CHRISTMAS TIME

The most festive period of the year in Britain, and for many people in the U.S., is Christmas.

Preparations and festivities begin long before the 25th of December: streets are brightly decorated with Christmas lights and Christmas trees, and they are crowded with people going shopping.

On Christmas Eve, the 24th of December,  groups of children sing Christmas Carol in the street and collect money for charity.

Most christians go to church at midnight, and all children hang up their Christmas stocking, hoping that Father Christmas, also called Santa Claus, will fill it with presents.

The role of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) and the customs with the giving of gifts vary from family to family. On the 24th december many children lay out or put a stocking at the foot of their beds or hang a stocking at the fireplace where Father Christmas or Santa Claus comes down the chimney and brings presents for everyone.These presents are put around the Christmas tree and are opened at some time on Christmas day.  Near the fireplace the children put a glass  of milk with a buscuit or mince pie, it’s a pie with dried fruit, nuts, spices, and some sweet liqueur called herry. They also put a carote for Rudolph the reindeer. It’s tradition also to light some wood in the fireplace which will burn slowly and a piece of wood is conserved for the coming next year for good luck.

On Christmas morning the family exchange presents, and child find toys under the Christmas tree.

In Britain, Christmas dinner is the biggest meal of the year. Traditionally it consists of roast turkey with cranberry sauce, followed by Christmas pudding with brandy butter or white sauce. Other Christmas delicacies are Christams cake, mince pies and shortbread.

Every person who participates at the Christmas Meal will find on his or her plate a Christmas Cracker, it is a tube of colourful paper and looks  like a  sweet.Christmas dinner which is a traditional meal consists of a stuffed turkey with roast potatoes, peas, brussel sprouts and gravy, a brown sauce made with the juice from the meat. The traditional cake is Christmas pudding. The Christmas pudding contains small objects each of which has a meaning: for example if you find a coin in your slice of cake you will become rich, if you find a ring you will get married. It is traditional to pour brandy over the pudding and than set it alight. It is a heavy fruit cake.After the Christmas meal at 3 o’clock on Christmas day there’s the Queen’s Chistmas message. This ten-minute television broadcast is normally the only time in the year when the monarch speaks directly to “her” people on television. At 6 o’clock tea is served and everyone starts to eat and talk again.The general feeling is that Christmas is a time for families. For many families Christmas is the only time that they are all together.

An intrinsic part of Christmas is the singing of Christmas Carols. These joyful songs often mention the ancient symbols of Christmas, like holly, ivy and mistletoe, and many have a religious message.

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. A long time ago, this was the day servants received a gift box as a “tip” for that year’s service, and today paperdelivery boys, milk boys and postmen are often given a tip as a continuation of this tradition.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day have always been celebrated with special traditions in Scotland. On Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), families and friends get together to “see in” (welcome) the new year. At “the bells”, that is at the stroke of midnight, they form a circle, join hands, and sing an old Scottish song.

Parties on new year’s eve, are usually for friends. Many people drink and go to the celebration in Trafalgar Square where there is an enormous Christmas tree which is an annual gift from the people of norway.At the New Year’s Eve parties it is custom to sing “Auld Lang Syne”, wich means “A long time ago”. This traditional song of friendship says “ we must never forget old friends”

On 6th January Christmas celebrate the coming of the 3 kings to see baby Jesus.

Nobody pays much attention to the feast of the Epiphany except that this is traditionally the day on which Christmas decorations are taken down. Some people say it is bad luck to keep them up after this date.

“With best wishes for a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year to all”                                                                               Written by

 Miss Alessia Torre  III B

IC Bastiano Genovese