UK Christmas message. Mistletoe branch and other vegetation. Christmas gifts and greeting cards
Christmas in the UK is celebrated on December 25th. It is celebrated in the circle of the closest people.
The spirit of British Christmas can be fully felt in London. On the eve of the holiday near the main Christmas tree of the country on Trafalgar Square charity organisations arrange performances for adults and children about the birth and life of Jesus Christ. Music groups and choirs sing Christmas carols (" christmas carols"). Leicester Square hosts the main fair of the country, where you can buy souvenirs, gifts, decorations and enjoy holiday sweets.
Traditions and rituals
The pre-Christmas period in the country opens with Advent, which begins four weeks before the holiday. On the Sundays of Advent, parishioners attend church services devoted to gospel readings.
On Christmas Eve (December 24), people in the UK go to church, and in the evening they gather for festive table among close relatives.
In ancient times, the British had a tradition of making and burning Christmas logs. They believed that such a rite helped to leave all the hardships and problems in the old year. The tradition has changed. Now, instead of logs, the British light thick Christmas candles.
On December 25, the British devote to rest, communication with loved ones. At Christmas, they await the Queen's address, which is broadcast on national TV channels.
Christmas decorations
The spirit of Christmas begins to be felt in the UK at the beginning of November. Residents of the United Kingdom set up Christmas trees in their homes, which are decorated with toys, balls, tinsel, garlands. The main attributes are a Christmas star and an angel. On Christmas trees you can often see sweets, tangerines, sweets. On the door the British hang a wreath of coniferous branches, which is decorated with ribbons, berries, nuts. Mistresses of some villages give Special attention decoration of Christmas candles, which they make from colored paper, foil, gold and silver threads.
The people of the UK follow old tradition and decorate the dwellings with evergreen sprigs of holly, ivy, mistletoe. They hang them at the front door. The British believe that this decoration will protect their home from evil spirits. Young couples kiss under a sprig of mistletoe. They believe that such a ritual will bring strong relationships and mutual understanding. From Mexico came the tradition of decorating the house with a flower of poinsettia. The red bracts of this plant symbolize the Star of Bethlehem.
Christmas trees and decorations of biblical scenes of the birth and life of Jesus Christ are set up in the squares of the cities.
There is a saying among the British that jewelry should be removed on the 12th day after Christmas, otherwise the year will be unlucky.
Festive table
British housewives believe in a sign that what the table will be at Christmas, it will be the whole next year. The main dish of the festive table is baked stuffed turkey or goose. In some parts of Scotland and Ireland, this role is played by roast goat or beef, which is popularly called the Christmas goat or Christmas bull.
The custom of baking traditional bread, which is a round cake decorated with patterns in the form of crosses, has been preserved. Some hostesses arrange comic fortune-telling baking a bean seed, a ringlet, a coin, a button in Christmas bread. At a festive dinner, it is solemnly cut and divided among family members. Bob portends happiness, a button - failure, a coin - wealth, a ring - a wedding. One piece of bread is left for the poor and taken to church the next day.
Also on the table are traditional dishes English cuisine: baked potatoes with bacon, roasted chestnuts, braised Brussels sprouts with parsnips.
A popular Christmas dessert is plum pudding (plum porridge). Each housewife has her own recipe for making a festive pudding. The most common is oatmeal, boiled in meat broth, with the addition of bread crumbs, raisins, prunes, honey and almonds. Before serving, the pudding is doused with yogurt or rum and then set on fire.
Present
Christmas cards are popular in the UK. The people of the country send them to in large numbers family, friends, acquaintances.
Traditionally, gifts are given to British adults by the youngest member of the family before the gala dinner.
Children receive gifts from Santa Claus. They write him letters with wishes and burn him. So the messages must reach North Pole. Santa Claus lowers gifts into socks, which children hang in front of their beds on the eve of the holiday. In gratitude, girls and boys leave a glass of brandy and a piece of meat pie for their favorite character.
