Happy Christmas to all the Thinking in English listeners out there! In this Christmas special episode, I am going to introduce you to a traditional British Christmas. Hope you enjoy listening!
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Vocabulary
- Festive (adjective):Related to a celebration or festival.
- The town square was adorned with festive lights and decorations.
- Carols (noun):Festive songs, often associated with Christmas.
- Carol singers spent the evening singing at the local pub.
- Stockings (noun): Long socks traditionally hung by the fireplace for small gifts.
- The children eagerly hung their stockings by the fireplace, hoping to find surprises from Santa on Christmas morning.
- Boxing Day(noun): The day after Christmas in the UK.
- On Boxing Day, families gathered for leisurely activities and enjoyed the leftovers from Christmas dinner.
- Public holiday (noun): A day on which most businesses and schools are closed.
- As a public holiday, nothing is open on Christmas day.
- Advent (noun): The period of four weeks before Christmas.
- Most families in the UK will have chocolate advent calendars!
Merry Christmas!
This episode is being released on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. If you are listening on release day, I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world.
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, there is probably another holiday in your part of the world. The winter solstice, new year, Hanukkah, and more.
Have a wonderful time!
In honour of Christmas, I thought it would be nice to introduce you all to some of the traditions of a British Christmas.
Countries around the world all have their own unique traditions and ways of celebrating Christmas. From eating fried chicken in Japan, to drinking eggnog in the USA, or putting presents in shoes in parts of Europe, everyone celebrates differently.
And as a British person, who is spending Christmas in the UK with my family this year, I thought you might enjoy hearing about some British traditions!
I will talk about some of the most popular Christmas celebrations in the UK and also mention how my family does certain things. Of course, this is just my perspective of Christmas in the UK – lots of families will have very different traditions and ways of doing things!
Let’s start with the run up to Christmas!
The Lead-Up to Christmas in England
As December begins, the first Christmas tradition we like to follow in the UK is the advent calendar.
An advent calendar marks the days leading up to Christmas. Each calendar will have small, numbered doors which you are supposed to open on the corresponding date. For example, open door number 1 on the 1st of December,
Behind each door will be something. In the UK, the most popular and common type of advent calendar will have small pieces of chocolate behind the doors. As a child, it was one of the best parts of the day!
There are other forms of advent calendar too. When I was a child, my mum bought us one which had a different word for hello in 24 languages behind each door.
And this year, I bought a tea calendar which contains a different tea bag for each day in the lead up to Christmas.
More traditional than the advent calendar is lighting advent candles, but this is not something my family do.
Another part of the pre-Christmas period is carol singing. Again, this is something that I have never really participated in, but it is part of many peoples Christmas experience.
Carols are festive songs, usually related to Christmas, which tend to have messages of joy, happiness, and goodwill.
Some famous carols include Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and Deck the Halls. Some people go around the towns singing carols. In my hometown on Christmas Eve, many people will head to the local pubs for a drink and carollers will also make an appearance!
Another tradition is displaying Christmas decorations!
Streets across England transform with lights, trees, and decorations as Christmas approaches. The iconic Oxford Street in London, for example, is a famous example which draws crowds to witness its annual transformation into a winter wonderland.
And no British Christmas is complete without the presence of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Families often come together to carefully choose and adorn their trees with ornaments, baubles, and lights.
The tradition of the Christmas tree is deeply rooted in British history, dating back to the Victorian era, and it continues to symbolize the festive season’s joy and unity.
Christmas Day
I mentioned previously that on Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas, I usually head to the local pubs with my old friends for a couple of beers. This is not a universal tradition, but it something I have done since the age of 18 (apart from the Christmases I have spent overseas of course).
And, therefore, I tend to start my Christmas morning (at midnight) in the pub!
However, the more traditional way to start Christmas is with Midnight Mass – a church service with starts at midnight Christmas Eve. People will gather in churches to celebrate and remember the religious significance behind the holiday.
Before we sleep on Christmas Eve, many British families (especially those with young children) will leave an offering “for Santa Claus.” Santa has to deliver millions of presents around the world, so he definitely needs some refreshments.
In the USA, the stereotypical thing to leave out is milk and cookies. In Britain, we like to give Santa something a little stronger.
We will usually leave a glass of alcohol, like Sherry (a type of fortified wine), and pair it with a traditional Christmas pie called a mince pie! I’ll mention mince pies again a little later.
