Christmas

Christians in many parts of the world celebrate Christmas on 25th December. This festivity celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Today´s traditional British Christmas comes from the Victorian period, when

Victoria was queen (1837- 1901). Christmas started to become an important festivity. It was a time for the family to be together and a time to enjoy special food, music, carols and games. In Britain there were more things to buy in shops, and the tradition of giving presents grew. But at this time there were also big differences between the social classes: there were the very rich and the very poor. Rich children received dolls, dolls´ houses, games and books. Poor children received an apple, an orange or a very small toy.

The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany. Germans had a fir tree in their homes and they decorated it with biscuits and candles. In Great Britain the Christmas tree became popular after 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, a German. He brought the tradition of the Christmas tree to the Royal family. Then many people started to have Christmas trees in their homes. Today almost every Christian family has a Christmas tree at home or in the garden. Some families put up the tree on Christmas Eve while others put it up at the beginning of December. People decorate the tree with coloured lights and at the top they usually put an angel or a star. They also like to decorate their homes and gardens with other Christmas symbols such as holly, mistletoe and paper decorations.

Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in London. It is a present from the people from Norway. This tradition started in 1947, when the Norwegians wanted to thank the British for their help during the World War II. This tree is about twenty-five metres tall and it is decorated with white lights. America´s most famous tree is at the Rockerfeller Center on Fifth Avenue in New York City. This spectacular tree has about five miles of lights. Every Christmas millions of people go ice skating near the Rockerfeller tree. 

Shopping for Christmas presents can be fun. During the Christmas season shops are open until late and they are often open on Sundays too. During the Christmas season charity organizations ask for money for the poor people and the homeless in their town. They organize free meals and often give toys to the poor children. 

In Great Britain and America people send Christmas cards to their friends and relatives; they usually buy boxes of cards often from charity organizations. Many people show all the cards they receive: they put them on the wall in their houses.

Christmas carols and Christmas music are very popular. People singChristmas carols in church, in town centres and sometimes in front of theirneighbours´ houses. If people like the carols they give the carol singersmoney and they give it to charity organizations.

In Great Britain pantomimes are very popular. This wonderful Christmas entertainment is a form of comic theatre with songs. The stories are usually famous fairy tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Aladdin.

A traditional Christmas Day.

Some Christians go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve, while others go on Christmas morning. Some people don´t go to church but on Christmas Day families try to be together. People travel long distances to spend a family Christmas. Children and adults open their presents on Christmas morning around the Christmas tree, or sometimes even in bed.

In Great Britain there is a big Christmas lunch. People start cooking the meal very early, especially if there is a turkey. A big turkey takes a long time to cook. Christmas crackers are an old tradition and are part of the Christmas lunch. Two people pull the cracker until it goes ¨bang¨ and opens. Inside there is a small present, a paper hat and a joke

In the USA families spend Christmas Day together at home. They play games and watch films on TV. In the evening they have a big dinner.

On 26th December, St Stephen´s Day, people in America go back to work but in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they don´t. in these countries 26th December is a public holiday; it is called Boxing Day. This name has two origins. Some say it has this name because in the past English masters gave their servants a box with small presents or money on 26th December. Others say it has this name because churches had boxes for the poor: people put money in these boxes and the churches opened them on 26th December and gave the money to the poor