Little residents of the country begin to receive Christmas gifts from the first week of Advent. Parents prepare four envelopes for children in which they hide small gifts (sweets). Every week of Advent, they open one envelope.
history of the holiday
The history of the celebration of Christmas in the UK is rooted in antiquity. In the Middle Ages, a tradition arose to arrange theatrical performances - "mysteries". Participants of the mysteries put on masks and presented fragments of biblical scenes to the attention of the audience.
In the villages of Scotland, people gathered on the lawns, played games and had fun to the music of bagpipes.
In 1644, the Protestant Church banned the celebration of Christmas throughout the country. The religious traditions of the holiday have lost their role. The main celebration was New Year. At the end of the 17th century, Christmas traditions began to revive. By the 20th century, Christmas had become a purely family holiday.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree began in 1841 when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert installed coniferous beauty for their children at Windsor Castle. The British liked this tradition. It quickly spread throughout the United Kingdom.
Cities and resorts
In winter, London has a magical holiday atmosphere. Christmas markets and street performances attract the attention of citizens and tourists. Open-air skating rinks are being poured in the city, where adults and children can have an active and fun time. After Christmas, grandiose sales start in shopping centers that attract shoppers.
North Yorkshire will amaze you with the picturesque landscapes of the North York Moors National Park and the Yorkshire Valleys. Whitby Abbey and the city of York are famous for their ancient architecture and majestic Gothic cathedrals.
The main holiday in the UK is. This solemn day now no longer carries such a deep religious meaning, but the British respect traditions very much and most of the customs have been preserved from antiquity. But often, in the bustle of pre-holiday sales and the search for gifts, people forget about the meaning of Christmas, and acting out scenes from the Bible and even going to church become commonplace for them.
How do the British prepare for Christmas?
- Preparation for the holiday begins long before December 25th. Already in November, people choose gifts, discuss holiday menu send out postcards and prepare the house.
- In early December, a large Christmas tree is set up in the main square of London and lights are lit on it.
- Christmas sales start in all stores.
- All people decorate not only their house, but also the area around it. There are figurines of the Father of Christmas on the lawns, wreaths are hung on the doors, and lights are lit in the windows.
The British have very strong traditions for Christmas. For example, for many centuries people have been making decorated with candles. Children write notes to the Father of Christmas and throw them in the fireplace for the smoke to carry their wishes. And on the night before Christmas, they leave socks for gifts and treats for Santa Claus and his reindeer.
English Christmas is family celebration. On the eve, everyone tries to attend church and go to bed early. In the morning, gifts are opened and congratulations are accepted. And for dinner, the whole family gathers at the festive table.
What do the British cook for Christmas?
Traditionally, the main dish is a baked turkey. In addition, Christmas pudding is served, special crackers with greeting cards hidden inside, as well as baked potatoes, chestnuts and Brussels sprouts. After dinner, people listen to the congratulations of the Queen and play charades.
It is worth seeing once how the British celebrate Christmas, and you will all know about it, because in the UK they follow traditions and try to do everything as it has been customary for a long time.
If you have heard about England as a damp, overcast, rainy and dull place, then you should visit this state in the midst of the Christmas holidays. It becomes a real wonderland. The English are going from prim and practical to generous and cheerful, festive mood reigns in every home, and even the weather tries to play along with people - as a rule, on December 24 and 25, a slight frost keeps and fluffy snow flakes fly by. Celebrating Christmas in England is real fairy tale associated with interesting customs, traditions, history. This is what we'll talk about today.
A bit of history
Preparation for the celebration
How Christmas is celebrated in England, what are the traditions and symbols, we will consider below. To begin with, it should be said that the official preparation (Advent) begins a month before the main holiday. In this pre-Christmas post, you can hear from every resident the phrase: "Have a Happy Holiday Season", which literally translates as "Happy holiday season." Such a congratulation itself says that Christmas in England is not a matter of one or two days. For example, in many families so-called advent calendars are made in advance. The product consists of 24 "days", behind each there is a small door, and there is little rhyme, dedicated to the holiday. Every day you can open only the door that corresponds to current date. Such symbols of Christmas in England are very popular with kids - they are happy to count down to the brightest and most memorable holiday. During this period, houses are also decorated, other attributes are made for the upcoming event. However, let's talk about everything in order.
