Christmas in Britain (Рождество в Британии)
CHRISTMAS IN BRITAN
Christmas Day , December 25,is probably the most popular holiday in Great
Britan. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends give
each other presents. So before Christmas all the department stores and shops are
crowded, everybody is choosing a present. In general, people get prepared for
this holiday very carefully. They decorate their houses in the traditional way,
that is the Christmas trees are set up in houses, in the streets and
churches. The Christmas trees are always decorated with fairy lights, angels
and small toys. In addition litlle packets with nuts, candies and special
biscuits are hung on the tree. Presents are put around the tree and artificial
''frost'' is scattered over the branches.
The Germans
are believed to be the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations,
and Martin Luther was the first to place a star on the top of the tree. This
star represent the star that appeared over the stable in which Christ was born.
In Great
Britain the Christmas tree became popular when Queen Victoria used it.
Besides the
Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe are used to decorate the house. Branches of
holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is hung over doors, so the young
people have a chance to kiss the girls under it, plucking each time a red berry
from the mistletoe. It is said that the girl who was not kissed under it at
Christmas would not get married that year.
On the eve
of the Christmas children hang their stockings so that Santa Claus could put
presents into them : oranges, sweets, nuts and if the child didn't behave
properly Santa Clause can put there a piece of coal as punishment.
Santa Claus
got his name from a man known as St.Nickolas who lived in Asia in the fourth
century. He gave his wealth to the poor and often to children. After he died
the Dutch brought
this legend to
colonial America. Soon the Dutch name Sinter Kluas became Santa Claus.
Carol
singing is an essential part of Christmas. No church or school is without its
carol service. Carols may be traditional or by known composers they can express
different feelings. Carols appeared in Christmas history about the fifteenth
century.
Usually
children come around in the evening to the front doors and start singing carols
and the people living in these houses give children candies, nuts, pies and so
on, to thank them for carol singing.
A typical
Christmas lunch includes turkey with cranberry sauce and pudding. Every young
woman in each household helps to stir the Christmas pudding if she wishes to be
married that year.
Usually a coin or
two are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see who finds it.
After the
lunch they go to the sitting room to listen to the Christmas speech of the
Queen, shown on TV.
So Christmas is a merry family holiday for all the
people of Great Britain.