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Copy of Hogwarts Trivial Pursuit - FRANCE

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The Cristmas tradition magazine

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With dictionary look up. Double click on any word for its definition.
This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to be taken too seriously!

Advent - (Four Sundays Before Christmas)

Advent is not widely celebrated in England, its celebration actually originated in Germany, although in the church calendar Advent is the official start of the run up to Christmas.

Two traditions that have caught on in England are the Advent calendar and the Advent candle. The Advent Calendar originated in the 19th Century from the protestant area of Germany. Protestant Christian families made a chalk line for every day in December until Christmas Eve. Before long, commercial entrepreneurs started replacing the ephemeral chalk lines with printed calendars. The first known Advent Calendar is for the advent of 1851. Nowadays it is usually a thin rectangular card with 24 or 25 doors. The doors are numbered 1-24/25. Door number 1 is opened on the 1st of December, door 2 on the 2nd etc. Behind each door there is a Christmas scene (but the most popular ones have a chocolate behind each door) .

An Advent candle often has 25 marks on it, a bit of the candle is burned down by one mark each day. In some homes, 24 candles are kept, one for each night from December 1 through Christmas eve. One candle is lit for a while on December 1, then a new candle is added each day for the 24 day period. However, it is now more common to have four candles for the four weeks before Christmas. One candle is lit on the first Sunday, two the second week and so on. The candles were often placed on a wreath upon the dining room table. Advent candles are lit in many homes, schools and churches, in England, with a final central candle lit on Christmas Day; these are often on a hanging decoration known as an "Advent Crown." They became exceedingly popular due to a children's TV programme called Blue Peter, who every year made an advent crown from old coathangers, tinsel and candles! Well, they used to use candles, but because of health and safety insanity they now give instructions using baubles - it's not really the same, but you can make an advent crown following the instructions in this pdf file.

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 (sometimes all three activities can be combined into one fun night out!).

Night time on Christmas Eve though 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. Santa and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in Greenland. On Christmas Eve he piles all of the toys onto his sleigh and rides across the sky with his 9 reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or it may be Donder), Blitzen and of course ... Rudolf!). The most famous one is Rudolf the who is always the one at the front, to lead the way with his red nose. In the morning when the children wake up they open their stocking presents. Traditionally on Christmas Eve mince pies and sherry (or milk) are left out for Santa and nowadays carrots are left for his reindeer. Most children are in bed way before midnight waiting for Santa to visit.

There are some interesting facts about Santa.

The origins of the now traditional Christmas Celebration, distinct from earlier pagan winter holidays, date to sixth century England. By the middle ages, it was a well established important holiday, with traditional pageantry, customs, music and feasting all its own. Customs from pre Christian days were incorporated into the Celebrations, and many still remain.

However in 1647, the English parliament passed a law that made Christmas illegal, all festivities were banned by the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, who considered feasting and revelry on what was supposed to be a holy day to be immoral. The ban was lifted only when Cromwell lost power in 1660.

In Britain, the Holy Days and Fasting Days Act of 1551 (which has not yet been repealed) states that every citizen must attend a Christian church service on Christmas Day, and must not use any kind of vehicle to get to the service There are a large number of Britons who break this law every year. The law may have been intended to encourage humility by forcing even the wealthy to attend the church on foot, or perhaps it was simply to avoid the traffic and parking crush that universal attendance would otherwise have brought about.

Later, during Queen Victoria's reign, Christmas became a time for gift giving, and a special season for children.

Nowadays, according to research by, of all things, Jarlsberg cheese, the average family gets out of bed just before 8am and is ready to start opening presents by 8.19am. Once the wrapping paper has been torn off all the presents, the family sits down to breakfast at 9.02am, but not before they have tucked into a bit of chocolate at 8.39am.

13 per cent of families always attend church on Christmas Day.

Unfortunately all the excitement and stress means that at precisely 9.58 on Christmas morning the first rows begin, and the average parent ends up losing it, and they start to tell off their children for the first time around 11.07am.

The strain of cooking the big Christmas dinner sees the average Brit start to sip their first alcoholic drink at 11.48am.

27 per cent of families sit down to watch the Queen's Speech.

Dinner is finally served at 3.24pm, with 85 per cent of people enjoying the traditional turkey with all the trimmings.

All that food and drink means the first person falls asleep at around 4.58pm, with dad being the leader in losing the "staying awake" battle. Almost half of those who do nod off end up annoying the others with their loud snoring. For those who manage to stay awake, family board games are brought out at 5.46pm.

38 per cent of families think that spending time with the family is the best thing about Christmas Day.

And lights out? 11.39pm.

One Christmas ritual not drawn from an ancient tradition is the British monarch's broadcast on Christmas day. The tradition began in 1932 when King George V read a special speech written by Rudyard Kipling. The broadcast was an enormous success . It began, "I speak now from my home and from my heart, to you all...".

Queen Elizabeth II continues the tradition to this day. Every year she broadcasts her message on Christmas Day, and it is heard by millions of people all over the world. In England most people watch or listen to it whilst digesting their Christmas Dinner!

In England Boxing Day celebrated on December 26th, 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. Wealthy people indulged in huge Christmas feasts, and when they were finished, packed up the remains of feasts in boxes and gave them out to their servants. It didn't become widely celebrated though until Victorian England.

In Ireland there is an Irish custom called "feeding the wren". The custom is based on a legend of St. Stephen. Once he was forced to hide in a bush, but a chattering wren gave him away. In the past Children caged the wren to help it do penance for this misdeed. Nowadays children carry a long pole with a holly bush at the top - which is supposed to hide a captured wren.

In the UK Boxing Day is still a public holiday, some shops and supermarkets open nowadays, but banks and most offices remain closed.

The sixteenth century saw England first officially celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night premiered in the first year of the seventeenth century, in a performance at the court of Elizabeth the First.

Advent is usually solemn and religious in spirit, while Saint Steven's Day marks the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas, a light hearted time given over to merry making and fun. It is a holiday of heart-warming homecoming and family gatherings, with candles glowing in the windows as a sign of welcome.

During the ancient 12-day Christmas celebration, it was considered unlucky to let the log in the fireplace stop burning. This log was called the Yule log and would be used to light the fire in New Year, to ensure that good luck carried on from year to year. The Yule Log custom was handed down from the Druids, but with the advent of gas and electric fires it is rarely observed nowadays.

Another custom in medieval times, was to hide a dried bean in a cake, the cake was then eaten on Twelfth Night (January 6), during the most boisterous party of the year. The finder of the bean became "King of the Bean" and ruled the party for the night.

