Christmas In EnglandFor most people Christmas is one of the most cherished holidays during the year. As we know, in England it is celebrated on the 25th of December. However, the Christmas season officially starts four weeks before the holiday. This period of the year is called Advent. During these weeks nearly every child creates a list of highly wanted presents, which is sent as a letter to Father Christmas. There are many traditions and customs of celebrating Christmas in England. For example, in rural areas on the night before Christmas there are hundreds of lit candles in the windows. So, for the locals the Christmas Eve is “the night of candles”. This tradition originated from ancient ritual of burning the Christmas log, which symbolized the victory of light over darkness. Another tradition that English people follow during this holiday is the tradition of decorating houses with evergreen plants. Mistletoe, ivy and holly are especially popular. According to custom, once a year men have the right to kiss any girl who stops under the mistletoe. As it doesn’t often happen, it was decided to hang the mistletoe over the mirror, because girls stop there more often to admire themselves. The most important part of English Christmas is, of course, the gala dinner. For many centuries people of Britain have served the plum-porridge or plum-pudding for this night. It’s a special dish from oatmeal boiled in broth and served with raisins, almonds, prunes and honey. Traditionally, there were four objects hidden in this pudding - a coin, a thimble, a button and a ring. A coin meant wealth, a button and a thimble meant bachelorhood and unmarried life, while a ring predicted a marriage for young girls. There are many other traditions in this original country, connected with gift exchanging, card sending, carols’ singing and Christmas tree decorating. All these traditions are strictly observed from year to year and passed to future
