Christmas.

Christmas is on December the 25^th. It’s probably the most popular family holiday in Great Britain. Traditionally, all relatives and friends get together and give presents to each other. So before Christmas all stores and shops are busy, every one chooses a gift. Generally people make preparations for this holiday very properly. They decorate the buildings in traditional way. Christmas trees are set inside the buildings, churches. They are always decorated with magic lights, angels, small toys, packs of nuts, lollipops… presents are put around the New year tree. English children hang stockings at the end of the bed on Christmas Eve. It is considered the German to be the first who used Christmas tree in the celebration. Martin Luther was the first who had decorated the Christmas tree with a star. The star symbolizes that very star which had appeared over the stable where Christ had been born. Besides Christmas tree mistletoe is used for decoration of the house. Mistletoe is hung in houses at Christmas. And the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. If a bush of mistletoe is hung in the hall, with the charm attached to it, it said that the maid who was not kissed under it at Christmas, would not be married that year. Every young woman in each household should help to stir the Christmas pudding if she has any wish to be married during the following twelve months. Santa Klaus was called so in honor of famous Saint Nikolas who had lived in the 4^th century. He often made a donation to the poor, especially to the children. When he had died this legend was brought to America by the Dutch. Very soon the Dutch name «Sinter Kluas» turned into Santa Klaus. Christmas singing is the important part of the holiday. There is no church or school where people do not sing Christmas songs. According to tradition, in the evening children come up to the entrance door and begin singing. People thank them for singing and give them lollipops, nuts, pies.

Typical Christmas lunch includes turkey with cranberry sauce and pudding. Usually a few coins are hidden in the pudding and people look forward to the moment when somebody finds them. After breakfast everybody go to the sitting-room to listen to the Queen’s Christmas speech which is translated on TV

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 854