CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter, December 2008

It’s Christmas time again, and in

keeping with a tradition started two
years ago, we have asked roving
reporter, Nick (who is now workingfreelance), to send us once again his
impressions of how people in various
countries around the world celebrate
the Christmas tradition. Nick’s firstreport comes back to us from…
Papua New Guinea: (Nick says)
traditionally, certain tribes here
have been exchanging infant sons,called a Peace Children, with eachother to ensure that war does notbreak out. Each tribe must look after
their adopted child very carefully for if
the child dies, war will ensure. Not solong ago, some Christian missionaries
visited these tribes and explained theChristian tradition that tells of God
sending his child to live among men on
earth as a “peace child”. The tribal chiefs
liked this story and incorporated it into
their own tradition, thus creating a link
to Christmas.
Bangladesh: Here people cut downscores of banana trees and plant them,in pairs, opposite each other, along theroutes to churches. The giant leaves
are then bent towards each other andjoined together to make a canopy. Oillanterns
madeofbamboo are attachedto these leaves to lightthe way to church.

In Iran, the first 25 days of December are atime of fasting – no meat, eggs, milk or cheeseare eaten. It is a time of peace and meditation.
When the fast is over, the feast begins!
Christmas Eve marks the end of the fast. Most
Christians take Communion before dawn on
Christmas day, after which they “tuck in”!
Next, Nick took a trip all the way toNorthern Europe, to Finland. There, hefound a more traditional-type of Christmas
being celebrated. People give their homes athorough cleaning before Christmas. They
then fell fir trees, tie them to sleds and cart
them home where they are decorated withapples and other fruits, candies, tinsel, paper
flags, cotton and candles, which are lit. The
Christmas dinner usually begins after the
first star appears in the sky at dusk. Somefamilies place a pole in their garden with asheaf of grain, nuts and seeds tied to it. They
then wait for the birds
to eat from this before
they start their ownChristmas dinner.

NET LESSONS: Are you too busy to come toCROSSROADS?.... Try our lessons on the Internet!
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NET SITE OF THE MONTH:
What’s going on at Christmas time around the world?
Take a look: www.the-north-pole.com/around/
NET NOTEBOOK: Don’t forget to take a look at
the Internet activity notebook in our open-house.
You’ll find games, news and English learning sites.

Joshua Says: Merry Christmas, everyone! This year’s Christmas party
was very enjoyable, and I want to thank all those students and staff whocame along. I had a very relaxing time with you all; the conversations
were interesting and the food you brought along was great too – yes, eventhe MacDonald’s French Fries!!!
Junko Says: Have you heard the latest from Sony Co.? Their new Executive
Chairman is from Wales! Yes, that’s right, Mr. Howard Stringer is the newchairman of Sony. One of the reasons he got the job is that Sony wants to turn itself
into a truly international company. Now everyone who wants to speak to the boss
here in Japan has to use English; it’s not only for overseas business trips any more.
The point is that the international community is expanding and it is going to be toolate if people put off learning English until the last minute before they need it!
Owen Says: It's definitely getting colder and the nights are getting
darker too. At this time of year my family used to start spending
more time around the fireplace, reading and talking. There'snothing quite like a quiet night by the fireside. My home is in thecountryside. After walking back from school, down dark lanes andthrough the woods, it was so nice to warm myself in front of thefire. I don't miss chopping the logs though!
Greg Says: Last month I took my daughter to the Elleair women’s golf
tournament in Matsuyama. Her favorite players are Ai Miyazato and
Momoko Ueda, so you can imagine how happy she was when we found out
they were playing together. To cut a long story short the play was interrupted
twice because of hail and lightning. During the breaks, my daughter was
lucky enough to get both the players’ autographs. She also spent the day
hand in hand with Ai Miyazato’s mother walking from hole to hole.
Emilie Dit: Je suis de retour à Paris, dans ma ville natale, pour passer les fêtesde fin d’année. La température est froide mais tout à fait supportable tant les
appartements sont bien chauffés ici. Le ciel parisien arbore toujours un beaugris mélancolique, mais les décorations de Noël égayent l’ensemble. Depuis ledébut de l’année 2008, de nombreuses manifestations culturelles sontorganisées pour célébrer le 150ème Anniversaire des relations franco-japonaises,et de cette manière je ne me sens pas si loin de Matsuyama.

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