Christmas in England

by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com)

 

Town and countryside

 

At Christmas time, most towns and cities put coloured lights up around the city centre and in the biggest cities there is often a Christmas tree in the main square. Since 1947, London has received a big Christmas tree from the government of Norway in thanks for the help given to this country in the second World War. This tree is in Trafalgar Square and if you want to know more about it, look at the following web page Trafalgar Square Xmas tree

 

Most large towns have a branch of a religious charity group called the Salvation Army. Every Christmas, the brass band plays Christmas songs in the centre of town and they collect money from the public which goes towards the services this charity provides. For more information about this charity see: The Salvation Army

 

Just before Christmas, throughout Britain and Northern Ireland, groups of mostly young people go from house to house singing Christmas carols (Christmas songs which you can sing without music). These 'Carol singers' are often connected with local churches, and after singing their songs, they ask for a donation from the public. There are some Christmas carols on Viv's web site at the following link: Newsletter edition 15 feature

 

If you're at a party, pub or disco during the Christmas holiday period, and see some green leaves suspended from the ceiling, it's probably Mistletoe /MIS UL TOW/. It's a tradition in the UK that if a man and woman are standing under this plant at Christmas time, they should kiss each other.

 

The family

 

Christmas Eve

 

On Christmas Eve, in a family with young children, the kids will write a note to Father Christmas, and if there's a fireplace, put the letters in the fire so that they will go up the chimney and be received by Father Christmas. Sometimes there will be small presents on the Christmas tree, and these presents can be opened on Christmas Eve. When the children go to bed, the parents hang socks up by the bed, and while the kids are sleeping, the parents will go into their bedrooms and put a small gift in the socks (called by the old word 'stockings').

 

Christmas dinner

 

Everyone opens their presents on the morning of Christmas day before Christmas dinner.

In England, Christmas dinner is usually roast turkey with a special filling inside it called 'stuffing'.

The roast turkey will be accompanied by a variety of boiled vegetables, including boiled and/or roast potatoes. There is also a sauce made from mixing flour, the water the vegetables are cooked in and juice from the roast. This sauce is called 'gravy'. There is a traditional dessert called Christmas pudding. This is similar to a very rich cake, often prepared months before. The ingredients include sultanas, currants, sugar, flour and brandy. It's a tradition to put some old silver coins in the pudding mixture, and it's considered good luck if you get one of the coins in your portion. This pudding is served with a sweet white sauce made from milk, eggs and sugar called 'custard'.

 

Christmas crackers

 

These are made from paper with a special strip of card which makes a noise when the crackers are pulled apart. Each guest holds one end of the cracker and both people pull. The cracker breaks with a 'crack' and the person who is left with the biggest part will find a small gift inside and a paper party hat, which everyone will be wearing at the end of the meal. Christmas crackers can be opened either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

 

After  Christmas dinner, which will usually finish at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, many families will sit in front of the TV and watch the Queen's Christmas speech on TV, then watch the Christmas film.

In Viv's family it's a tradition to play a game of cards in the evening on Christmas Day. In Britain, the day after Christmas Day (the 26th) is called 'Boxing Day'.

 

Tick the things you see in the video

 

Christmas crackers
Gravy
Carol singers
Christmas turkey
Father Christmas
Stuffing
Christmas stocking
Christmas pudding
Mistletoe
Christmas presents
Christmas tree
The Salvation Army