Christmas in England

Christmas is my very favourite time of the year and anyone I work with will tell you that they will be driven mad throughout December with demands to play Christmas music in the office! I love talking about Christmas and today I would like to tell you about some Christmas traditions in England.

Christmas is the biggest holiday we celebrate in England and one of only 2 days in the year when all the shops close completely and you can enjoy time with your family without other distractions.

For many parents in England Christmas will begin many weeks before the big day on December 25th as children like to write letters to Father Christmas telling him which presents they would like to receive. On Christmas Eve children leave a stocking at the foot of their bed which Santa will fill with presents while they are asleep. The tradition is that Father Christmas arrives down the chimney and many people will leave him a mince pie  to eat and some carrots for the reindeer. All children will be warned to be on their very best behaviour at this time of year because Santa only visits good children!

Christmas dinner is my highlight of the day. My family always eats the typical meals of roast turkey with roast potatoes, parsnips and the obligatory brussels sprouts. Dessert is Christmas pudding, a steamed pudding shaped like a bowl, filled with dried fruits and served with brandy butter or custard. At the dinner table each person receives a Christmas cracker, a paper tube covered in bright paper. Two people hold one end of each cracker and pull, which makes a small bang and spills out the contents which will be a paper crown (which must be worn at dinner), a joke to be read at the table and a small gift. Don’t get too excited about the gift, there is usually a competition to win the worst present!

The main meal of the day is usually eaten at lunch time and followed by the Queen’s Speech, a televised broadcast where the Queen of England speaks to the country about the events of the year. This is a tradition going back to 1932!

The day after Christmas is called Boxing day in England and is also bank holiday. Today this is when the new year sales start and the shops are very busy with people trying to get bargains, but traditionally, this was the day when servants would receive a present, or Christmas box from their employers.

One last thing, you shouldn’t forget that all Christmas decorations must be taken down and put away by January 6th or you will have bad luck in the next year!

Phillippa