Christmas Cracker Materials: 1 toilet tissue roll snapper (available at craft stores) any small favours you wish to add an 8 x 10" piece of crepe paper 2 pieces of 8 x 5" crepe paper decorative trimmings glue transparent tape decorative string

Centre the toilet tissue roll lengthwise along the 10" side of the 8 x 10" piece of crepe paper. Wrap the crepe paper around the roll, securing it with 1 or 2 pieces of transparent tape. (The tape can be attached to the underside of the crepe paper so that it does not show.)

To make fringe, take an 8 x 5" piece of crepe paper and fold in half lengthwise. Cut 1" deep slashes about _" apart along unfolded edges. Repeat with second piece of 8 x 5" crepe paper. Take about 12" of decorative string (gold, silver, etc.) and place along inside fold of fringe. Gather and tie around end of cracker, over first tie. Repeat with other end, using second fringe. Ends of fringes may be curled gently

Insert snapper and favours (e.g. paper party hats, candies, nuts, riddles, trinkets, etc.) into the roll. The ends of the snapper should extend beyond the ends of the cracker. Tie each end of cracker with string.

Holly is a common Christmas symbol -- but why ?

Christmas Jokes -What do elves learn in school? -The Elf-abet! -How many reindeer does Santa Have??? -11 (named below)Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, BlitzenRudoph (the one with the red nose)Olive (Olive the other reigndeer {of all})and Al (Then Al the reigndeer loved him {all}) What nationality is Santa Claus? North Polish. What kind of bird can write?A PENguin. Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage?Because it has long-distance runners on each side

Руководитель: Сапрыкина Ю.В.

...who guides Santa's sleigh with the biological aberration of a red, glowing nose capable of penetrating thick fog? The whole story of Rudolf appeared, out of nowhere, in Santas at Montgomery Ward stores gave away 2.4 million copies of a booklet entitled "Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer." The story was written by a person in the advertising department named Robert May, and the booklet was illustrated by Denver Gillen. The original name of the reindeer was not Rudolf Who is this reindeer named Rudolf? The original name was Rollo, but executives did not like that name, nor Reginald. The name Rudolf came from the author's young daughter!

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. etc. In the middle ages, religious holidays were virtually the only holidays, so everyone was eager to extend such celebrations as long as possible. Christmas in particular was extended from a one day event to 12 days from Christmas Day to the Epiphany. In wealthy castles, a gift on each of the 12 days was quite common. This made The Twelve Days of Christmas a very popular song in anticipation of the gifts to come. It is not certain how old this carol is, but it probably dates back as far as the 16th century.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SANTA : Santa has not always appeared the way we think of him today. The first well-known gift-giver was a true person- -St. Nicholas. He lived in Myra (today we know it as Turkey) in about 300A.D. Born an only child of a wealthy family, he was orphaned at an early age when both parents died of the plague. He grew up in a monastery and at the age of 17 became one of the youngest priests ever. Many stories are told of his generosity as he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts to those in need, especially children. Legends tell of him either dropping bags of gold down chimneys or throwing the bags through the windows where they landed in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry. Some years later Nicholas became a bishop--hence the bishop's hat or miter, long flowing gown, white beard and red cape. After his death he was elevated to sainthood. Eventually the Catholic Church started celebrating Christmas and St. Nicholas was incorporated into the season

YULE LOG When Yule became Christmas, the yule log was divested of its religious connotations but none of its superstitions. The log must be obtained by the family itself, not bought from someone else. It had to be lighted with a piece of last years Yule log. It must burn continuously for the twelve days of Christmas. If your shadow cast by the light of the Yule log fire seemed to be headless, you would die within one year. The logs ashes could cure ailments and avert lightning.

In 1823, Clement C. Moore wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas', which showed Santa Claus driving a sleight drawn by "eight tiny reindeer." We know this story as "The Night Before Christmas." The image of Santa Claus, as we know him, was drawn by Thomas Nast. There are many legends of St. Nicholas, but this is the most famous legend and it includes elements of today's Santa. A nobleman who lived with his three daughters had fallen on hard times. The daughters had no chance of marriage, since their father could not pay their dowries.The Night Before Christmas

One night, St. Nicholas threw a sack of gold through a window of the nobleman's shabby castle, which was enough for one daughter's marriage. The next night, he tossed another sack of gold through the window for the second daughter. But on the third night, the window was closed. So, St. Nicholas climbed onto the roof and dropped the sack down the chimney. The next morning, the daughters found the gold in the stockings they had hung to dry by the fireplace. That, my friends, is why we leave our stockings out for Santa Claus