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ChristmasDay
InBritain,ChristmasDayisnormallyspentathome,withthefamily,anditisregardedasacelebrationofthefamilyanditscontinuity.Preparationsstartwellinadvance,withthesendingofChristmascardsandinstallationofadecoratedChristmastreeinaprominentplaceinthehome.Althoughitisnowafirmlyestablishedtradition,theChristmastreewasfirstpopularisedbyQueenVictoria’shusband,PrinceAlbert,whointroducedthecustomfromhisnativeGermanyin1840.
Somehousesaredecoratedwithevergreens(plantswhichdonotlosetheirleavesinwinter);awreathofhollyonthefrontdoorandgarlandsofholly,ivyandfirindoors.Bunchesofmistletoeareoftenhungabovedoorways-anycouplepassingunderneathmustexchangekisses!Traditionalfoodisprepared:sweetmincepies,arichChristmascakeandtheChristmaspudding.Everyonehastheirownfavouriterecipe,butthey’reallpackedfullofspices,nuts,driedfruitandbrandy.
Presentsareboughtandwrapped,andtraditionallyplacedundertheChristmastreeonChristmasEve.Christmasisbothasecularandareligiousholiday,andmanyfamiliesliketoattendamidnightserviceatchurchonChristmasEve,orcelebrateChristmasinchurchonChristmasmorning.
TheexcitementbeginsforchildrenonChristmasEve,whentheyhanguptheirstockings(anoldsockor,moreambitiously,pillowcases)aroundthefireplaceoratthefootofthebedforFatherChristmastofillwithpresents.TheEnglishFatherChristmasorSantaClausisfirstrecordedinhistraditionalredandwhiteoutfitinawoodcutof1653,butthestoryofSantaarrivinginhisreindeer-drawnsleighanddescendingdownthechimneytofillchildren’sstockingswithpresentsderivesfromtheUSA.
PracticallyeveryonesitsdowntoaChristmasdinnerintheearlyafternoonofChristmasDay,traditionallyroastturkey,butsomefamiliesprefergooseorroastbeef.TheturkeyisfollowedbytheChristmaspudding,broughttothetableflaminghot.Brandyispouredoverthepudding,thenlit.Thedayendswitheveryonerelaxing,watchingtelevisionorplayingguessing-gameslikecharades.
BoxingDay
BoxingDay(26December)isso-calledbecauseit’satimewhentradespeoplereceivea‘ChristmasBox’-somemoneyinappreciationoftheworkthey’vecarriedoutallyear.Traditionallyatimeforvisitingfamilyandfriendsandindulginginmorefeasting,BoxingDayisapopulardayforfootballmatchesandothersportingfixtures.Thedayisapublicholiday,soshopsandbanksareclosed.Morerecently,someshopshavebrokenwithtraditionandnowopenonBoxingDaytoencourageshopperswhocan’twaittospendtheirChristmasmoney!
NewYear
NewYearisoftenlaunchedwithaparty-eitherathomewithfamilyandfriendsoragatheringinthelocalpubsandclubs.MerrymakingbeginsonNewYear’sEveandbuildsuptomidnight.Thestrokeofmidnightisthecueformuchcheering,hooting,whistling,kissingandthedrinkingoftoasts.
TraditionhasitthatthefirstpersonoverthethresholdonNewYear’sDaywilldictatetheluckbroughttothehouseholdinthecomingyear.ThisisknownasFirstFooting.Atmidnighton31December,particularlyinScotlandandnorthernEngland,‘firstfooters’(traditionallyatall,dark,good-lookingman)stepoverthethresholdbringingtheNewYear’sLuck.Thefirstfooterusuallybringsapieceofcoal,aloafandabottleofwhisky.Onenteringhemustplacethefuelonthefire,puttheloafonthetableandpouraglassfortheheadofthehouse,allnormallywithoutspeakingorbeingspokentountilhewisheseveryone‘AHappyNewYear’.Hemust,ofcourse,enterbythefrontdoorandleavebytheback.
InWalesthebackdoorisopenedtoreleasetheOldYearatthefirststrokeofmidnight.Itisthenlockedupto‘keeptheluckin’andatthelaststroketheNewYearisletinatthefrontdoor.
InScotlandtheNewYearremainsthegreatestofallannualfestivals.Called‘Hogmanay’(awordwhosemeaninghasneverbeensatisfactorilyestablished),it’smarkedbyaneveningofdrinkingandmerrymaking,culminatingatthestrokeofmidnightwhenhugegatheringsofpeopleatEdinburgh’sTronKirkandGlasgow’sGeorgeSquaregreettheNewYearbylinkingarmsandsinging‘AuldLangSyne’.
Halloween
Halloween(31October)anditsassociationswithwitchesandghostsderivesfromtheCelticOldYear’sNight-thenightofallwitches,whenspiritsweresaidtowalktheearth.WitchesandsupernaturalbeingsarestillrememberedalloverBritain,whenbandsofchildrenroamthestreetsinghoulishcostumes,carryingHalloweenlanterns-pumpkinshollowedoutwithaghostlyfacecutintooneside,whichglowswhenacandleisplacedinside.
Inrecentyearsthecustomof‘trickortreating’hasgainedinpopularity.AlthoughwecommonlyassociatethispracticewithAmerica,thecustomoriginatedinEnglandas‘MischiefNight’whenchildrendeclaredone‘lawlessnight’ofunpunishedpranks(usuallyMayDayeveorHalloween).
Halloweenparties(usuallyforchildren)includegamessuchasapplebobbing,whereapplesareeitherfloatedinwaterorhungbyastring.Theobjectofthegameisfortheplayerstoputtheirhandsbehindtheirbackandtrytoseizeanapplewiththeirteethalone.
Easter
EasterdayisnamedaftertheSaxongoddessofspring,Eostre,whosefeasttookplaceatthespringequinox.EasterisnowthespringfeastoftheChristianchurch,commemoratingtheresurrectionofJesus.ItfallsonaSundaybetween
22Marchand25April,accordingtothechurchcalendar.
TraditionallyEastereggs,dyedanddecoratedormadeofchocolate,aregivenaspresentssymbolisingnewlifeandthecomingofspring.
EggrollingcompetitionstakeplaceinnorthernBritainonEasterMonday;hard-boiledeggsarerolleddownaslope,withthewinnerbeing-accordingtolocalpreference-theonewhichrollsthefurthest,survivesthemostrolls,orissuccessfullyaimedbetweentwopegs!ThebestpublicisedeventtakesplaceatAvenhamParkinPreston,Lancashire.
EasterparadesarealsopartoftheEastertradition,withthosetakingpartwearingEasterbonnetsorhats,traditionallydecoratedwithspringflowersandribbons.