🎄 5 unique Christmas traditions in England

Despite the lack of snow, in Britain you can feel the festive atmosphere like nowhere else! Maybe it's because of the exquisite (and sometimes even ridiculously ornate) decorations of city buildings and private houses? Or from a Christmas playlist on repeat and fragrant cocoa? The list of magic ingredients here is quite long, so I’ll tell you about the five most English ones. My English friend and Christmas ambassador Jane will help me with this. It was she who initiated me into the magical world of British holiday traditions.

Present

Nothing unusual it would seem. Gifts under the tree are waiting for their recipients in our area. However, little Englishmen find gifts from family and Father Christmas (yes, “Father Christmas”, not Santa in charge here) not only under the tree, but also in the stocking. These stockings are hung above the fireplace, and sometimes even hung on the foot of the bed.

Small additions to the main gift are usually placed there: candies, bars and, of course, Terry's Chocolate Orange – a traditional sweet in the form of a chocolate orange. Gifts are opened on the morning of December 25th, but on the night of December 24th, children leave whiskey and a Mince Pie for Father Christmas. Due to American influence or financial situation, some families replace whiskey with a glass of milk. 

Concerts

The era of Christmas caroling, famous in films and TV series (singing Christmas songs from door to door in small groups for charity) is coming to an end. People no longer annoy their neighbors with their singing, but enthusiastic groups and choirs give performances on the eve of Christmas in central places, such as main squares or supermarkets. They also visit homes and hospitals for the elderly.

Postcards and charity

The custom of sending cards with greetings during this season came from Queen Victoria, who ” culturally exported” part of the German Christmas traditions. Nowadays this tradition is gradually fading away due to social networks, but the older generation still sends wishes to their loved ones by mail with trepidation. To be honest, I have never seen such beautiful postcards anywhere, so I myself could not resist participating in this tradition! The younger generation is gradually replacing this tradition with charity, donating to all kinds of funds to help those in need.

Pantomime

In Estonia, as in many other European countries, it is customary to go to a ballet, a fairy tale, or any other theatrical performance. In England, the theater season is suspended for the holidays. London is an exception – this city lives in a non-stop rhythm. At this time, the annual pantomime shows begin, full of songs and dances to famous hits.

Performances are given by both professional performers and amateurs. The concerts are based on children's fairy tales. Unconventional additional characters also appear. For example, in such shows, the main male role is always played by a girl in disguise, and the canonical funny “older” woman (often called Mrs. Wishy-Washy) is played by a man.

Traditionally, such actors were heavily made up and dressed to make it obvious that they were men. By the way, such artists got the funniest lines. From other examples: Button is another famous character in the pantomime “Cinderella”. Ugly sisters are often added as comedic characters.

The children's audience takes an active part in such performances. For example, booing the “villains” or helping the heroes “find” hiding characters by shouting “He/she is behind you.” At the end, the children are allowed to go up to the stage where they receive sweets. At its core, it's a fun musical with imaginary characters. 

Festive dinner

The main day of Christmas always falls on December 25th and all the main events revolve around dinner. It starts quite early: around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. You could write a whole book about what British families eat at this time. I will give just a few popular examples

• Yorkshire pudding – contrary to all laws of logic, this is a bun; 
• Gravy sauce;
• baked turkey;
• potato; 
• pigs in blankets or “pigs in a blanket” are grilled pork sausages wrapped in bacon;
• vegetables – often cauliflower and broccoli are served in cheese sauce; 
• for dessert, sweet Mince Pie pies and Christmas cake – a cupcake with nuts and dried fruits, soaked in rum, brandy or whiskey. 

During dinner, it is customary to play firecrackers while wearing funny paper crowns on your head. It looks like a small “duel” between two guests pulling two opposite corners of the firecracker. The winner is the one who still has the packaging in his hands after the clap. The winner receives gifts from the package, and also tells a joke or asks a riddle, the leaf of which is always included in the gifts. 

The main holiday here is Christmas, not New Year. Therefore, the speech of the country’s leadership is listened to here on this day. Yes, there is no president in Britain, so the Queen took on the role of speaker at that time. This year her son will have the honor of congratulating the country. In addition to the ceremonial speech, classic films such as “The Great Escape”, “Love Actually”, ” Doctor Who “, “Black Adder”, “Home Alone”, “Die Hard”, “Mary Poppins”, “Exchange Holiday” are shown on TV ” and others.