Christmas lessons are usually quite popular in language schools with students at all levels. A beginner enjoys new terms like "jmelí (mistletoe)", "vánočka (Christmas cake)" or "cukroví (Christmas sweets)", while the advanced student can take advantage of the full range of their vocabulary to talk about the traditions and customs of their native country.

Take a purely hypothetical lesson in which the lecturer starts with a casual conversation about Christmas traditions within the students' native countries, continues with vocabulary delivered through pictures, follows with a practical demonstration of Czech traditions and concludes by listening to Czech Christmas carols. It seems simple — the festive atmosphere is supported by homemade sweets and a little bit of mulled wine — a recipe for guaranteed success, but is it...?

As the lesson starts, students are offered a small refreshment (mulled wine, which is greatly welcomed, especially by students from the Nordic countries) and a question is raised: "How do you celebrate Christmas at your home?" The well-mannered lecturer suddenly discovers that their enthusiasm is not shared by everyone — it turns out that Christmas is not a universally popular holiday.

After the initial conversation, the lecturer distributes images for students to connect with the concepts. After a moment of silence when everyone works calmly, a sudden, seemingly innocent question appears: "What is the origin of the word crib?" Several pairs of eyes fixed on the native speaker don't help much — but the situation is saved with a quick explanation, more homemade sweets and more mulled wine.

After the etymological insertion, the practical part finally follows: guess the Czech Christmas tradition with clues — frankincense, candles in nutshells and a bowl of water, Christmas Francis, slippers, a golden pig, apple, and fish scales. Students look interested, examining objects and raising interesting debate.