According to tradition, Christmas in England is a family event. Many people get up early, because during the night Father Christmas (also known as Santa Claus) has left gifts for children.
In Britain, Father Christmas comes into the house through the chimney and leaves his little gifts in big socks (“Christmas stockings”) which children hang up on Christmas Eve, beside the fire, at the end of the bed or around the tree.
For those who respect the traditional ritual of Christmas Day, after breakfast comes a morning service at church, after which it’s back home to eat Christmas dinner or Christmas lunch. The two essential elements of Christmas lunch are stuffed turkey and Christmas pudding.
Christmas gifts are unwrapped either in the morning or after lunch. Formerly, in the 19th century, they were not opened until the following day, December 26, called Boxing Day – the day when the boxes were opened.
Today, while many of the essential traditions are still very much alive (Christmas stockings, turkey, pudding, gifts), Christmas church services attract fewer people, and new traditions have grown up, like watching a movie with family, going to friends, or going for a drive or a walk in the park or the country.