One of the most beloved Christmas traditions in England involves leaving stockings by the fireplace (or somewhere in the house). Children excitedly place their stockings, often personalized with their names, in the hopes of waking up to it being full of small gifts and treats.
In the morning, children wake up to see what has been left inside the stockings. From small toys to sweets, these gifts come before the larger gifts exchanged later in the day.
As a child, my brother and I would take our stockings (which had been made by my grandma) to my parents’ bedroom and open them together.
A little later, we will exchange the main gifts. Families come together to exchange carefully chosen presents, each wrapped with festive paper.
As a child, I would hope for one of the popular toys, or a video game, or a new book from my favourite author. As an adult, I am now hoping for books, socks, and something to eat or drink!
Most families will eat their Christmas dinner around lunchtime (more on this in a few moments) and then watch the annual speech by our country’s monarch. Until her death in 2022, this was the Queen’s Christmas Speech. Now it is the King’s Speech.
The annual address reflects on the events of the past year and conveys messages of hope and unity. This event has significant cultural importance, with a substantial portion of the population taking the time to watch or listen to it.
Christmas Dinner
My favourite part of Christmas is the Christmas dinner.
For centuries, roast birds have been enjoyed in England on Christmas day. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this was commonly a goose. Some rich people would even eat peacocks or swans.
However, from the 17th century the bird of choice became turkey. If you have ever read Charles Dickens famous novel A Christmas Carol, you will know that Ebenezer Scrooge sent Bob Cratchitt a large turkey!
So, our Christmas dinner will often consist of roast turkey. My family is not very large, so we will usually only buy a small bird or part of the turkey. Other popular choices for the Christmas meal include roast pork, beef, chicken, goose, or duck!
Accompanying the turkey are an array of side dishes.
Sage and onion stuffing, crisp and golden roast potatoes, honey-glazed parsnips, and vegetables including Brussels sprouts are common choices.
My favourite thing are pigs in blankets – in the UK this refers to small sausages wrapped in bacon and often roasted with a sweet glaze.
In addition, there are a few common sauces – gravy made from the Turkey, bread sauce, and redcurrant jelly.
For dessert, the most popular choices are Christmas pudding, mince pies, or trifle.
A Christmas pudding is an iconic dessert, with dried fruits, suet, and spices, and often includes brandy or rum which is set on fire. It has a dense texture and complex flavours.
Mince pies, with their sweet and spiced fruit filling encased in buttery pastry, also hold a special place in the hearts of Britons during the holiday season.
My grandfather always makes a trifle – a layered dess ert of custard, sponge cake, fruits, and whipped cream.
But, in all honesty, I prefer a non-traditional Christmas dessert like a cheesecake!
One of the most unique things about the Christmas dinner tradition in the UK are Christmas crackers. A Christmas cracker is basically a tube of paper which we pull with other members of our family. When it is pulled, it makes a popping sound and reveals the contents.
Usually, inside is a paper hat, a joke, and a small gift of some kind.
Boxing Day
After Christmas day, on the 26th of December, we celebrate Boxing Day in the UK.
The origins of the term “Boxing Day” are somewhat debated, but many believe it stems from the tradition of giving boxes of food, money, or other necessities to servants and those in need. This day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Boxing Day is synonymous with sports and outdoor activities in England. Football (soccer) matches, horse racing events, and even traditional fox hunting (in some areas) are integral parts of the Boxing Day experience.
Boxing Day is also a day for relaxation and unwinding. Families often gather for a more casual and laid-back day, enjoying leftover Christmas treats and perhaps partaking in board games or movie marathons. Some may use the day to visit friends or family they didn’t see on Christmas Day, extending the season of goodwill.
Boxing Day is also one of the most significant shopping events of the year. Many retailers offer substantial discounts, and in the past enthusiastic shoppers would line up early to get the best sales. In recent years, the rise of online shopping has transformed the Boxing Day sales into a digital experience.
Final Thought
Right now, if you are listening on the day this was released, there is a chance I am about to sit down and eat my Christmas dinner with my family.
Today, I’ve talked about Christmas in the UK. From the lead up to the day, to opening presents, to eating food, and Boxing day.
Hopefully you have learned something new about the UK.
I want to know about the holiday traditions in your country!
How do you celebrate Christmas or any other holiday that happens in your country at this time of the year? Would you like to experience a traditional British Christmas?
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I loved it….thanks for share your traditions with us… I take advantage to wish you and your beloved ones the best of 2024…be good
Thank you Gorka!