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Holiday Celebrations & Festivities

Describing Holiday Traditions

Someone is explaining their family's or culture's unique holiday traditions to someone unfamiliar with them, including special meals, customs, or activities.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Sarah (Female)
So, Michael, Christmas is just around the corner! What are your family's traditions for the holidays?
2
Michael (Male)
Oh, we have a few unique ones! On Christmas Eve, instead of just opening presents, we always have a huge seafood dinner. It's not very traditional for Christmas, I guess, but it's what my grandparents started.
3
Sarah (Female)
A seafood dinner? That's really interesting! I've mostly heard of roast turkey or ham. What kind of seafood do you usually have?
4
Michael (Male)
Definitely lobster and shrimp. And my grandma always makes her special clam chowder. It's a whole table full!
5
Sarah (Female)
That sounds delicious! Do you have any other unique customs? Like, anything you do on Christmas Day itself?
6
Michael (Male)
Absolutely. On Christmas morning, after we open gifts, everyone has to wear their new Christmas pajamas for a family photo. It's a silly tradition, but we've done it for as long as I can remember.
7
Sarah (Female)
Haha, that's adorable! I can just imagine. So, it's not just about the food, but also about these fun, quirky rituals.
8
Michael (Male)
Exactly! It's what makes our Christmas feel like ours. What about your family?

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

traditions

Customs or practices that a family or culture follows over many years, especially during holidays like Christmas.

unique

Special or different from what is usual or common; something that stands out because it's not typical.

customs

Traditional ways of doing things in a family or culture, often related to special events or celebrations.

seafood

Food that comes from the sea, such as fish, shrimp, lobster, or clams; often eaten in meals during holidays.

quirky

Unusual or strange in a fun and charming way; describes habits or traditions that are a bit silly but endearing.

rituals

A series of actions or ceremonies performed in a specific way, often as part of traditions or celebrations.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

Christmas is just around the corner!

This idiom means Christmas is coming very soon. It's useful for talking about upcoming holidays and creates excitement. The structure uses 'just around the corner' to show something is imminent.

What are your family's traditions for the holidays?

This is a question to ask about someone's holiday customs. It's practical for starting conversations about cultural practices. Note the possessive 'your family's' and plural 'traditions' for general habits.

That's really interesting!

An expression to show curiosity or surprise about something new. Useful in conversations to keep the discussion going and show engagement. 'Really' adds emphasis.

That sounds delicious!

This compliments food by saying it seems tasty. Great for responding to descriptions of meals in holiday talks. 'Sounds' is used for something described but not experienced yet.

Do you have any other unique customs?

Asks for more details about special habits. Helpful for deepening conversations about traditions. Uses 'any other' to refer to additional items, and 'unique' highlights special aspects.

It's what makes our Christmas feel like ours.

Explains what personalizes a holiday. Useful for sharing why traditions are important. The cleft structure 'It's what...' emphasizes the key reason, and 'feel like ours' shows ownership.