Another eating myth is that for every mince pie you eat over the 12 days of Christmas you will have a month of good luck the following year!

However, according to A Celebration and History(ISBN 0-679-74038-4), by Leigh Grant, the written lyrics to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" first appeared in Mirth without Mischief in the early 1780s in England. Grant states that the tune to which these words are sung apparently dates back much further and came from France. Mirth without Mischief describes "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as a type of memory game played by children at that time. A leader recited the first verse, the next child recited the second verse, and so on until someone missed a verse and had to pay some kind of penalty in the game. There was no religious significance. At anyrate the popular urban myth makes a good story... at least as good as the song itself, so here is a slice of urban myth culture for you: A very famous song about this time of year is "The Twelve Days of Christmas", which has a very interesting history. During the period 1558 to 1829 Catholics in England were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law - private or public. It was a crime to be a Catholic. Some people say that the song was written to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith during that period when to be caught with anything in 'writing' indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, but could also get you hanged, drawn and quartered! The song's gifts are allegedly hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. "True Love" mentioned refers to God. "Me" refers to every baptized person, here are the other lyrics and their other hidden meanings. However, some people say this is an Urban Myth, but you can make your own mind up.

If you want to know today's cost of this generous gift giving check out PNC Bank's web site.

How would you feel to receive such lovely gifts? Read the replies that Sarah Truelove sent to her beloved.

New Year's Eve - 31st December
See here for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
There are several "traditional" meals you can have at Christmas. Here's a brief look at what the British nosh on Christmas day.

Christmas Dinner

In the past some very strange things were eaten around Christmas. At lavish Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages, swans and peacocks were sometimes served "endored". The flesh was painted with saffron dissolved in melted butter and the birds were served wrapped in their own skin and feathers, which had been removed and set aside prior to roasting.

Around Victorian times another traditional Christmas feast was roasted goose or roasted turkey. In Victorian times, most Londoners would have been familiar with the "goose club", which was a method of saving to buy a goose for Christmas. Goose clubs were popular with working-class Londoners, who paid a few pence a week towards the purchase of a Christmas goose. The week before Christmas, London meat markets were crammed with geese and turkeys, many imported from Germany and France, although some were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in London. The birds were walked from Norfolk to the markets in London, to protect their feet the turkeys were dressed in boots made of sacking or leather and geese had their feet protected with a covering of tar. The traditional Christmas goose was featured in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'.

Nowadays, if you sit down with a typical British family on Christmas day, the starter is probably going to be prawns or smoked salmon. The main course is more than likely to be turkey, often free-range and the bigger the better, although goose has been making a bit of a comeback, and for the vegetarian in the family (there's always one) a nut roast, this is normally served with potatoes (roasted, boiled, mashed, or maybe all three), vegetables (including the devil's veg - brussel sprouts) roasted parsnips, and stuffing with gravy and bread sauce. This is usually followed by Christmas pudding; a rich fruit pudding served with brandy sauce or brandy butter.

Christmas puddings or plum puddings are a very rich, dark pudding made with all sorts of dried fruits, nuts, spices, black treacle and lots of sherry or brandy. You can read more about Christmas puddings here.

Christmas cakes are also very rich and dark and contain just about every dried fruit you can think of, nuts (usually blanched almonds) glace cherries, candied peel and once again, sweetened with black treacle. They are covered with a layer of marzipan or almond paste and then thick white "Royal" icing made with icing sugar and egg whites.

It was introduced as a custom by the Victorians. Prior to that period, cake was eaten during Christmas, but without the toppings. The idea of using marzipan is thought to be linked to the Tudor Marchpane an iced and decorated cake of marzipan that acted as the table centrepiece during banquets and festive occasions. They should be made about six weeks before Christmas and are usually decorated with ribbons and images of Santa Claus or robins with holly.

Mince pies were often known as Christmas pies, they were banned in the seventeenth century by that killjoy Cromwell but eventually came back into existence after the Restoration. They are made with mincemeat - which doesn't contain meat at all ( see my recipe). The sweet, rich and fruity pies that we are now accustomed to developed early in the twentieth century when the meat content was removed for good and now the "mincemeat" is a mixture of dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, candied peel, etc.,) apples, spices, sugar and suet, often moistened with brandy or sherry, and baked in small pastry cases.

If the mincemeat is home made everyone in the household should stir it as it is considered to be lucky. The cases should be oval in shape, to represent the manger, with a tiny pastry baby Jesus on top, but as very few people have tins that shape they are nearly always round now.

Images of Christmas

Many Christmas traditions, including the Christmas card, originated in the UK. Yule logs, plum pudding, mince pies, fruitcakes, wassailing, the Christmas goose, mistletoe, holly and carol singing, are all firmly rooted in British soil.

Christmas carols have their roots in medieval England, when minstrels traveled from castle to castle, today they would be called carollers. In addition poor people in England would go wassailing, they would bring their mugs to the door of rich houses hoping for a share of the wassail bowl. The drink in the bowl was called lambswool. It was a brew of hot ale with sugar, eggs, spices and roast apples floating in it.

The book "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens. It is the tale of a miser called Ebeneezer Scrooge who is visited by four ghosts (Jacob Marley, The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future). He was made to see the error of his ways and became a reformed character.

Today carollers generally collect money for charity. The 'Round Table' in England often sends a big sleigh with a Christmas tree and people singing and playing carols around the cities and towns of England. In Wales, each village may have several choirs which rehearse well in advance of the holidays and then go carolling collecting money for charity.

The Story of St Nicholas (the original Santa Claus)

The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, he was bishop of the Turkish town of Myra in the early 4th century. It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus.

However, he is a very popular saint in England where there are almost 400 churches of St. Nicholas, more even than churches of St. George, England's patron saint. Many different stories are told to British children about Saint Nicholas, here is just one:-

Long long ago, in the days when Saint Nicholas was alive, there lived a kindly nobleman. He had a beautiful wife and three pretty young daughters, and all the money his family would ever need. But one day, the mother of the family, who was a sweet gentle woman, became very ill. The nobleman was frantic! He summoned the town's only doctor, a very old, very wise woman, who knew all there was to know about herbs and magic.

The old woman tried all the cures she knew, but she could do nothing to save the poor woman. Finally he called for the priest to come, but by that time his poor wife had passed away. The nobleman was in despair! He missed his wife so much that he lost his head. He wasted all his money away on silly projects and useless inventions. He became so poor that he had to move his family out of their castle and into a little peasant's cottage. Meanwhile his daughters were growing up. Poverty was difficult for them, but they remained cheerful and strong. They soon learned to do their own cooking, cleaning and sewing, and they took care of each other.