Candles
Many symbols of Christmas in England are not made and used on December 25, but during official preparations. The same applies to wreaths with candles. The product itself is made of juniper and 4 candles are inserted into it around the circumference - 3 purple and 1 pink. The very first of them is lit 4 weeks before the holiday. Each subsequent Sunday, one purple candle is lit in the houses - a symbol of the liturgical connotation of fasting. Pink is allowed to be activated only on the third Sunday. This is a symbol of the fact that the joyful coming of Christ into this world will soon take place. But on December 25, the wreath is “headed” by the fifth candle - white. What everyone has been waiting for so long has happened. As we can see, people are preparing for the holiday in advance, they are reverently waiting for a day like Christmas in England. The photos posted in our article will allow you to feel all that extraordinary atmosphere that reigns not only in every home, but also in the soul of every person.
ringing bells
Have you ever wondered why the doors of many houses are decorated with wreaths or bells? Christmas in England is impossible without this attribute. This tradition has been going on since pagan holidays winters. At that time, it was believed that when winter comes, the Sun and the Earth die, and instead of them, an evil spirit comes and tries to dominate. To drive him away, it was necessary to issue any loud sounds- shout, sing, just make noise. Many similar Christmas traditions in England are still strong today. That's just the ringing of bells today signify the birth of Christ. The custom is not only in England, but it is here that it symbolizes the greeting of Christ and the ringing for the dead devil.
Christmas without a tree
Christmas traditions in England have been around for many years. For example, the first Christmas tree was installed as a symbol of the holiday here back in the 30s of the 19th century. And this custom gained real popularity in 1841, when Prince Albert and Queen Victoria presented a luxurious Christmas tree as a gift to children. Today it is installed in almost every house, and the top is crowned silver star or fairy. Incidentally, there is a very interesting sign- Exactly 12 days after Christmas, all toys, garlands, decorations should be hidden until the next holidays, otherwise the year promises complete failure.
Mistletoe branch and other vegetation
The pictures will show you how beautiful these attributes look. Christmas in England is invariably associated with decorating the house with sprigs of holly, ivy, and so on. This symbolizes the will of man, his desire to hold on to the Almighty for strength and support. And sprigs of mistletoe are hung, as a rule, in doorways. There is a tradition according to which a man and a woman, having met under such vegetation, should kiss. In addition, the symbol has mystical properties. It is believed that such decorations drive out all evil spirits and bring happiness to the house.
Christmas log
It was used many years before the advent of the Christmas tree. Such a log was prepared a year before the holiday. In the forest, they chose a large tree, cut it down, removed the branches and left it to lie like that all year. At Christmas, only the head of the family had the right to bring a log cut from this tree into the house. Now he had to be treated very carefully and attentively. The log was watered with wine, honey, sprinkled with grain. Then they threw it into the hearth and set it on fire. The wood was supposed to burn for 12 nights and days. It was believed that the resulting ash had magical properties- protected from evil spirits, treated from diseases. She was worn in pouches around her neck, scattered around the territory of her house. Today in England such a log has been replaced by a thick candle. The more sparks the head of the family sees from her, the happier the year will be.
What is served to the table?
We continue to consider how Christmas is celebrated in England. Festive dinner in the family circle - this is the culmination of the whole celebration. To have a better idea of this moment, take a look at the pictures. Christmas in England is necessarily a rich table, because what it will be like will be the whole year. On this day, they serve a special Christmas bread baked according to unique recipes. It is decorated with greenery and ritual patterns. And when the product is cut into pieces, then not only all those present should taste the delicacy, but also the beggars, who are then given a good share of bread, and birds, and domestic animals. In such a product, a button, a ring, bean grains are baked, and then they guess. I got a ring in a piece - for marriage, a button - for poverty, beans - for success and happiness.
Christmas in England is a baked turkey with vegetables and pudding. Candied fruits, dried fruits are added to the latter, and before serving, all those present are poured with cognac or rum and set on fire. Still a spectacle! If you ever meet Christmas in England, be sure to save the photo to tell everyone later about such glorious and unusual traditions.
