Christmas is the biggest holiday in December. Let us find out what happens in the United Kingdom (UK) on Christmas through an interview with Professor Antony Miles of The Seowon University who is from the UK.
According to the professor, one of the famous Christmas traditions in the UK is exchanging Christmas cards and gifts between family and friends. In some UK towns or cities, you can hear Christmas hymns, see a large decorated Christmas tree and the wintry streets decorated with bright lights and ornamental displays.
In the family home, there is usually a Christmas tree adorned with decorations and neatly wrapped presents beneath. Young children perform nativity plays in school and hear exciting stories about Father Christmas and his flying reindeer.
On Christmas Day, families usually eat a big roast turkey meal, pull Christmas crackers, and wear silly paper crowns. Some people listen to the Queen’s Christmas Speech on Television.
He told us one of his Christmas memories, “Every day in the lead up to Christmas Day as a very young boy, I would shake the gifts under the tree trying to guess what was inside. I would also sneakily eat the tempting wrapped chocolates hanging so invitingly on the tree. I always remember Christmas Eve being the worst as I would get so excited and be unable to sleep. After falling asleep at maybe 2 o’clock in the morning, I would be the first out of bed at 5 o’clock in the morning full of boundless energy waking up my sister and my very sleepy parents who strangely wanted to stay in bed. How could they want to sleep on Christmas Day? Me and my sister would open our morning presents from Father Christmas, but it was after the Christmas meal at lunchtime when we could open the big presents from Mum and Dad and other family members. It was always so exciting tearing open the wrapping to find what was inside. It is a magical feeling when you are young.”
If you want to celebrate this Christmas as the UK does, he recommends sending a card to someone with a personal message, because Christmas is a time to show you care and it is a very nice thing to do. He said, “If you can surprise someone you care about with a gift on Christmas Day that will always be remembered very fondly”. Plus, “If you go to England, I recommend eating a delicious Christmas meal as the turkey, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy taste great! However, I suggest you be wary of the Brussels sprouts, because they taste very odd”.