All three girls were very pretty. In time each of them fell in love and wanted to get married. But they couldn't because their father was so poor. He had no dowry (a sum of money or some valuable property) to give to the prospective husband's family. He felt he had failed his own children, and he became even more sad and gloomy.

Now, Saint Nicholas happened to live in the same area. The kindly saint had dedicated his whole life to doing good deeds, and was always on the lookout for someone in need. One night the saint came riding through the town on his white horse looking for the house of the nobleman and his three daughters. He rode up to the cottage and peeked in through a chink in the wall. That same night, the daughters had washed out their clothes by hand, and hung them up in front of the fireplace to dry. There were the stockings, three pairs, hanging right on the chimney. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas. From his pouch he took out three little bags filled with gold coins. One by one he threw the bags down the chimney, so they landed in the stockings of the three daughters. The nobleman, worried about his daughters' futures, had terrible trouble falling asleep a night and was still awake. He heard the clip clop of the white horse as the saint was leaving, and peeked out of the door. He called out to Nicholas, but he had already disappeared into the dark night.

When the daughters woke in the morning, they found their stockings filled with plenty of money for their dowries. When they went to tell their father, they found him sleeping peacefully with a smile on his face. Saint Nicholas had taken care of all his worries. And so, through the goodness of Saint Nicholas the three daughters were able to marry the men they loved, and the nobleman lived on to be a happy grandfather.

St. Nicholas is a very hard-working saint, being the patron saint of children, merchants, apothecaries, pawnbrokers, scholars and mariners. He is reputed to be able to calm storms and rescue sailors. Even pirates have been known to claim his protection. Over the years he has become known as Santa Claus and even his now traditional red costume can be traced to Coca Cola advertising in America!

The tradition of hanging up the stocking is still followed in the British Isles. It is left out on Christmas Eve, along with mince pies, sherry and carrots for Santa and his reindeer, and even today most children are in bed way before midnight waiting for Santa to visit.

The stocking is opened by excited children on Christmas morning. Nowadays the gifts Santa Claus brings can be quite elaborate, in Victorian times it was traditionally fruit, nuts, sweets and coins.

Christmas cards became popular in Victorian England, they were mostly home made and given to loved ones. The first ever Christmas card was the brainchild of Sir Henry Cole, a leading cultural light in Victorian England who was later to become director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The first commercial Christmas card (pictured above) had a hostile reception from some people because it depicted a family, children as well as adults, drinking wine. The card was painted by John Calcott Horsley. It depicts a family feast, under which appear the words, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You". Side panels illustrated acts of Christmas charity - feeding and clothing the poor etc..

However it was Louis Prang, a 19th-century German immigrant to the United States, who popularised the sending of printed Christmas cards. Prang was a Bavarian-born lithographer who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1850s and established a successful printing business. He invented a way of reproducing color oil paintings, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a card with the message "Merry Christmas" as a way of showing it off. He went on to produce a series of popular Christmas cards. By 1881 he was printing more than five million cards annually.

The first charity Christmas card was produced by UNICEF in 1949. The picture chosen for the card was painted not by a professional artist but by a seven year old girl called Jitka Samkova of Rudolfo, a small town in what was then Czechoslovakia. The town received assistance from UNICEF after the Second World War, inspiring Jitka to paint some children dancing around a maypole. She said her picture represented "joy going round and round".

Nowadays most people buy their cards from Hallmark etc., they are sent before Christmas Day and people use them to decorate their houses. It can be an expensive affair though, some families send and receive well over 100 cards. But what could be nicer than a mantle piece decorated with beautiful cards bearing good wishes from friends and relatives.

Like many of our Christmas customs, gift giving has its historical origin in an ancient pre-Christian tradition. During the ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia, the harvest festival, small candles and clay figures were given. At Calens, the Roman new-year, more elaborate gifts were exchanged. The Romans believed that sweet gifts would ensure a good year, so fruits, honey, and cakes were popular gifts. Evergreen branches, were given as symbols of continuous health and strength. Wealthy Romans gave each other gold coins for good luck. Everyone gave gifts, children gave to their teachers, slaves gave to their masters, and the people gave to their emperor. Even though the three kings and others gave presents to the baby Jesus, gift giving did not become an established part of the Christmas celebration until several centuries after the birth of Christ.

Because the early Christians did not want their religion to be associated with pagan festivals, they shunned gift giving as a pagan practice. It was in the middle ages that gift giving began to be part of the Christmas tradition. The kings of England, like the emperors of Rome, demanded gifts from their subjects. The common people also exchanged gifts, but only among the wealthy were elaborate gifts given. The poor exchanged trinkets and entertained each other with songs and parties and plays.

Nowadays, the knitted pattern jumper is considered to be the worst present you could find under the tree, followed by a dustpan and brush and the dreaded socks.

Christmas Crackers have been a part of the traditional British Christmas since1847, when almost by accident, Tom Smith invented the cracker. They are used to decorate the table at dinner.

In it's simple form 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' produced by a narrow strip of chemically impregnated paper. Inside the cracker there is usually a tissue paper hat, a balloon, a slip of paper with a very corny joke on it (for example: "What does Santa call his blind reindeer?" "No-eye-deer!" / "Where do fish wash?" "In the river basin!" / "What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo?" "A wooly jumper!" /" What lies in a pram and wobbles?" "A jelly baby!" ) and a small gift (usually a little cheap plastic thing e.g. a plastic ring or nail clippers).

The family will pull each other's crackers before the meal starts, this often involves crossing arms and pulling two crackers at once. The person who gets the "big end" keeps the plastic trinket. The paper hats are donned, and the jokes read out, accompanied by moans and groans at how awful they are. Then, and only then, can the meal begin.

Christmas trees are an integral part of the Christmas decorations in most British households. Although it was always traditional to bring evergreens into the house the Christmas tree is another tradition borrowed from Germany, where it is said that German Martin Luther was the first person to decorate a tree with candles and bring it indoors to show his children what stars looked like at night in the forest. It didn't become popular in Britain until the nineteenth century, when Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert introduced the custom from Germany.

Nowadays in the UK you will find a variety of trees, from real trees with roots that can be replanted after the festivities, to felled trees that get recycled, to plastic imitations that get unpacked every year. No one seems to be able to agree which is the most environmentally friendly option. The tree will be decorated with lights (candles are a rarity due to the risk of fire), tinsel, baubles, chocolate figures and coins, and the obligatory angel / fairy on the top.

