A Truly British Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….(Andy Williams style!)
Are you a fan of Christmas? What do you like about it? Is it the most wonderful time of year?
It can feel magical. There is something in the air. The children’s excitement…The lights and decorations everywhere, the crisp cold in the air, the fire on, blankets and hot chocolate…
As you know, we British are sticklers for tradition and Christmas is no exception. Today, I thought it would be the perfect time to tell you all about some of our typical, weird and wonderful British Christmas traditions.
Christmas Cards
In 1843 the first ever Christmas card was sent, despite being only for the wealthy over the years they really caught on. It was a way for people to wish others a happy Christmas. Nowadays, despite climate change and sustainability, you will still find British people sending Christmas cards of many different kinds, some funny, others with pictures of Father Christmas, drawings or perhaps more religious motifs. We even give Christmas cards to the people we live with and see every day. It’s not just for those you see on occasions.
Christmas Stockings
Stockings are traditionally be hung by the fireplace for Santa to leave presents in. As I am sure you know, Santa comes down the chimney so, it’s hard for him not to see the stockings. He certainly won’t forget to leave you any presents unless you have been naughty instead of nice!
Christmas Crackers
You will find these on all tables as a decoration before sitting down to eat at Christmas. They look like a large paper sweet.
They are to be pulled between two people. When the cracker snaps in half, it bangs. The person who gets the biggest half “wins” the goodies from inside. Crackers traditionally have a very silly joke to read inside, a paper crown (I’m sure you have seen people wearing these in British films), and depending on the quality of the cracker, you will get a ‘present’. The cheaper the cracker, the more tacky the present, generally a plastic game or something ridiculously useless! The more expensive it is, you may get some nail clippers, a comb, a keyring, or something small and useful.
Mistletoe
People hang mistletoe in the doorways. It is thought to ward off bad luck and… the tradition says that if two people find themselves under the mistletoe then they should kiss. If one person refuses to kiss then that person will have bad luck.
Mistletoe is actually extremely poisonous to humans so it’s probably best not to eat or touch it!
Fun fact (that is totally unromantic) - The word mistletoe comes from two Anglo Saxon words: Mistel - meaning - dung / poo and “tan” meaning twig or stick. So literally the word Mistletoe could translate as “poo on a stick”!
Christmas Jumpers
Over the last few years Christmas jumpers have become a thing. In the times of the first Bridget Jones film (early 2000s) Christmas jumpers were one of the worst gifts you could give someone. It was one of those gifts that people bought if they had absolutely no idea what to get the other person. They are now all the rage! Have you got one? Will you be wearing yours this year?
Boxing Day
This is celebrated on the 26th December. It is traditionally a bank holiday but nowadays most shops open because it’s when most of the sales start. It’s actually quite annoying because you buy someone a really lovely Christmas present and the next day, it is half the price.
Boxing Day is also a day for sporting events
The origin of Boxing Day is thought to have been because the Victorians would prepare, box up and wrap presents for their servants and poor people to take home and enjoy. Because the presents were put in boxes, it might mean that is where the day got its name from. It was also traditionally the day that the collection boxes from churches would be opened and the money used to help the poor people.
The Queen’s speech
(now the King’s Speech - that sounds ever so strange!)
I know this happens in other countries but it’s a tradition in many British households to have Christmas lunch and then sit down on the settee and watch the Queen’s Speech.
So, I hope that has given you a little insight into some of the typical things in Britain at Christmas. If you’d like to share something curious about the Christmas traditions in the country you live in, I would love to hear all about them.
Christmas Idioms
Christmas has come early!
We say this when someone gets a lovely surprise or good news that they did not expect at all.
All my Christmases have come at once
We say this when someone is experiencing a streak of good luck and nice things happening to them
Good things come in small packages
This means that you should not judge a present by size, lots of valuable presents are not often big.
Christmas Correction Clinic:
❌To present someone something
✅To give someone something as a present
She gave me a new phone for Christmas / for my birthday / as a present.
⛔️In Christmas
✅AT with festivals
It’s great to see family at Christmas
✅Chimney - Outside, on the roof - Father Christmas comes down the chimney.
✅Fireplace - the decorative part of the fire inside the house - I leave my stocking next to the fireplace.
Pronunciation:
Wrap /ræp/ not “Grap”- I wrap presents
Santa Claus /ˈsæn.tə ˌklɔːz/
Mistletoe /ˈmɪs.əl.təʊ/
That’s all for this week folks! Thanks so much for reading and listening. I hope you enjoyed this week’s Woodside Weekly. If you did, please like and share with friends and family. Your support means a lot!
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