ESL Podcast 226 - Holiday Decorating
to decorate - to make something more attractive by putting objects on it
The students are going to decorate the high school gym so that it looks like a dance club for their dance on Friday night.
to go all out - to put all of one's energy and effort into doing something
She went all out during the race and finished in first place.
Christmas tree - a pine tree (or a plastic tree) that people decorate and place in their homes to celebrate Christmas
Please put all of the presents from your grandparents under the Christmas tree.
ornament - a small object used for decoration, usually with a string for hanging on the branches of a Christmas tree
My favorite Christmas tree ornament is the blue glass ball that my daughter gave me three years ago.
tinsel - narrow, thin strips of shiny material used for decoration
The children were supposed to put the tinsel on the Christmas tree, but they had more fun putting it in each other's hair.
wreath - a circle of flowers and leaves hung on a door or wall for decoration
Everyone who visits their house admires the beautiful Christmas wreath hanging on their front door.
mistletoe - a plant with green leaves and white berries that is used as decoration during the Christmas holiday
I'm hanging mistletoe above the doors because tradition says that if a man and a woman stand under the mistletoe, they have to kiss each other.
chimney - a brick or rock structure that carries smoke from a fireplace, through the roof and outside of a house
When we lit the fire, the room started to fill with smoke because we had forgotten to open the chimney.
stocking - a very large, colorful sock that is hung near the chimney and filled with presents the night before Christmas
Last year, Josiah made a giant stocking because he thought he would get more presents that way.
holiday cards - a piece of paper folded in half, with a picture on the front and a message inside, sent to friends and family to wish them happy holidays
This year we are sending a photograph of the children inside our holiday cards, so that our family and friends can see how much they've grown since last year.
lawn ornaments - statues and other objects placed on the grass in front of a house as decoration
Look at the lawn ornaments across the street! That family must be very excited about the holidays.
snowman - snow shaped in the form of a person
Myung and Oscar made a snowman with cookies for eyes and a carrot for a nose.
reindeer - a large animal that looks like a deer with long antlers (horns that look like tree branches) on its head that lives in the snow
According to Christmas stories and songs, Santa Claus uses flying reindeer to help him go from house to house, delivering Christmas presents.
Santa Claus - an imaginary fat, jolly (cheerful) man with a white beard and red clothing who delivers Christmas presents to good boys and girls
Many children behave very well in December because their parents tell them that Santa Claus will bring them presents only if they are good.
outdoor lights - lines of multi-colored, white, or blue lights that are placed along the roofs, doors, and windows of houses as Christmas decorations
Some neighborhoods are famous for their outdoor lights at Christmas, and many people drive by to see their decorations.
to string - to hang decorations in a line
When we learned that Katie was pregnant, we celebrated by stringing pink and blue decorations all around the living room.
it's no wonder that - it isn't surprising that
It's no wonder that you passed the exam. You have been studying every night for almost two months!