There's a lovely joke about how the fairy ended up on the top of the Christmas tree here.

Mistletoe was considered sacred by the people of ancient Britain. The Druid priests used it in their sacrifices to the gods.It was believed to have magical properties. People who met under a tree bearing mistletoe were forbidden to fight, even if they were enemies, and anyone who entered a home decorated with mistletoe was entitled to shelter and protection. Mistletoe may even have been part of Druidic wedding ceremonies. The Celtic people believed it had miraculous healing powers. In fact the name for mistletoe in the Celtic languages is all heal. mistletoe could cure diseases, render poisons harmless, make humans and animals fertile, protect the house from ghosts and bring good luck.

In eighteenth century England mistletoe was credited, not with healing power, but with a different kind of magic. It was the magic element in the kissing ball, a special decoration used at Christmas parties. The kissing ball had a round frame that was trimmed with evergreens, ribbons and ornaments. Tiny nativity figures were placed inside it. For the finishing touch, a sprig of mistletoe was tied to the bottom of the ball. It was then hung from the ceiling, and party goers would play kissing games underneath it. A kiss under the mistletoe could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and good will.

The mistletoe's kissing tradition, according to one account, comes from the Norse myths. Friga, one of the gods, gave her son, Balda, a charm of mistletoe to protect him from the elements, but because mistletoe grows neither from the water or the earth, nor from fire nor air, it grows on trees, it held the power to harm Balda. One of the other god's arrows made of mistletoe struck Bolda down, and his mother cried tears of white berries. She brought her son back to life, and vowed to kiss anyone who rested beneath the plant. Thus the kissing tradition began.

There is a limit to how much you can kiss under one sprig of mistletoe though. For each kiss a berry must be removed and once all the berries are gone - no more kissing!

Holly, with its dark green spiky leaves and red berries, was also believed to have magical powers and the ability to drive demons away. In Germany holly was considered to be a good luck charm against the hostile forces of nature.

In old England, unmarried women were supposed to tie a sprig of holly to their beds, to guard them against ghosts and devils. the In medieval times, when people were genuinely afraid of ghosts and demons, supernatural creatures were believed to be especially active at Christmas time.

For the Northern Europeans, Christmas came in the middle of winter, when the nights were very long, dark and cold. The voices of Ghosts and demons, witches, goblins and werewolves could be heard screaming out in the winter winds and storms. So the magical powers of mistletoe and holly were taken quite seriously. In Roman times ivy was the ancient symbol of Bakus, the god of wine and revelry. Due to its association with pagan festivals, for a long time, ivy was banned from the inside of Christian homes, and used only to decorate the outside. Not so any more. Its green has become part of the traditional Christmas.

Along with a tree, and bits of tree, holly, ivy and misteltoe, a lot of other materials are used to decorate the house at Christmas. Some people don't even stop inside the house and the most amazing displays of lights and various inflatables decorate their front gardens. Wonder round urban areas of the UK you can spot the houses that have entered into the "competitive" spirit of seeing who can cram the most stuff into the smallest space.

Inside the house you will typically find garlands, fake snow, nativity sets, candles, window decorations, and row upon row of Christmas cards. The table will be set (probably the only time in the year when the whole family sits down together to eat) with the best table cloth, glasses, crockery and cutlery.

Pantomime or "panto" is traditionally performed at Christmas, with family audiences consisting mainly of children and parents. British pantomime is now a popular form of theatre, incorporating song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, in-jokes, audience participation, and mild sexual innuendo. There are a number of traditional story-lines, and there is also a fairly well-defined set of performance conventions. Many theatres in cities and provincial towns throughout the United Kingdom continue to have an annual pantomime and it is very popular with Amateur Dramatics societies. The Pantomime season lasts from around December to February. You should be able to see pantomime productions in many village halls and similar venues across the country.

There are a few conventions, which can be a bit "surprising" if you're new to panto.

* The leading male juvenile character (the "principal boy") is traditionally played by a young woman, usually in tight-fitting male garments (such as breeches) that make her female charms evident.
* An older woman (the pantomime dame - often the hero's mother) is usually played by a man in drag.
* Risqué double entendre, often wringing innuendo out of perfectly innocent phrases. This is, in theory, over the heads of the children in the audience, but titillating to the adults.
* Audience participation, including calls of "look behind you!" (or "he's behind you!"), and "Oh, yes it is!" or "Oh, no it isn't!" The audience is always encouraged to "Boo" the villain, cheer the hero, and "Awwwww" any poor victims, such as the rejected dame, who usually fancies the prince.
* Sing-a-long, usually a song that combes a well-known tune with re-written lyrics is sung. The audience is encouraged to sing the song; often one half of the audience is challenged to sing "their" chorus louder than the other half.
* The animal, played by an actor in "animal skin" or animal costume. It is often a pantomime horse or cow, played by two actors in a single costume, one as the head and front legs, the other as the body and back legs.
* The good fairy always enters from stage right and the evil villain enters from stage left. In the past the right side of the stage symbolized Heaven and the left side symbolized Hell.
* The members of the cast throw sweets to the children in the audience (although nowadays this is often not done due to health and safety restrictions).
* Sometimes the story villain will squirt members of the audience with water guns or pretend to throw a bucket of "water" at the audience that is actually full of confetti or streamers
* A slapstick comedy routine is often performed, often a decorating or baking scene, with humour based around throwing messy substances and custard pies in the face.

The Nativity Play

A Nativity play is a play, usually performed at Christmas, which recounts the story of the Nativity (birth) of Jesus.

Many primary schools and Sunday schools in the UK put on a Nativity play. Schoolchildren in costume act as the human and angel characters, and often as the animals and props. The infant Jesus is sometimes represented by a doll, but sometimes played by a real baby. Every year parents of young children dread the note from the school to say what role their child will play. Why do the dread it? Because they have to make the costume, and it's a very competitive thing. Parents are judged on the quality of the costume, children are judged on the role they get to play and how many lines they get to speak. If you're interested I got to play the star - not one line.

In the UK, increasing secularism and sensitivity in multicultural areas has led many schools to end the performance of Nativity plays, or significantly alter their content, causing others to complain about excessive political correctness. In 2014, there were reports of drunken spacemen, Elvis Presley, footballers, aliens, punk fairies, and a lobster (that must be a posh school) all making an appearance.

