From St. Nicholas to Santa Claus PDF

Name: cl. 6 date: Reading comprehension The true story of St Nicholas and Santa Claus Most people know how Santa Claus looks like – jolly, with a red suit, white beard and thick. But he did not always look like that. It was a long way from St Nicholas to Santa Cl...

Name: cl. 6 date: Reading comprehension The true story of St Nicholas and Santa Claus Most people know how Santa Claus looks like – jolly, with a red suit, white beard and thick. But he did not always look like that. It was a long way from St Nicholas to Santa Claus. St. Nicholas was born in the year 270 in the old Turkish city of Patara. He became a Christian and people made him Bishop of Myra. He liked horses very much and people told about his miracles and his good deeds. He died on December 6th, 343. He became a saint in the Ninth Century. In the 13th Century, French nuns celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas. They put food at the doors of the poor. By the time the feast of St. Nicholas became a day of giving presents in Germany and Holland. People painted him with a brown or white bishop’s coat. But where did St Nicholas get his red coat from? Are St Nicholas and Santa Claus the same persons? It has to do with the Coca-Cola Company: They began their Christmas campaign for the USA in the 1920s with a very strict-looking Santa Claus in a red robe. In 1930 an artist painted a Santa Claus drinking a bottle of Coke. This second generation of Santa Claus was the one we still know today: jolly, with a red suit, white beard and thick. In Europe they liked the new Santa look so much that people dressed their St Nicholas just like the Coca Cola Santa Claus. But there is still one difference: People in Germany celebrate St Nicholas day on December 6th. American kids have to wait longer. Name: cl. 6 date: Reading comprehension Santa Claus brings his presents on Christmas. From St Nicholas to Santa Claus 1. Work with a partner. Look up the following words: lines 1–3 jolly – _______________ suit – _______________ beard – ________________ lines 4–7 miracle – ________________ deed – _______________ saint – _______________ lines 8 – 10: nun – ________________ celebrate – _______________ feast – _______________ lines 11 – 16 coat – __________________ campaign – _________________________ strict – __________________ robe – ____________________ 2. Put the sentences together: St Nicholas came in Myra People was a bishop He was born Turkish Santa Claus liked long after St Nicholas People in Europe made him Santa Claus very much. 3. Put the sentences in past tense: At first St Nicholas ____________________ (to have) no red robe. And he ____________________ (not give) presents to children. He ______________ (is) a Turkish and people ____________ (to like) him very much. A long time later the tradition of Santa Claus _____________ (to come) over to Europe. It _____________ (to happen) in the 20s and 30s of the last century, when drinking coke ______________ (to become) popular here. 4. Write a cv of St Nicholas: date of birth: __________________ place of birth: ________________ nationality: __________________ hobby: __________________ From St Nicholas to Santa Claus job: _____________________ after his death:______________________