Stockings and Santa Claus
When Christianity was introduced, the tradition of presenting gifts on this day was associated with the offering of gifts to little Jesus by the magicians of the East. That is why presentations are prepared most often for children. And the kind and red-cheeked Santa Claus carries them to the kids - a grandfather with a white beard, in a red high hat and the same color coat. On Christmas Eve, children hang stockings or socks over the fireplace, and in return they always leave a pie, milk, cookies for the “Christmas grandfather”, and carrots for the reindeer from his team. Otherwise, no gifts can be seen!
Christingle and candy cane
Christingle is a traditional Christmas product not only in England, but throughout the UK. The name translates as "Light of Christ". To create such an attribute, they take an orange (that is, a round world), clean out the middle, put a candle there (it illuminates the path, as the love of the Lord does). Then the orange is decorated with a red ribbon (a symbol of blood) and 4 sticks are stuck into it, which “look” in all directions of the world.
Cane-shaped caramel is another symbol of Christmas. As a rule, it is a white sweet with a red stripe with a mint or cinnamon flavor. The caramel is made in the shape of the letter J (Jesus). All children receive such sweetness from their parents for the holidays.
Gifts and Boxing Day
As we have already said, Santa Claus brings gifts to the kids. But how does the child notify him of his desires? Christmas in England is also the traditional writing of letters that contain all the requests of the child. The letter is thrown into the fireplace and burned. It is believed that the smoke conveys all the words to the addressee. Gifts in England are given to all family members not randomly, but according to a pre-cast lot.
The British love not so much to receive presents as to give them. During such holidays, they forget about frugality and practicality, one might say, they even become wasteful. However, this only applies to relatives. On this occasion, special Christmas bank loans are provided in England, because not everyone has enough cash to make their dreams come true. loved one. This is how Christmas is celebrated in England - many nations can even envy it!
And December 26 is the second day of the celebration dedicated to St. Stephen. In England, a few days before the holiday, large boxes and donation boxes are placed in front of churches, and on Boxing Day they are opened and the contents are distributed to the poor and all those in need.
How is Christmas celebrated in England?
This holiday in present-day England is the most commercial event, thanks to which all sellers and directors shopping centers, supermarkets safely and without problems "eat" the whole next year. Since the end of September, residents have been “attacked” from all sides with catalogs, booklets with all kinds of discounts, promotions, and sales.
Advertising of goods and services does not disappear from TV screens, kilograms of corresponding coupons and flyers come by mail. However, the main thing is that behind all this commercial tinsel, most of the population still does not forget about the true origin of the holiday, its purpose.
On Christmas Eve great amount people goes to Trafalgar Square, where the most big tree England. Here are performances for children and adults, and songs, and dances, and pantomimes, and fairs.
Christmas sales
By this time, all stores begin to prepare from September-October. Buyers really expect the most significant discounts of the year. Showcases are gradually filled with souvenirs and holiday attributes - angels, deer, Christmas garlands and so on. However, do not forget that the real discounts will begin immediately after Christmas, when you no longer need to purchase anything in a crazy hurry, but you can take a good look at everything and ask the price, visit various outlets. If you decide to ever spend Christmas in this original country, you will never regret it. So many traditions and customs you have never seen!
However, always appreciate the traditions of your people, respect their history and customs!
Despite the fact that almost 60% of the UK population is not religious, Christmas here is the biggest and most beloved holiday, eclipsing New Year's Eve, birthdays and more. The British prepare for Christmas for many weeks. Since November, the streets have been slowly appearing holiday decorations, and from December 1, preparations are in full swing: Christmas music is playing everywhere, winter fairs open at every step, where they sell Christmas trees, postcards, tinsel, etc. Neighbors compete with each other, who has the best decorated facade of the house: they use electric garlands, shimmering figures of symbols of the holiday (deer, elves, angels), and wreaths of pine needles with various decorations are hung on the front doors.