Another controversial topic is taking photographs or filming the play. Some schools have banned this because of fears of inappropriate use of the images. However, some canny schools then sell DVDs of the play.

The Nativity Scene

A nativity scene, or crèche, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Sometimes the scene is a static, three dimensional scene, but there are so called "living nativity scenes" in which real humans and animals participate.

A typical nativity scene consists of figures representing the infant Jesus, his mother Mary, and Mary's husband, Joseph. Some nativity scenes include other characters from the Biblical story such as the shepherds, the Magi, and angels. The figures are usually displayed in a stable, cave, or other structure.

Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene in 1223 (a "living" one) intending thereby to cultivate the worship of Christ. The scene's popularity inspired communities throughout Christendom to stage similar pantomimes and eventually to create elaborate and ever more elaborate static exhibitions with wax, wooden and even ivory and precious metal figurines garbed in rich fabrics set against intricate landscapes.

The Wishbone

Chickens and turkeys contain a y-shaped bone known as the furcula (be careful how you pronounce that one), more commonly it is referred to as the wishbone. Traditionally this is removed from the carcass of the roasted bird, and dried out. It is then given to two people (usually children), who have to hook their little finger round an end each and pull it apart until it breaks, whilst making a wish. The person who gets the "bigger half" of the wishbone will have his or her wish "come true." Of course, in the great tradition of making wishes, you mustn't tell anyone what you wished for, or it won't come true.

Don't worry if you are a vegetarian. If Santa brings you a 3d printer, you can print one out: 3d printed wishbone
We have a recipe for Christmas Pudding here You can find Lynne's recipe for mincepies and mincemeat here.
Don't worry if it doesn't snow in your country. Here you can build your own on-line snowman!

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Christmas in the UK, British culture, customs and traditions in December - Christmas Celebrations

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Christmas - British Culture British Customs and Traditions in December, Christmas Celebrations in the UK

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Christmas is a highly personal and nostalgic holiday. In the United Kingdom, UK Christmas traditions are stuck to with such adamancy, we still insist on our parents filling up stockings to lay at the end of our beds. We may be in our late twenties, but we'll still leave cookies and carrots out for Father Christmas and his badass pack of reindeer, who work their antlers off all year round to distribute our presents on time.

We also find it unacceptable when our parents forget to eat up those snacks. Does the magic of Christmas mean nothing to them?! I'm getting stressed just thinking about it. Anyway, here are a few UK Christmas traditions that other countries might find really confusing.

Illustration by Mouni Feddag, courtesy of the Bright Agency.

The Strangest (And Most Iconic) UK Christmas Traditions

1. The Queen's Speech

This Christmas tradition started in 1932 when King George V, our current Queen's grandfather, made a speech over radio broadcast written by Rudyard Kipling himself. Originally meant to boost morale during difficult times, such as World War II, the speech has developed into an annual reflection, a royal summary of the year from the most British perspective out there.

The Queen's 10-minute speech takes place at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day and is a moment for families to come together. There's nothing more comforting than seeing the head of state dressed in a pastel-colored suit and pearl earrings reflecting on the victories and losses of the year. Its official name is "Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech," but Britain shortens it to The Queen's Speech, and I'm sure she doesn't mind.

2. Adverts For The Big Supermarkets

The UK is obsessed with Christmas adverts (that's ads or advertisements for the uninitiated). It all started with John Lewis in 2011. The British department store hired advertising agency Adam & Eve to make a Christmas advert so heart-wrenching there wasn't a dry eye left in the country. It was all anyone could talk about that year.

In 2012, everyone waited with bated breath for the next ad - how could they possibly top their previous creation? Incredibly, t he 2012 ad was even more eye-wateringly cute . Since then, the John Lewis advert has become a British Christmas tradition, and their competitors have since joined in. The result is a kind of branded Christmas advert battle, with the likes of Sainsbury's, Tesco and Marks & Spencers battling out to win over the hearts of the nation.

Although Sainsbury's very nearly won me over last year , John Lewis has once again stolen the show. They pulled out the big guns in 2018 and got Elton John himself involved . And the message they've sent is strong: Get your kid a musical instrument from John Lewis for Christmas, and they'll become a global superstar.

3. Christmas Eve: The Biggest Drinking Night Of The Year

Something special happens in the UK on Christmas Eve, and it doesn't involve Father Christmas or his pack of reindeer. Christmas Eve is the night of hometown reunions. It's the one night of the year when everybody returns to their provincial towns to spend the festive season with their families. As a result, everyone flocks back to the local pub they frequented at school.

It's an exciting time! You can square up your old classmates or ex-boyfriends and take a mental note of who's bought a house, who's had kids, who's moved away, etc. It's a night where you are totally free to pass judgement and not get the guilts because you know everyone is doing it to you, too.

Everyone tends to drink a lot more than they should. Desperate to show how much money they now earn, drinks and shots are bought by the bucket-load, and everyone tends to get utterly obliterated. The unofficial British tradition of getting excessively inebriated makes Christmas Day a bit more of a headache, but the food helps, and by the time the Queen's Speech comes on, everyone feels fine again.

4. Pantomimes: Kitschy, Family-Friendly Plays

A pantomime (or a "panto") is a play designed for families with young children and is a British tradition performed and enjoyed during the Christmas period only. The humor is slapstick, and the storyline is often a parody of Peter Pan, Aladdin or The Wizard of Oz.

There are certain tropes in pantomimes that make them unique. For example, there's often a villain who will sneak up on the protagonist intermittently throughout the play. It's the duty of the audience to scream "He's behind you!" As a child, I always found it baffling how stone-deaf the protagonist seemed to be.

The most alarming part of pantomimes in my childhood memories was being put on the spot by the drag queen MC. This character would come on stage and pick out three or four children from the audience to join her. The children would come on stage and the MC would ask a couple of questions, then hand them a goodie bag of chocolates and novelty gifts.

Once when I was three, the MC pointed me out and tried to goad me onto the stage. I was absolutely terrified. "Go on Ali!" my mum hissed. I point-blank refused out of sheer terror, and can vaguely remember a spotlight shining on my tiny head and the audience laughing at my fear. I never went back to a pantomime again.

5. Christmas Food

There's nothing more traditional about UK Christmas traditions than Christmas food. There's pigs in blankets, for example, which are tiny sausages wrapped in bacon and baked. Or Yorkshire puddings, which consist of pancake batter shaped into small bowls to make the perfect vessel to pour in copious amounts of gravy. Someone somewhere decided Brussels sprouts are the ideal vegetable to go alongside it all, which I disagree with, but I eat them anyway.

