Talking about Christmas

BBC Learning 1 EnglishPeople and PlacesTalking about  ChristmasAmber: Hello! Today, we talk about Christmas. Some of theteam here at BBCLearning English have been out of the office to talk toyoung people about their feelings at Christmas time and toask for a very short list of words to describe Christmas!
　　So we’ll hear a lot of talk about happiness andtogetherness, as well as snow and food…Two of the people we’ll hear first are from Ireland whereChristmas is ‘very much a country-wide celebration’ – it’s celebrated 3 all over the country. And it makes themthink of ‘holidays’ and going ‘back home’ to seefamily. It’s also a time of ‘community’ – a time forgetting together with neighbours (people who live near you,in the neighbourhood), perhaps in the local pub 4.
　　As you listen, try to catch as many words as you can whichthe speakers use to describe their feelings at Christmastime – especially if they are words which ring true foryou, if they are words which describe your feelings too!
　　Vox popI suppose Christmas is a time where I feel ‘hopeful’ forwhat lies ahead; feel ‘thankful’ for what I have bothmaterially received and also for the good times that we’vehad; and then‘joyous’ I suppose, as well, because it’s – I’m fromIreland as well as you can probably tell from the accent!
　　– so it’s very much a country-wide celebration. So yeah,that would be it –‘joyous’, ‘hopeful’ and ‘thankful’, I suppose.
　　‘Relaxed’, ‘happy’, ‘fat’!
　　‘Happy’, ‘excited’, ‘nervous’!
　　Three words to describe Christmas I suppose is ‘family’
　　first of all; ‘holidays’, going back home, obviously 5 I’min university over here in England but I’m from Ireland sogo back home and thirdly, I suppose, ‘community’, gettingtogether usually at home, in the pub with friendsPeople and Places  ? BBC Learning English 2007Page 1 of 3bbclearningenglish.comfrom around the neighbourhood and that sort of thing, sothose are the three words that describe Christmas.
　　Amber 2: So, for our speakers, Christmas is a time when theyhave hope (they’re‘hopeful’), when they feel pleased or grateful for whatthey have (they feel‘thankful’) – and not just for material things, and it’
　　s a time for feeling very happy, full of joy, ‘joyous’.
　　It’s interesting that Christmas is also a time that can bevery stressful or worrying, especially if you areentertaining a lot of people, and one speaker said she felt‘nervous’ about Christmas. Another speaker feels theopposite – she feels ‘relaxed’ at Christmas, she feelscomfortable, without worries. And Christmas can certainlymake people feel ‘excited’ and ‘fat’! There are oftenpresents to open, people to see whom you haven’t seen forages 6, and plenty of good things to eat.
　　Vox popI suppose Christmas is a time where I feel ‘hopeful’ forwhat lies ahead; feel ‘thankful’ for what I have bothmaterially received and also for the good times that we’vehad; and then‘joyous’ I suppose, as well, because it’s – I’m fromIreland as well as you can probably tell from the accent!
　　– so it’s very much a country-wide celebration. So yeah,that would be it –‘joyous’, ‘hopeful’ and ‘thankful’, I suppose.
　　‘Relaxed’, ‘happy’, ‘fat’!
　　‘Happy’, ‘excited’, ‘nervous’!
　　Amber: Next, our speakers talk about what their idealChristmas would be. As you’ll hear, for all of them, itinvolves being ‘homey’, at home. It’s a time for gettingtogether and having a good time. There is talk of Christmasdinner – which is a traditional meal of roast turkey withroast potatoes and brussel sprouts 8 (brussel sprouts are agreen vegetable like small cabbages that are boiled)! Andpeople often eat too much so they end up, as one speakersays, ‘feeling a bit stuffed 9’!
　　But notice that most of all, a perfect Christmas seems toinvolve being with other people; it’s a time of‘participation’ – of joining in – maybe even justwatching a film on television together.
　　VoxpopMy ideal 7 Christmas would be at home with all my family andit would be snowing outside!
　　My ideal Christmas would be, I suppose, the traditionalimage of sitting around at home after having Christmasdinner, feeling a bit stuffed and having had a nice glassof red wine and sitting down with the rest of the familyand watching, probably, a Christmas movie.
　　With my family around, lots of family, lots of food! Justnice and homey.
　　My ideal Christmas involves snow which unfortunately we don’t get an awful lot of in Ireland, mostly just rain,unfortunately! My ideal Christmas really is one ofparticipation, where everybody gets together, as theprevious speaker said, and having a good time, I suppose.
　　Amber: From all of us here at BBC Learning English, wewish you good health and happiness.