Christmas in Britain

CHRISTMAS IN BRITAN Christmas Day , December 25,is probablythe most popular holiday in Great Britan. It is a family holiday. Traditionallyall relatives and friends give each other presents. So before Christmas all the department stores and shopsare crowded, everybody is choosing a present. In general, people get preparedfor this holiday very carefully. They decorate their houses in the traditionalway, that is the

Christmas trees are set up in houses, in the streets andchurches. The Christmas trees are always decorated with fairy lights, angelsand small toys. In addition litlle packets with nuts, candies and specialbiscuits are hung on the tree. Presents are put around the tree and artificial frost is scattered over the branches. The Germans are believed to be the firstto use the

Christmas tree in their celebrations, and Martin Luther was thefirst to place a star on the top of the tree. This star represent the star thatappeared over the stable in which Christ was born. In Great Britain the Christmas treebecame popular when Queen Victoria used it. Besides the Christmas tree, holly andmistletoe are used to decorate the house.Branchesof holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is hung over doors, so theyoung people have

a chance to kiss the girls under it, plucking each time a redberry from the mistletoe. It is said that the girl who was not kissed under itat Christmas would not get married that year. On the eve of the Christmas children hangtheir stockings so that Santa Claus could put presents into them oranges,sweets, nuts and if the child didn t behave properly

Santa Clause can put therea piece of coal as punishment. Santa Claus got his name from a man knownas St.Nickolas who lived in Asia in the fourth century. He gave his wealth tothe poor and often to children. After he died the Dutch brought thislegend to colonial America. Soon the Dutch name Sinter Kluas became SantaClaus.

Carol singing is an essential part ofChristmas. No church or school is without its carol service. Carols may betraditional or by known composers they can express different feelings. Carolsappeared in Christmas history about the fifteenth century. Usually children come around in theevening to the front doors and start singing carols and the people living inthese houses give children candies, nuts, pies and so on, to thank them forcarol singing.

A typical Christmas lunch includes turkeywith cranberry sauce and pudding. Every young woman in each household helps tostir the Christmas pudding if she wishes to be married that year.Usuallya coin or two are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see whofinds it. After the lunch they go to the sitting roomto listen to the

Christmas speech of the Queen, shown on TV. So Christmas is a merry family holiday forall the people of Great Britain.