Mince pies are consumed for the duration of the festive period, and they're made up of spiced fruit and encased in sugared pastry. After Christmas dinner, someone gets out the Christmas pudding - a boiled fruit cake doused in brandy. The tradition is to set fire to the brandy to heat it up, which can be quite alarming.

We drink Buck's Fizz in the morning, a bottled alcoholic beverage made up of orange juice and sparkling wine, and we pull Christmas crackers at the table throughout the duration of the meal. When these crackers bang open, out falls a party hat, a small gift and a joke to read out to the table. The jokes, in particular, are always absolutely terrible. For example: "Why did Santa's helper go to the doctor? Because he had low elf esteem!"
This article was originally published on November 13, 2020, but it has since been updated.

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5 Iconic British Christmas Traditions To Look Forward To

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Christmas is a highly personal and nostalgic holiday. In the United Kingdom, UK Christmas traditions are stuck to with such adamancy, we still insist on our parents filling up stockings to lay at the end of our beds.

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Although Christmas is celebrated all over the world, each country treats the festival differently with different customs and traditions. If it's your first time in the UK over the festive period, then get prepared for the big day with our guide to British Christmas time.

10 Weird British Christmas Traditions

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a public holiday the day directly after Christmas. And, although there's a lot of different theories about the origins of Boxing Day, it is generally thought that the day was created as a holiday for the tradesmen to receive a 'boxing,' or gift, the day after Christmas. Nowadays, many Brits use their day off on Boxing Day to travel and visit their relatives.

Putting a silver coin in the Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is a type of fruit pudding that is served in the UK during Christmas dinner . The pudding was first eaten in the UK back in the 14th century and is normally made with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. An interesting Christmas tradition in the UK involves placing a silver coin in the pudding that is said to bring luck to the person who finds it.

This tradition is thought to have originated in the court of King Edward II where a bean or dried pea would be placed inside the pudding and whoever got a slice with it in would be crowned King or Queen for the day.

Eating turkey on Christmas Day

Although turkeys are not native to the British Isles (they were first brought to Britain in the 16th Century), people in the UK began to eat turkey during Christmas dinner as farmers would be in need of their cattle for milk and would often be saving their chickens to lay eggs. Before this, British people would often eat geese, boar and even peacocks.

Giving presents on the 25th of December

While giving presents is a normal part of Christmas celebrations around the world, very few countries actually give and receive gifts on the 25th December. In many other European countries it is custom to give gifts on the 24th and in Spanish speaking countries it is often custom to give presents after Christmas. The United Kingdom is one of the few countries where gifts are opened on Christmas Day itself.

Pulling Christmas crackers

If you've ever been to a Christmas party, lunch or dinner in the UK, you've probably seen a Christmas cracker. These festive table decorations are pulled apart to reveal a small gift, a party hat and a riddle or a joke. When they are pulled they make a 'snap' or 'cracking' sound which is what gave them their name.

Crackers were first created in the mid 19th century by a sweet maker called Tom Smith who tried selling sweets around Christmas time with a small motto or riddle included in the packaging. Later, he decided to add the 'crackle' element after seeing logs crackle on a fire.

Eating mince pies

Eating mince pies (small pastries filled with currants and dried fruit combined with herbs and spices) is a popular tradition in the UK around Christmas time. Although the filling of the pie is described as 'mincemeat,' mince pies do not contain meat. Mince pies are such an important part of Christmas in the UK that on Christmas Eve children often leave them as a treat for Father Christmas along with a carrot for his reindeer.

Going to the pantomime
Image first published in Visit London. Credit: Alastair Muir. Courtesy of Helen Snell.
A Christmas pantomime, which is sometimes known as a 'panto,' is a musical comedy show that British families will often go and see over the Christmas period. 'Pantos' often borrow story lines from well-known fairy tales or fables and mix them with pop cultural references and drag and are the perfect activity to do over the British winter.

Watching the Queen's Speech

Ever since 1932, when King George V gave his first radio broadcast on the BBC's Empire Service, the Queen (or King)'s speech has been an important part of British Christmas culture. Nowadays, the Queen's Christmas message is watched on television by millions of British people every year.

Filling a shoebox with charitable donations

The tradition of filling shoeboxes with charitable donations began in 1990 when a man named Dave Cooke saw the suffering of Romanian orphans on the television and decided to help. He organised people in his hometown in Wales to donate money to the orphanages, meanwhile, children filled shoeboxes with toys and gifts for the children. The success of the initiative received a lot of media attention and filling shoeboxes with gifts for the less fortunate has become a regular occurrence at Christmas time throughout the UK.

Hanging out stockings on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, children around the UK hang stockings (a type of large sock) on their fireplaces so that Saint Nicholas (otherwise known as Santa Claus or Father Christmas) can fill their stockings with presents, fruit, candies or coins. In the Western tradition, it is believed that if children are badly behaved their stockings will be filled with a single lump of coal instead of presents.
We hope you enjoyed our list of British Christmas traditions, if you're interested in learning more about British culture then you can find out more about our English language courses in the UK. Other blogs similar to weird British Christmas traditions: Top 10 British Christmas Foods Traditional British Foods Foods you Have to Try in Scotland

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Christmas is celebrated all over the world with different customs and traditions. Find out about the weirdest British traditions in the BSC blog.

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The great British national holiday

About-Britain.com - a thematic guide to Britain

Christmas and New Year - a holiday for all

Christmas in Britain - when everyone takes a break

Britain doesn't have a national holiday - we have no Bastille Day, no Independence Day, no Founder's Day: instead we have Christmas.
Christmas in Britain, and most particularly in England, is the biggest party season of the year. Christmas Day itself, the start of the great holiday period, is the one day in the year on which the head of state - the Queen - speaks to the nation. Christmas Day is the high point of a festive period that lasts at least two days, but depending on the calendar, can become a holiday period of up to nine days, and one which people have been getting ready for for up to two months.

Holidays

The essential Christmas holiday in England can be up to four days off in a row. Not only is Christmas Day, December 25th, a public holiday, but so is the day after Christmas, December 26th, known as Boxing Day. In addition, according to a now-established tradition, if one or both of these holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, Britons enjoy one or two extra days of public holidays on the Monday and possibly on the Tuesday that follow. In 2021, December 25th being a Saturday, most activity in Britain except shopping will close down from some time on Friday December 24th to Tuesday 28th inclusive. Some firms let their employees off as from the evening of December 23rd, and until the morning of January 2nd. As for public transport, services are considerably reduced during the two days of 25 and 26 December.

