Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings to you, wherever you are in the world and to whatever you may or may not be celebrating today.

Even if you aren’t decking the halls (decorating your house) with Christmas or holiday decorations, chances are you have seen a movie related to Christmas or have talked to someone who celebrates this season. This post is for you to learn Christmas related vocabulary in English, and to help you speak in English more effectively throughout the holiday season.

In this post, I’ve invited you to my house and have shared with you some common vocabulary words that I am surrounded by every day that can relate to Christmas and the holidays. In this video and article you will review some common decoration items (things), English verbs related to Christmas, or general English vocabulary for the holidays and special times.

First, I’d like to share with you this 5 Minute English YouTube video. You can be introduced to some of the words you’ll find in this post and be able to hear the word (pronunciation), see the word (spelling and visual understanding), and review how I use them in context. After the video, you can mosey back here (*note: mosey means to walk slowly, but I mean it to just return 🙂 ) and see some more examples, pictures, and get your final practice exercise!

Christmas Tree Decorations

I was so excited that my husband and I finally got a Christmas tree this year, and my favorite kind, a Douglas Fur. We have always traveled on Christmas, so we couldn’t justify spending the money(have a good enough reason for spending the money). Don’t get me wrong, we loved Christmas in Sedona last year, spending it in Austin, TX before that, and especially our Ugly Christmas T-shirt party in Brazil in 2012, but there is nothing like decorating a tree with special ornaments and Christmas lights. Personally, I always put the mini lights (lights with small bulbs) on my Christmas tree and prefer the white or clear colored lights. However, for outside we hung icicle lights, and other multi-colored lights because I do enjoy some pops of color. As for our tree decorating, I love eclectic ornaments that give variety, and some of my personal style. This personal style does not include tinsel.

click the images to view larger and see the vocabulary words in use

Christmas Home Decor

I was busy buying and crafting my holiday decor (decorations) this year because I love DIY projects (DIY=do it yourself). Among my DIY decor was my wreath and bunting banner above my kitchen bar, and my cinnamon scented pinecones! I also put a garland above my door, even though most people put it on the mantel (a small shelf above the fireplace) above their fireplace. Next to our fireplace, we hung our stockings which we will be stuffing full (filling up) with little gifts.

click the images to view larger and see the vocabulary words in use

Gift Giving

We don’t have very many presents under the tree this year, since it’s just Paulo and me celebrating and we already sent off most of the gifts to our friends and family in the mail. Everything we sent was wrapped in the most beautiful wrapping paper, because gift bags would not have traveled well via the US postal services. I hope my friends and family enjoying opening their presents as much as the boy in the YouTube video below. Although they may not be tearing it open like the kid, I am sure they will unwrap the gifts with happiness and joy.

I hope you have learned some valuable language here today, and I invite you to share some of what you learned by creating your own sentence examples. The best way to remember and utilize new vocabulary is to make it relevant to yourself, you must give yourself reason and context to use them.

If you get stuck, you can try answering some of these questions below and then completing the Christmas Vocabulary challenge.

Always restate the question in your answer to use the targeted vocabulary words

1. Do you prefer using gift bags or wrapping paper for your presents/gifts?
2. How do you decorate your house for the holidays? What are your favorite decorations?
3. Which are your favorite Christmas lights, the mini bulbs or the large bulbs?
4. There are many scents associated with the holidays, pumpkin for Thanksgiving and cinnamon for Christmas. What is your favorite holiday scent?
5. Do you hang stockings by your fireplace?

Christmas Vocabulary Challenge

Are you ready to apply what you have learned in a practical way? Let’s use some #REALenglish! Join me on my Christmas Vocabulary Challenge by taking a picture of any of the vocabulary words from this post and uploading it to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Use these words in a sentence in your caption and hashtag #xmasvocabchallenge. This challenge never ends so feel free to tag me so I can see even after the craziness of the holidays is over!

Happy Studying! ♥

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