Canada+by+Mme+Gordon's+class

=__Christmas in Canada__ =





Bonjour! We are a Grade 3/4 French Immersion class (8-10 years old) in Delta, BC, Canada. Delta is a suburb of Vancouver, which is about 30 minutes away by car. Our first language is English, and we have been studying French in school since the age of 5 or 6. Except for English Language Arts, all our subjects are taught in French.

We are sharing information about Christmas below.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!

__Christmas in Canada (and in Delta, BC)__

* Traditional Christmas greetings:
 * Merry Christmas
 * Happy Holidays
 * Season's Greetings
 * Happy New Year
 * Joyeux Noël

* The weather on the West Coast is much milder than on the East coast. Here during the winter months we find it rainy, cloudy, windy, sunny and cold, snowy, and icy.

* Foods we enjoy during the holidays:
 * gingerbread cookies, shortbread cookies, sugar cookies, Christmas pudding
 * turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, ham, vegetables such as creamed corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, and yams
 * hot chocolate
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">eggnog
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">candy canes, chocolates

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">* Traditions or Customs:
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">visit family members
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">visit friends
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">go to our grandparents' house
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">make gingerbread houses
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">we decorate the outside of our homes by putting up lights outside around the house and in trees and bushes, and by putting a wreath on our front door
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">inside the house, we decorate with Christmas/winter stickers on windows, hang stockings near the fireplace, hang garland
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">decorate a Christmas tree (live or artificial) with lights, garland, and ornaments (candy canes, bells, coloured balls). An angel or a star goes on the top of the tree.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Christmas Eve (December 24th), we leave milk and cookies for Santa, and maybe even reindeer food for his reindeer. He visits us while we're sleeping and leaves treats in our stockins.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">we think of others during the holiday season and buy them gifts, then the gifts are wrapped in festive paper and decorated with ribbons and bows, and placed under the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, we take turns opening our presents.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">sing Christmas caroles Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, We Wish You a Merry Christmas...)
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">wear Santa hats
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">watch Christmas parades

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">* Other important or special days celebrated during the holiday season:
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">We have a two-week vacation!
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">We celebrate New Year's Eve (December 31st) with fireworks and a party to bring in the New Year (January 1st). We wish each other a Happy New Year!