Christmas - New Year Sales

Among the major activities of modern Christmas in Britain, the Winter sales are particularly important. In Britain, people do not need to wait until January, the winter sales begin in England on 26th or 27th December, if not before, because stores are free to have Sales as and when they want ..... and notably to organise them when the people are still on holiday, not after the holiday period ends.

Christmas decorations on sale in a large department store

Throughout the Christmas and New year period, stores are always full - to the point that gift-vouchers have become a popular form of Christmas present, allowing the recipient to buy the gift they really want, and make the most of the bargains that are to be had in the Christmas - New Year sales period.

A traditional English Christmas

Even if many traditions keep changing, the English Christmas is still defined in terms of great traditions that date back to the nineteenth century or before. These include Christmas cards , Christmas carols , decorations and the Christmas tree, gifts and Christmas dinner - which is often really Christmas lunch.

A traditional English Christmas-day menu

Lunch or dinner:
Starters : optional, and depending on the cook's preference.
Main course: Roast turkey, filled with a sage and onion stuffing, and served with bread sauce, gravy, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts and possibly a second vegetable.
Dessert: Christmas pudding, served with brandy-butter or custard
The meal is accompanied by red wine, cider or beer, according to taste.

Christmas tea:
Christmas tea is a snack taken around 5 pm by those who have not already eaten too much at lunch time. Tea is served with the traditional Christmas cake (a fruit cake covered in icing), or with mince pies (small pies filled with preserved fruit).

Even if shopping is now a more important part of Christmas for most people than remembering the nativity of Christ, the origins of Christmas as a Christian festival are not forgotten. In many public and private schools, especially at primary level, the "nativity play", a theatrical staging of the birth of Christ, remains an important event in the calendar; and according to a recent ORB survey, over a third of the UK population attends a Christmas Mass or a carol service during the Christmas period - far more than the 3% or 4% of the population that are regular church-goers .

Christmas cards

The tradition dates back to the early 19th century, and developed with the growth of the national postal service. From September onwards, cards come on sale in newsagents and department stores; they are usually available in packs of 10, and are increasingly sold on behalf of charities such as the Red Cross, Greenpeace, Oxfam or associations for the protection of wildlife and the environment.
While the growth of social media and email has led to a decline in the number of cards purchased, the British remain world leaders for sending cards (31 cards sent per person per year in 2011, according to the Greetings Cards Manufacturers Association), and Christmas is the greatest opportunity for sending cards. Many people send and receive fifty or even a hundred cards each Christmas, and these cards are used as part of the Christmas decorations.
All major charities now sell Christmas cards, and these can be bought online (and delivered internationally) from an Internet site called Cards for Charity. The Charities produce beautiful cards, with a large choice and great prices, eg a set of 10 beautiful cards + envelopes for less than £5.

Christmas carols

Carol singers singing in the street

The British love singing, and singing is part of English life, whether at school, with friends, or in church. As in the US, many well-known singers began their musical life as part of a school or church choir; and even at a time when few Brits go to church, 68% of the population say they are Christian (according to the 2011 census) and Christmas carols are familiar to almost everyone, Christian or not. A tradition that continues, especially in the country, is that of Carol-singing, when groups of young or not so young stand in the street, or go from door to door, singing carols and collecting for a charity .
There are also carol-singers in many major shopping streets and malls in the days before Christmas. Away from the street, almost all churches organize some form of Carol Service, which attracts many more than just regular worshipers. The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge University, is one of the great musical events of the year for BBC television.

Christmas trees

The tradition of the Christmas trees is an ancient tradition that goes back a long way in time. It probably originated in pagan rites to celebrate the survival of nature in winter. The modern tradition began in Germany, from where it spread throughout the Christian world, and in particular in Protestant countries, in the 18th and especially the 19th century. The tradition reached England in the 19th century, promoted by Prince Albert, the German husband Queen Victoria; it then spread quickly to the point at which decorated Christmas trees have now become the classic symbol of Christmas - even more so than Nativity scenes. For most Britons, Christmas would not be Christmas without the presence in the house of a tree (real or artificial). Every city, every village, every neighborhood, every pub, every department store, and many small shops, too, has its beautifully decorated tree. In London, the huge Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square is given each year to the city by Norway, in a tradition that began in 1947.

Christmas day in England

According to tradition, Christmas in England is a family event. Many people get up early, because during the night Father Christmas (also known as Santa Claus) has left gifts for children. In Britain, Father Christmas comes into the house through the chimney and leaves his little gifts in big socks ("Christmas stockings") which children hang up on Christmas Eve, beside the fire, at the end of the bed or around the tree.
For those who respect the traditional ritual of Christmas Day, after breakfast comes a morning service at church, after which it's back home to eat Christmas dinner or Christmas lunch, which is eaten around 1 p.m. The two essential elements of Christmas lunch are stuffed turkey and Christmas pudding (see above). Christmas gifts are unwrapped either in the morning or after lunch. Formerly, in the 19th century, they were not opened until the following day, December 26, called Boxing Day - the day when the boxes were opened.
Today, while many of the essential traditions are still very much alive and well (Christmas stockings, turkey, pudding, gifts), Christmas church services attract fewer people, and new traditions have grown up, like watching a movie with family, going to friends, or going for a drive or a walk in the park or the country.

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Photo above : Christmas market in the city of Bath.

Traditional Christmas tree in London

The traditional Christmas pudding is
set alight with brandy before serving

Order your English Christmas Pudding online from the British Corner Store, for worldwide delivery

Website and page © Copyright About-Britain.com Except where otherwise indicated.

Photo Christmas Tree:
creative commons photo by Mattbuck.

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Christmas in Britain - holidays and traditions

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The great British national holiday About-Britain.com - a thematic guide to Britain Christmas in Britain - when everyone takes a break Britain doesn't have a national holiday - we have no Bastille Day, no Independence Day, no Founder's Day: instead we have Christmas.

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(Photo: Getty Images)

Are you feeling festive yet? If not, why not make some time for AMC's "Best Christmas Ever," a slate of 835 hours of holiday classic films and family favorites airing all day, every day through December 25.

