In England less emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve than in other
countries, much more is made of Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Carol singing,
midnight church services and going out to the pub are some of the activities that
many families enjoy.
Christmas Eve is a very exciting time for young
children. It is the time when Santa or Father Christmas comes. They hang up
their stockings and go to sleep.
In the UK families open their presents in the morning. Then, some families
attend church on Christmas Day and they also watch the Queen’s Speech.
The big event on Christmas Day is the family dinner served at 3pm. Most
people enjoy the traditional turkey and Christmas pudding as a dessert. The
best thing about this day is spending time with the family. People sing
Christmas carols. Some carollers sing around cities and collect money for charity.
Boxing Day is a public holiday and
it is traditionally a time to give gifts to tradesmen, servants and friends.
It originated in medieval times, when every priest was supposed to empty
the alms box of his church and distribute gifts to the poor.
New Year's Eve
- 31st December
British people go to parties on New Year’s eve. There are
usually fireworks too.
Christmas Crackers are used to decorate the table at Christmas dinner. A cracker is a
small cardboard tube covered in a brightly coloured twist of paper. When the
cracker is 'pulled' by two people, each holding one end of the twisted paper,
the friction creates a small explosive 'pop’. Inside the cracker there is
usually a tissue paper hat, a balloon, a slip of paper with a joke on it and a
small gift (usually a little cheap plastic thing).
Mistletoe was considered sacred by the people of ancient Britain. It was
believed to have magical properties. People who met under a tree with mistletoe were forbidden to fight, even if they were enemies. The Celtic people
believed it had miraculous healing powers, it protected the house from ghosts and
brought good luck.
Nowadays it’s a special decoration used at Christmas parties. People who
meet under the mistletoe are supposed to kiss. But there is a limit to how much
you can kiss under one sprig of mistletoe. For each kiss a berry must be
removed and once all the berries are gone - no more kissing!
Hi students!
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