Great Britain

Holidays & Celebrations

CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day is observed on the 25^th of December. It`s not only a religious holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. In Britain this day was a festival long before the conversion to Christianity. Many social customs connected with the celebration of Christmas go back to pagan times.

Christmas is a time for thinking of other people, for giving presents and doing holiday jobs. It`s a time of rejoicing, for parties, dances and celebrations.

At Christmas all British cities and towns have a special atmosphere. There are coloured lights and decorations in Regents Streets and Oxford Street. There is a big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, sent by the people of Norway to the people of Britain. There are Christmas trees in all big shops and railway stations. There is carol-singing in the streets and people wish each other “Merry Christmas”. Carol-singing at Christmas is a very old custom. All over the country, groups of people sing in the streets and outside people`s houses. Trafalgar Square is the centre for carol-singing in London. Every night, during the week before Christmas, it`s full of people. Everybody joins in the singing. Sometimes a band accompanies the singers, sometimes an accordion and sometimes a guitar.  Most big offices in Britain have a dance or a party at Christmas, so do the schools, colleges and universities.

The English like to brighten up their homes at Christmas with holly, mistletoe and evergreens.

The Christmas tree is the focal point of the decorations in most homes and in almost countries. The Scandinavians made the fir tree and other evergreens an integral part of the Christian festival. The Germans were the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations. The tree gained popularity in England in times of Queen Victoria. The branches adorned with fairy lights, small toys, packets of nuts, biscuits and candles.

The holly has a religious and a natural significance. Holly means ‘holy’ and it was known as the Holy tree. Its natural significance was its promise of everlasting life because it bore berries in winter. Holly is also a part of Advent wreaths which are hung outside the front door for the whole period of Advent.

Mistletoe has a magical property and symbolizes life. There is an interesting custom of kissing under the mistletoe. If the young man or a girl stops under the mistletoe which is hung above a door at Christmas time, he or she may demand a kiss and one may not protest in such cases. If the young man wishes more than one kiss he has to pluck the yellowish berries with his right hand while kissing and to eat each berry before the next kiss – these berries are very bitter – but harmless.

All evergreens are symbols of immortality. Various superstitions attach to them, such as not bringing them into the house before Christmas Eve and disposing of them, usually by burning, by Twelfth Night.