalender. ■ singing German carols, Children can explore the German origins of the “white Christmas” tradition.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES Film 15 contains a variety of Christmas words and phrases. The ones below are key words with corresponding picture cards at the end of the chapter. See “extra words and phrases” for more Christmas vocabulary.
fröhliche Weihnachten! happy Christmas! der Weihnachtsmarkt Christmas market der Weihnachtskeks Christmas biscuit der Weihnachtsbaum Christmas tree der Tannenbaum fir tree Sankt Nikolaus Saint Nicholas der Bratapfel baked apple der Stollen a type of German Christmas cake der Adventskranz Advent crown Neujahr/Sylvester New Year/New Year's Eve
DVD / VIDEO Film 15 Sankt Nikolaus St. Nicholas celebrations 5 On the evening before 6 December, Oliver puts out his shoe. He hopes Sankt Nikolaus will come in the night and fill it with sweets. In the morning, der Nikolaustag (or der Nikolaus), he finds the shoe full of sweets and also a special plate, der Nikolausteller, containing fruit, nuts and more sweets. The music heard in the background is the well known carol, "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night). Dec
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The church bells are ringing. A children's choir, der Kinderchor, sings a typically German Christmas carol. The carol, das Weihnachtslied, is called "Stern über Bethlehem" (Star over Bethlehem). As the children sing, we see a stained glass window and a statue, both depicting Sankt Nikolaus.
Scene from film 15: Small gifts appear in a shoe left outside the door overnight usually accompanied by a plate of fruit and sweets called “der Nikolausteller”.
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