Christmas Day
What are the elements of a British Christmas?
XMAS OUTDOORS
Street lights
Across the street. Up the lamp posts. In the trees.
Exterior decorations such as wreaths on doors.
Santas and reindeer on the front lawns and rooftops.
Restaurants decorated inside and out.
A giant Norway spruce in Trafalgar Square.
Ice rinks set up in pubic places, in front of major museums, large squares, and shopping malls such as Brent Cross.
Green holly with red berries.
INDOORS
Fir trees, called Xmas trees. Decorated with lights, bubble shaped baubles, wrapped parcels under the tree. An angel on the top of the trees.
Mistletoe with white berries.
Tables with Xmas crackers.
XMAS CLOTHES
Party hats.
Coloured table cloths.
Clothes with festive themes,
Santas, reindeer, stars.
Festive jewellery such as ear rings with hanging trees.
Xmas carols played in lifts (elevators), department stores and restaurants, and on radio stations.
Midnight mass in Roman Catholic churches and cathedrals.
Carol singers.
Santa's Grotto in Department stores, and increasingly in stately homes and museums.
Santa visits to places such as hospitals and events.
Choirs singing up staircases (such as the Tanglin Club in Singapore)
XMAS FOOD
Mince pies.
Christmas pudding.
Christmas cakes.
Yule logs.
Stollen from Germany.
Panettone from Italy.
Pandoro from Italy.
Nativity scenes in Roman Catholic churches.
Pantomimes in theatres and ice rinks.
Festive films (movies) in cinemas and on TV.
Hymns on seasonal and religious themes.
Christmas songs.
Snow scenes
Snow on rooftops. Skiing. Skating. Icicles. Skating on lakes and rivers.
Snowmen.
Robin Redbreasts.
Christmas cards with Victorian scenes and glitter.
Christmas Day
Why is it the 25th? Some say to supercede the pre-Christian celebration of the sun rising again after the solstice, the shortest day.
Boxing Day
The popular story is that servants would work providing Christmas Day lunch. Then on boxing day they would return with boxes for leftovers, and/or a financial bonus or reward.
Boxing Day is celebrated in the UK and some Commonwealth countries but not worldwide. However, soe places close businesses for St Stephen's Day, the second day of Christmas.
Wiki says
In parts of Europe, such as east Spain, (Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands[2][3]), the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Slovakia,[4] Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Romania, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Latvia and the Republic of Ireland, 26 December is Saint Stephen's Day, which is considered the second day of Christmas.[5
If you are wondering about traffic, many state schools in London will start Monday 5th January 1026.
Some businesses will be closed Jan 1st, new Year's Day, and open on January 2nd.
Useful website on Christmas Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_of_the_birth_of_Jesus#:~:text=Based%20on%20this%20winter%20solstice
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