Advent
Worksheet
Exercise 1: Warmer
Read the article and write the names of what you see in the images below.
1 2
3 4
5 6
© Springer Nature Limited 2019. Macmillan Education is part of the Springer Nature group.
Celebrations: Advent – Intermediate-upper-intermediate 1
Advent
Worksheet
Advent
Advent in Germany is a tradition-rich time of warmth, cosiness, soft lights, spicy aromas, and friends and
family. It helps bring about a sense of good cheer, known as gemütlichkeit, which adds to people’s well-being
during the cold and dark weeks leading up to Christmas.
Advent lasts for around four weeks and always includes four Sundays, the fourth of which is the last Sunday
before Christmas. Depending on which day of the week Christmas Eve (24th December) falls on, Advent will
begin sometime between November 27th and December 3rd.
Most traditional German Christmas markets start on the first weekend of Advent. These have become
well known all over the world and, especially those in big towns and cities, are visited by many thousands of
tourists. But they are also atmospheric places where locals enjoy meeting after work for a hot mulled wine and
something to eat, and to shop for Christmas gifts. These larger markets are usually on for the whole four weeks
of Advent. Most villages and small towns hold their own smaller Christmas markets on the first weekend of
Advent. These are more about community and less about commercialism, and provide an opportunity for local
groups, clubs and associations to raise money by selling home-made cakes, sausages, drinks and handicrafts.
Special kinds of biscuits such as Lebkuchen and Pfeffernüsse, types of spicy gingerbread, are sold in shops
during Advent. At home, adults show off their baking skills and children have fun in the kitchen baking special
traditional Advent biscuits such as cinnamon stars (Zimtsterne), coconut macaroons (Kokosmakronen), and bear
claws (Bärentatzen). These biscuits are given as gifts or shared with friends and family and eaten with hot tea
or coffee in the cosy glow from candles on the Advent wreath.
Advent wreaths, made of evergreen pine twigs woven together to form a circle, are placed on the dining table
or in a window. Each circular wreath holds four candles and is decorated with dried orange peel, cinnamon
sticks and ribbons. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. One candle is lit each Sunday in
Advent so that by Christmas all four candles are burning at the same time.
Advent calendars have 24 doors to help count down the days until Christmas. Door number one is opened
on 1st December and a further numbered door opened every day until the final one announces to excited
children that Christmas Eve has finally arrived. Although many toy and chocolate companies sell their own
Advent calendars, many parents and grandparents prefer to make them themselves. These personal and
home-made Advent calendars contain not only sweets and small gifts, but also love.
© Springer Nature Limited 2019. Macmillan Education is part of the Springer Nature group.
Celebrations: Advent – Intermediate-upper-intermediate 2
Advent
Worksheet
Exercise 2: Key words and expressions
Look at the words in the box below. Find them in the text and underline them. Then match the words to
the correct defintions below.
aromas atmospheric commercialism community cosiness
count down glow good cheer peel woven
1. a feeling of being warm, comfortable and relaxed
2. smells that are strong but pleasant
3. a feeling of happiness
4. creating a special positive mood or feeling
5. the people who live in a particular area
6. the activities or attitudes of people who think that making a profit is more important than anything else
7. a soft warm light
8. made by crossing long pieces over each other so that they join together
9. the skin of a fruit or vegetable
10. wait for something to happen, usually noticing every day or moment that passes until it happens
Exercise 3: Understanding the text
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the text? Correct any that
are false.
1. Advent lasts for the whole of December.
2. Advent begins on December 1st.
3. Many Advent traditions provide people with a feeling of cosiness, warmth and general well-being.
4. German grandparents traditionally buy their grandchildren an Advent calendar with a chocolate present for each
day of Advent.
5. It is a tradition to make and eat Advent biscuits on Christmas Eve.
© Springer Nature Limited 2019. Macmillan Education is part of the Springer Nature group.
Celebrations: Advent – Intermediate-upper-intermediate 3
Advent
Worksheet
Exercise 4: German cinnamon star Advent biscuits
These simple but delicious Advent biscuits are easy to make. But first the recipe needs some help.
a. Use these words to complete the list of ingredients.
cinnamon egg whites almonds sugar
Ingredients:
250g of icing
3 whisked
2 teaspoons of
350g of ground
b. Now put the recipe instructions in the correct order
a. Add the ground almonds and cinnamon to the smooth mixture to make a dough.
✁
b. Any leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for two to three weeks.
c. Stir the icing sugar into the egg whites to make a smooth mixture.
d. Brush the rest of the egg white mixture thinly onto the biscuits for the glaze.
e. Roll the dough out so that it is half a centimetre thick.
f. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
g. Enjoy eating the cinnamon star biscuits with family and friends.
h. Let the biscuits cool completely.
i. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out approximately 50 cookies.
j. Bake for about 15 minutes.
k. Keep aside two tablespoons of the egg white mixture for the glaze.
l. Beat the egg whites until they become stiff.
© Springer Nature Limited 2019. Macmillan Education is part of the Springer Nature group.
Celebrations: Advent – Intermediate-upper-intermediate 4
