Christmas
2006-12-10

The most important festival of the year is Christmas. Traditionally, at this time of the year houses are brightly decorated with paper chains, ivy, holly, mistletoe and Christmas trees.

On Christmas Eve (24th December), children hang stockings over the fireplace or at the end of the bed and wait for Father Christmas (or Santa Claus as he is often called) to come and fill them with presents while they are sleeping.

Almost every town in Britain has a Christmas tree; in London, in Trafalgar Square, a very big Christmas tree is decorated every year. It is a present from Norway and Londoners meet there to wish each other “Merry Christmas”.

On Christmas Eve Children and adults go from house to house singing carols. The children receive sweets and the adults a drink.

The traditional Christmas dinner includes roast turkey and Christmas pudding, a rich cake full of sultanas and nuts.

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day, a name which comes from the tradition of giving Christmas boxes to the postman, milkman, etc. It is a national holiday, too.

(in Sam and Jack, our American and British friends)
Prof. Fátima Curto