Another way to get into the Christmas spirit is with some festive British traditions. Some won't be possible this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but all are certainly worth bookmarking for future holiday inspiration. Get a taste with our guide below!
1. Go to a Pantomime
A pantomime is a type of musical comedy show performed in U.K. theaters through the holiday season. They're aimed at a family crowd, but typically contain some salty double entendres for the adults in the house, plus slapstick humor, topical jokes, and moments of deliberately corny audience participation. In 2020 very few "pantos" - as they're called for short - will take place because of Covid-19, but in a regular year larger regional theaters can attract big-name guest stars such as John Barrowman, Dawn French, and even Pamela Anderson.

(Photo: Getty Images)
2. Sing Christmas Carols
A Christmas carol is simply a Christian festive song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. You don't need to be particularly religious to enjoy them, though, and in many British villages groups of "carol singers" will go from street to street delivering ditties in exchange for small charitable donations. It's just one way in which Brits like to spread a little festive cheer!
3. Eat Christmas Dinner
In the U.K., a lavish Christmas dinner served on December 25 is the most important family mealtime of the year. This year, due to social distancing restrictions, many folks won't be able to enjoy it with their loved ones as they normally would. Brits typically tuck into roast turkey or a nut roast with vegetables, stuffing, and pigs in blankets, followed by a portion of Christmas pudding with custard. Families who enjoy a bit of flamboyance will douse the pudding with brandy then set it alight before serving.

(Photo: Getty Images)
4. Drink Baileys Irish cream
Invented in 1971, this Irish liqueur is made from cream, cocoa, and whiskey. It's available all year round in the U.K. and Ireland, but it's especially associated with the festive season because it feels so rich and indulgent. Bottoms up!
5. Pull Christmas Crackers
Since being invented by London baker Tom Smith in 1847, Christmas crackers have become a U.K. holiday staple. They're basically a fun festive table decoration which Brits enjoy after eating the main course of their Christmas dinner. One person grabs one side of the cracker; a second grips the other; then they both pull firmly. As the cracker tears apart, it makes a loud snapping sound and a small gift falls out - perhaps a key ring or a bottle opener. Often crackers also contain a party hat and a joke so terrible that only your dad will laugh.

(Photo: Getty Images)
6. Watch Classic Sitcoms
Nearly every top-tier British sitcom has at least one "Christmas special" episode, and the best ones get repeated on the main networks every year. The most popular sitcoms will see their new Christmas specials scheduled for Christmas Day - just as Gavin & Stacey did last year. Viewing figures have historically been huge: the 1996 Only Fools and Horses Christmas special attracted a massive 24.35 million viewers, making it the U.K.'s fifth most watched program of all time.
7. Watch the Queen
A Christmas Day message from Queen Elizabeth II has been shown in the U.K. every year since she became monarch in 1952 - initially as a radio broadcast, then on TV from 1957 onward. Simulcast on BBC One and ITV at 3pm GMT, it lasts for around 10 minutes and will have been recorded by the Queen up to a fortnight earlier. She generally strikes an optimistic note, though this year's message will undoubtedly feature some reflections on the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic.

(Photo: Getty Images)
8. Nurse a Hangover
In a regular year, at least one family member tends to enjoy one too many festive tipples at the pub on Christmas Eve, then wakes up on Christmas Day feeling a touch delicate. Their punishment? Becoming the butt of the joke for the rest of the day.
9. Eat Mince Pies
These sweet pies are enjoyed as a teatime treat in the U.K. all through the holidays; you'll see them on British supermarket shelves from November onward. Though they're filled with something called "mincemeat," they don't contain any actual meat (and haven't since Victorian times), only a sticky mix of dried fruits and spices. They're often eaten cold but if you want to warm them up and drizzle with custard, no one will object.

(Photo: Getty Images)
10. Continue the Festivities on Boxing Day
In the U.K., December 26 is another public holiday known as Boxing Day. Most families keep things a little more low-key than on Christmas Day, which could mean anything from turkey omelettes for breakfast to taking a leisurely walk, and shopping online for post-Christmas bargains, to playing board games with the grandparents. The overall vibe is very much "you do you."
Do you have a favorite British festive tradition?

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10 British Christmas Traditions Including Some Delicious Festive Food | Anglophenia | BBC America

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(Photo: Getty Images) Are you feeling festive yet? If not, why not make some time for AMC's "Best Christmas Ever," a slate of 835 hours of holiday classic films and family favorites airing all day, every day through December 25. Another way to get into the Christmas spirit is with some festive British traditions.

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Have you got a good memory! Try and match these kitchen utensils with their pictures.

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Look at the pictures and find the right cooking verbs.

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Start studying KITCHEN UTENSILS. Learn vocabulary, terms and more with flashcards, games and other study tools.

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Happy Hallowe'en!

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halloween cards examples Search instead for halloween cards exmaples

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Halloween is a great time to be creepily creative! Whether you're helping your kids write a spooky story or looking for some inspiration while scrapbooking Halloween memories, we put together a list of spook-tacular Halloween quotes, sayings and riddles!
Halloween Quotes:
Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- William Shakespeare - "Macbeth"

Where there is no imagination
there is no horror
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven"

The blood is life.
- Bram Stoker "Dracula"

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"
- Dexter Kozen

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.
- Author Unknown
Halloween Sayings:

Eat, drink and be scary!

Ghostly Greetings!

Halloween is a real treat

Have a fang-tastic night

Happy Haunting!

Have a bootiful Halloween

Don't be a scaredy cat

I witch you a Happy Halloween

Stop in for a spell

Please park all brooms at the door

Caution! Witch Crossing

Boo to you from our crew

If you want a tasty sweet...

Be sure to holler trick or treat!

Halloween Jokes and Riddles:
What do you get when you divide the circumference
of your jack-o'-lantern by its diameter?
- Pumpkin Pi

Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Wanda Witch!
Wanda Witch who?
- Wanda Witch you a Happy Halloween!

What is a ghost's favorite dessert?
- Boo-berry pie with ice scream!

Why didn't the skeleton go to the Halloween party?
- Because he had no-body to go with!

Why do demons and ghouls always hang out together?
- Because demons are a ghoul's best friend.

Know why mummies never reveal their true age?
- 'Cause they like to keep it under wraps.

How can you tell if a vampire has a cold?
- Because of the coffin!

What do spiders do for fun on Halloween?
- Surf the web!

Know how Frankenstein likes his potatoes?
- Monster-mashed!

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Fun Halloween Quotes & Sayings - American Greetings Blog

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Halloween is a great time to be creepily creative! Whether you're helping your kids write a spooky story or looking for some inspiration while scrapbooking Halloween memories, we put together a list of spook-tacular Halloween quotes, sayings and riddles! Halloween Quotes: Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.

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