Christmas Traditions

England

Christmas

Christmas is a time when people get together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. England enjoys Christmas music. They decorate Christmas Trees and hang up lights.

Christmas Time

The reason we have Christmas time isbecause we celebrate the birth of Jesusevery year.

This picture hereis Jesus when he was born on Christmas dayin a manger.

Christmas greetings around the world

• Philippines: Maligayang Pasko!• Welsh: Nadolig Llawen• Greek: Kala Christouyenna!• French: Joyeux Noel• England: Merry Christmas

December

The celebration of Christmas and Jesus’birth is in the month of December.Sometimes in towns and cities, if they

areLucky, they can have a white christmasbecause they might wake up onemorning with snow outside.

When it is near to Christmas, usually in December, people put Christmas trees and lovely, bright decorations outside and inside their houses.

Decorations

Different colours of trees

You can get different colour trees like brown, pink, green and blue etc.

Presents are put under the tree.

Today's Traditions

Today some people use fake trees. Some people also use real trees. People sometimes say they use a real Christmas tree because it smells of

Christmas! Christmas trees don’t always have to be

green.

History of a Christmas Tree The Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice with a

feast called Saturnalia in honour of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.

Centuries ago in Great Britain, wood priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious Winter Solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.

Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring.

Santa's snack!

On Christmas Eve people lay out a glass of milk and cookies or mince pies. They also leave some carrots and some water for the reindeer.

Father Christmas’ reindeers are called

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.

Rudolph is the special red nosed reindeer

Gifts

• On the 25th December every year every

child gets a gift.• Family and friends buy gifts and give

them to people who are special to them.

• Santa also gives a stocking full of presents and treats.

Christmas Day

On Christmas day in the morning all the people with presents under the Christmas tree open their presents. When it is lunch or dinner time people normally have a turkey for dinner but some people don’t.

Christmas dinner

• On Christmas day people will have a choice of turkey or chicken – it’s like a Sunday roast.

• They will also have pigs in blankets (sausages wrapped in bacon), sprouts, broccoli, potatoes, gravy, carrots and Yorkshire puddings.

Christmas drinks

Christmas is celebrated with rose wine, white wine and red wine.

For the children milk, non-alcoholic wine and pop or other fizzy drinks.

Christmas Pudding.At the end of the dinner, Christmas

pudding is set on fire then eaten up by the family.

Carol singers

• Carol singers are people who sing Christmas carols for people who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Here are a few carols: • Hark the Herald Angels Sing• Once In Royal David’s City • The Twelve Days of Christmas.

We Hope You Have A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

By England