Everyone knows the true story of Christmas. It’s the story of a boy wanted a BB gun…What’s that? That’s just A Christmas Story, not the Christmas story? Oh. Well in that case it’s the story of Will Ferrell except he was raised by elves and…Wait. That’s not it either?

Huh? It’s about the birth of Jesus Christ? Really? When did that movie come out? Who’s in it?

There a lot of Christmas movies out there. Listen to Marni and Devan talk about a few of their favorites. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“What’s up, everybody? Andy here, and I’m feeling all lit up.”

—Ebaby!’s Andy, speaking about being excited -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Around the world, people celebrate so many different holidays. But if you hear someone talking about the holidays in the US, they are probably talking about end-of-the-year celebrations, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Yule, or New Year’s. For many people, giving holiday gifts is a happy tradition. However, gift giving can be maddening, too.

Sometimes, people worry too much about getting the latest action figure or buying gifts before they sell out. They forget to take a breath and enjoy their friends and family. Instead of spending time with their brothers and sisters, they might be worrying that they are only halfway done with their holiday shopping.

Dominique is really worried about her holiday gifts. Listen as Andy tells her to keep it simple in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

In the United States, many people decorate their houses for the Christmas holiday. They get a Christmas tree, and put ornaments on the tree. They might put a wreath on the door, or put up some lights outside. The decorations reflect the festive feeling of the holiday season. When a couple comes from two different religions, it can be hard to come up with a solution for holiday decorating. Hear how Mason and Greta have dealt with this issue in this holiday English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Your first Christmas together is an important time to size up your relationship. If you haven’t been together all that long and it’s not all that serious, a nice card or small gift will do. If it’s been a little longer, you have to make sure your gift represents how much the relationship means to you. It also has to show how well you know your partner.

That sounds like a lot of pressure. Mason and Amanda have been together for six months. What do you think they ought to get each other for Christmas? Watch their gift exchange in today’s soap opera episode. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

In late December, airline prices in the US and Europe go up. Why would everyone want to be traveling in the middle of winter? Well, some people are escaping the winter to the southern hemisphere where it’s summer. Most are going somewhere else that’s cold, but where their family is so they can celebrate the holidays together.

The only problem is that sometimes winter weather causes roads to close or flights to be canceled. When the flights are already sold out and there’s already lots of traffic, things can go from bad to worse really fast. But once you get where you’re going, and are having fun with your family, it all seems worth it. Listen to Beren and Marni get ready for some holiday travel. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“Um, where do I even begin? I just want to say, honestly, thank you. Thank you. Like, from the bottom of my heart.”

—Actor Zac Efron, speaking about winning three Teen Choice Awards (E! News) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Did you notice your heating bill to be surprisingly low this month, or that your got exceptionally good mileage? Perhaps you experienced a small recreation of the miracle of Hanukkah.

When the Jews reclaimed the Temple of Jerusalem from the Syrians in the second century, they had enough oil to light the menorah, which was supposed to burn all night, every night, to keep it lit for one day. Yet, somehow, it burned for eight nights, which was how long it took to get more oil. A miracle!

The Jews celebrate this miracle with an eight-day holiday every winter during which one candle is lit on a menorah for each day of the celebration. In the 20th Century, North American Jews started exchanging presents to make Hanukkah a Jewish alternative to the Christmas gift-giving. Listen to Mason tell Devan about his Hanukkah. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Family. Presents. Food. Decorations. Presents. Oh, and did we mention presents? For all these reasons and more, Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But not everyone feels merry during the holidays. In fact, many people get depressed or feel blue at this time.

Some people feel sad at Christmas because they can’t afford to buy their friends and family members all the gifts they want. Or they feel let down when the holidays don’t live up to their hopes and expectations. Others feel extra lonely over the holidays if they don’t have anyone to share them with. And some people get depressed by how commercial the holidays have become.

Listen to Marni try to cheer up Devan before the holidays are finished. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

A couple of weeks ago, director Martin Scorsese won an Oscar for his awesome film The Departed. This film is based on the 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson all play parts in this complicated Boston story about the Irish mob and the Massachusetts State Police.Despite the violence in the film, there is a lot of unexpected humor. Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin are really funny, and Jack Nicholson is so perfectly evil he’s hilarious. This film definitely deserved the recognition it got at the Academy Awards. Listen to Mason and Amanda chat about it. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com