(this is how my mother-in-law's house is decorated this year - in the center of the deer figure)
The holiday itself is celebrated for several days in a row:
- December 24th. In the evening - on Christmas Eve - the religious minority goes to church, while the rest get drunk in pubs.
- December 25th. Christmas is a family holiday with a dinner-guzzle.
- December 26th. Boxing day (literally translated as "day of boxes") - the day of the mezim of gifts.
Stir-up Sunday
5 Sundays before Christmas, the British begin the first preparations for the Christmas dinner. Since it consists of a hundred million dishes, it is simply impossible to cook everything in one day! Therefore, on the so-called "Mix Sunday" many begin to prepare Christmas pudding and Christmas cake. This is done so that they can then brew for several weeks and soak well with alcohol. Don't worry, they won't spoil in 5 weeks: they have so much brandy in them that they can be stored for years - I'm not kidding! The whole family usually participates in the preparation of these desserts: everyone must stir the dough and make a wish. I'll tell you more about the desserts themselves below.
advent
4 Sundays before Christmas, Advent begins - the church pre-Christmas period, "the time of joyful expectation." This year it was November 27th. Usually, the beginning of Advent is celebrated by presenting an advent calendar: it shows how many days are left until Christmas. By tradition, this cardboard house with 24 small windows containing small gifts - but now there are other versions of the calendar. Starting from December 1, every day you open the window and take out a gift. Gifts can be absolutely anything: sweets, small toys - or even bottles of beer of different brands! My husband, for example, dreams of this:
Christmas cards.
Despite the fact that now is the era of the Internet, in England at Christmas it is customary to send Christmas cards with congratulations ... by mail. They send them to everyone in the world: family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors, dentists - in general, everyone you know. The resulting postcards are usually not thrown away, but put on display - on a fireplace or windowsill. The bill goes to dozens and even hundreds of postcards every year - this is not a cheap pleasure, I tell you.
December 24 - Christmas Eve
Each family naturally has its own traditions, so I’ll tell you how the relatives of my English husband do it. On Christmas Eve, "Christmas stockings" are hung on the fireplace for all the children in the family. It's such bright boot made of felt, usually the name of the child is written on it. It is assumed that if the baby behaved well this year, then Santa Claus (here they call him Father Christmas or Santa Claus) will go down the chimney at night and fill the stocking with small toys and sweets. Well, if it's bad, then there will be a piece of coal. In gratitude to Santa, we leave him a glass of cognac and mince pies (tartlets with dried fruits), and for Santa's reindeer - milk and carrots. The main thing is not to forget to sip it all at night, otherwise the children will be upset that Santa did not come! :-)))
At Christmas, it is customary for us to give very, very many gifts. Especially for children. According to tradition, gifts are placed on Christmas Eve under the tree, but since we have a large family, they do not fit there and therefore occupy half the room: 
(each gift must be wrapped in gift paper or boxed)
December 25 - Christmas
Many of our friends give gifts right in the morning, but we usually wait until the evening. Therefore, the morning starts calmly: with the whole family we clean vegetables for dinner (there are already 9 types of them!), Watch Christmas movies, play Board games. Everyone usually sits down at the table early - around 2 pm, because lunch can drag on for half a day. Everyone must be dressed in Christmas sweaters - Christmas sweaters, and the more stupid you look, the better! Here are our sweaters: 
When setting the table, a Christmas cracker (Christmas cracker) is placed next to each plate - it looks like a giant cardboard candy. At the beginning of the dinner, each guest gives the opposite end of his cracker to the table neighbor and they are all simultaneously pulled until they burst with a loud bang, leaving the winner in the hands of most of the "candy" and its filling. The clapperboard contains a paper crown (which everyone puts on their heads), a small gift-trinket and a piece of paper with a joke that each guest must read out loud. Jokes are always absolutely unfunny and are built on a play on words, a la:
- Q: Who is Santa's favorite singer? Answer: Elf-is Presley.
(👏 😖) 
(this is me at the Christmas BBQ in Australia in 2010 - they also have such firecrackers)
After that, everyone proceeds to Christmas dinner
. Previously, the mother-in-law served several types of snacks at the beginning of the feast, but at some point we asked for mercy and decided to refuse them, because. and there is enough food. So lunch is...
