Christmas Traditions

Taking a Look at the Christmas Traditions in England

Christmas is celebrated differently all over the world but the people in England follow the original Christmas traditions. Let’s take a look at how this festival is celebrated in England, the modern way.

Like any other festival, Christmas is a time of family get-togethers, gifts, lights, decorations, dancing, singing, rich treats and lots of fun.

Before we go any further you should know that many of the Christmas traditions came into being long before Christ walked the earth. These traditions were borrowed from other festivals that weren’t even remotely connected to Christ.

The Singing

Almost a week before Christmas, carol singers go from house to house singing Christmas carols adding to the festive spirit, “Silent Night” and “12 Days of Christmas” being some of their favourites. In return of their singing performances, carol singers are treated with goodies such as chocolate pies, dry fruits and nuts.

The Families

It’s a busy time for families! People are busy with wrapping gifts, baking cookies and hanging stockings on the fireplace. In the evenings, children and other family members gather around the fire place to tell stories of Peter Pan and his Neverland and Cinderella and sing Christmas carols until late nights.

On the eve of Christmas, children get together to write letters to the Father of Christmas, i.e. Santa Claus with their wishes. The letters are then thrown into the fire place so that they can go up the chimney. Children believe that Santa will come down through the chimney with a bag of gifts and will fill up their stockings with goodies and make their wishes come true.

The Feast

On the day of Christmas, families sit down together for the mid-day feast. A Christmas cracker is placed beside each dinner plate. A cracker is a paper tube consisting of a Christmas hat, trinkets and riddles for everyone.

The feast generally consists of turkey, roasted goose, or roasted beef with Yorkshire pudding. Brussels sprouts are the most likely vegetables. The desert consists of plum pudding with holly.

The Christmas Message from the Queen

After the feast, it’s a custom for most families to get together in their living rooms to listen to the Christmas message     from the Queen over radio and television.

At tea time, freshly baked Christmas cake is served.

The Boxing Day

This has got nothing to do with the sport of boxing! In ancient times, people used to fill up alms boxes in church with gifts for the poor. According to modern Christmas traditions, the people in England keep up the spirit of this day by gifting small goodies or money to the news vendors, mail carriers and all others who’ve assisted them during the year.

Christmas is celebrated quite differently among other cultures but the basic feelings such as love, care and togetherness are just the same everywhere!