What happens on Christmas Eve in Britain? Christmas Eve is a very exciting time for young children. It is the time when Father Christmas (Santa) comes. The children leave mince pies (Mince pies are an essential part of Christmas. They are made from minced fruit not meat) and brandy for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer.
Christmas Stockings From 1870, children have hung up Christmas stockings at the ends of their beds or along the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Children hang Christmas stockings or bags up ready for Father Christmas, who will hopefully fill them up with presents, if the children have been good. Why do the children hang up Christmas stockings? Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.
Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th December, with a Christmas dinner at midday for the whole family.
How do the British prepare for Christmas?
During the weeks before Christmas Day, we send cards, watch nativity plays and go to carol services. We put up Christmas decorations in our homes and churches.
Christmas pantomimes
A pantomime is a traditional British Christmas play. They are an important part of our Christmas festivities. They are performed in theatres, villages halls and community centres.
Pantomimes traditionally start on Boxing Day and run for two or three months in theatres around the country.
Boxing Day
In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December. However, strictly speaking, Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas.
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor. The Christmas box was a wooden or clay container where people placed gifts.
A Christmas Cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends. A person pulls on each end of the cracker and when the cracker breaks, a small chemical strip goes “Pop” and the contents fall out. A Christmas cracker traditionally contains a paper crown, a small gift and a joke written on a slip of paper.
If you want to know anything else about Christmas traditions, here you have a job made by old students.
A Christmas Cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends. A person pulls on each end of the cracker and when the cracker breaks, a small chemical strip goes “Pop” and the contents fall out. A Christmas cracker traditionally contains a paper crown, a small gift and a joke written on a slip of paper.
If you want to know anything else about Christmas traditions, here you have a job made by old students.
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