- baked 6 kg turkeys,
- "pigs in a blanket"(sausages in bacon, in English pigs in blankets),
- Two types stuffing, these are bread "meatballs", which are usually stuffed with a turkey, but now they are served as a separate dish.
- Plus 9 types of vegetables: baked pieces of potatoes, parsnips, pumpkins; steamed broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, green pea, string beans.
- Yorkshire puddings- baked in a hot oven "muffins" from pancake dough.
- It's all watering two types of sauce - cheesy(similar to bechamel) and gravy(in our opinion, "gravy" - made from turkey juices left after baking). 
(in this photo, my family is tearing up Christmas crackers)
You simply have to put on your plate at least a crumb, but all the dishes, otherwise you can offend the hostess. And if you don’t die by the end of dinner, then here are five types of desserts that are served after the hot one:
Christmas pudding(Christmas pudding or just pud) is a dark and moist cupcake with dried fruits, nuts and beef kidney fat, yum.😂 Prepared sometimes 5 weeks before Christmas, and sometimes a year in advance - in a water bath for about 8 hours; and then infused in a dark place. Before serving, it needs to be steamed for another hour, garnished with a sprig of holly, sprinkled with cognac and set on fire. It is served flaming and eaten with brandy butter (a mixture of butter with sugar and brandy) and custard (custard). If you do not remember about kidney fat when you eat, then it is very tasty! 
christmas pie(Christmas cake) - a cupcake with dried fruits, nuts and alcohol. It is prepared 5 weeks before Christmas, and then infused in a dark place and brandy is watered every week. A week before Christmas, it should be covered with a layer of marzipan and a layer of sugar mastic - and decorated in a Christmas way. It is usually eaten with a piece of cheddar cheese. I have great recipe, if anyone needs - ask. 
(my creations from different years)
Trifle(Trifle) - consists of layers of alcohol-soaked biscuit, fruit jelly, custard and whipped cream. I'm not a fan, to be honest. 
Chocolate "log"(chocolate log) - chocolate biscuit roll with cream, sprinkled with chocolate. 
mince pies- in general, the word mince in English means minced meat, so the literal translation is pies with minced meat. This, I remind you, is a dessert! 😂 Initially, the filling of these pies (it is called mincemeat) contained both dried fruits and minced beef / lamb. Well, brandy - of course, where without alcohol in English desserts! But by the 20th century, the British changed their minds and now make this dessert without meat. They are prepared in a muffin mold, from shortcrust pastry and a spicy fruit and alcohol filling, with a bunch of spices. Delicious! 
By the way, if you are visiting an Englishman and they ask you if you want pudding, it means if you want dessert. They call all sweet dishes pudding.
After dinner, part of our family goes for a long walk with dogs through the English fields (most often in the rain), and the lazy people who remain at home wash the dishes. Then we open gifts, and the most persistent ones also have dinner in the evening - the remains of a turkey, as well as freshly cooked jacket potatoes (a la crumb potatoes), baked beef and boiled pork.
December 26 - Boxing day
There are many legends about the origin of the name of this holiday. Some say that on December 26, aristocrats gave boxed gifts to their servants - hence the name, Box Day. According to another version, on this day the rich handed out leftovers holiday dinner poor people (also in boxes). And someone even jokes that the holiday got its name because of the boxes with which gift recipients rush to the store in order to exchange a gift if they don’t like it. Now many people (including us) use this day to "divide" the holiday into 2 parts. Because, for example, some parents are offended when children do not celebrate Christmas with them. Therefore, many couples spend Christmas, say, with the wife's parents, and Boxing day - with the husband's parents. Or someone else who needs to visit. That is, many people eat this huge lunch two days in a row, in different versions!
These are the traditions. In the end, I want to add that for every gift that you received from someone, you then need to send a thank you card to those who gave Thank you card. Also by mail. Many children, when opening presents for Christmas, immediately write down who gave them what, so that later they will not forget to thank everyone.