My English BlogBox: dezembro 2008

How do the British celebrate traditional and religious holidays?

Christmas Day

"In Britain, Christmas Day is normally spent at home, with the family, and it is regarded as a celebration of the family and its continuity. Preparations start well in advance, with the sending of Christmas cards and installation of a decorated Christmas tree in a prominent place in the home. Although it is now a firmly established tradition, the Christmas tree was first popularised by Queen Victoria `s husband, Prince Albert, who introduced the custom from his native Germany in 1840.

Some houses are decorated with evergreens (plants which do not lose their leaves in winter); a wreath of holly on the front door and garlands of holly, ivy and fit indoors. Bunches of mistletoe are often hung above doorways – any couple passing underneath must exchange kisses! Traditional food is prepared: sweet mince pies, a rich Christmas cake and the Christmas pudding. Everyone has their own favourite recipe, but they `re all packed full of spices, nuts, dried fruit and brandy.

Presents are bought and rapped, and traditionally placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Christmas is both a secular and a religious holiday, and many families like to attend a midnight service at church on Christmas Eve, or celebrate Christmas in church on Christmas morning.

The excitement begins for children on Christmas Eve, when they hang up their stockings (an old sock or, more ambitiously, pillow cases) around the fireplace or at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas to fill with presents. The English Father Christmas or Santa Claus is first recorded in his traditional red and white outfit in a woodcut of 1653, but the story of Santa arriving in his reindeer – drawn sleigh and descending down the chimney to fill children `s stockings with presents derives from the USA.

Practically everyone sits down to a Christmas dinner in the early afternoon of Christmas Day, traditionally roast turkey, but some families prefer goose or roast beef. The turkey is followed by the Christmas pudding, brought to the table flaming hot. