"What's different about Xmas in another country?
Asia
In Singapore you can see green Xmas trees, but increasingly neon trees of all colours.
Hot countries are increasingly importing artificial snow and ice rinks as a Xmas novelty.
At one time the French Yule log and the German stollen were only seen in their countries of origin However, now you can buy them in British supermarkets and in Singapore.
India
I remember visiting a large hotel in India over the Xmas period. Their hallway and dining room had Xmas trees, featuring white lights.
Singapore Xmas Trees & Lights
UK
British Christmas
The Christmas lights are lit in the main shopping streets of London, Oxford Street and Regent Street. Families travel into central London to see the lights on the streets. Another attraction is the department stores, Selfridges, Harrods and Hamleys toy store.
The biggest tree is the Norway spruce in Trafalgar Square in central London.
Photo by Diliff in Wikipedia.
When I was a child, we escaped to Spain for warm weather at Christmas.
My parents avoided the expense of a tree and Christmas presents and restaurants charging extra for meals on Xmas Day and Boxing Day. In Spain they celebrate Christmas in January and in much of Europe it is either on the 5th, the even of the 6th, or the 6th.
"Since you are British, tell us about the UK?" I was asked this at Changi Simei Toastmasters Club in Singapore during the impromptu speaking session. The Toastmasters International impromptu speech session is known as table topics because in the early days you would pick topics off the table.
I thought about Christmas cake, which you can buy in Singapore, Christmas trees, and Christmas crackers.
Christmas Crackers
I asked how many people were familiar with Christmas crackers. Not many people.
DIY Christmas Crackers
I tried to describe Xmas crackers. I now realize that I need a large picture of Xmas crackers to carry around.
The story of Christmas Crackers is in Wikipedia. The inventor, Tom Smith, started with a sweet shop. Necessity is the mother of invention. He wrapped his sweets in twisted paper. Then to beat rivals made the wrapped sweets bigger, adding toys, printed mottoes and cheap folded paper hats.
He sat by a fire and heard it crackle and pop. the noise inspired him to add the sound which went pop when you pulled the cracker. The cracker was eventually called cracker, onomatopaeia, imitating the sound.
Researching Christmas Customs
When I was teaching English from home as a home tutor I used to set homework essays for my pupils on seasonal subjects. I would be asked to explain Xmas customs and symbols or even the meaning of words such as holly and mistletoe and Santa and cracker or the ingredients of Christmas cake.
The local free newspaper which dropped through my letterbox or could be picked up in supermarkets and shops carried articles on Diwali and Hanukah and Christmas.
Hanukah Lights
For Christmas, I found the Ladybird book on Christmas customs was useful.
Christmas History
Which came first?
Christmas Cake
Christmas Card
Christmas Cracker
Christmas Tree
USA Xmas
Xmas tree in front of Rockefeller Centre, New York, USA. Wikipedia.
Travel Destinations
UK
Trafalgar Square - see the Xmas tree. Hear the Xmas carols.
Useful Websites
Wiki Xmas Cracker
Xmas tree Trafalgar Square
Travel to UK
singaporeair.com
About The Author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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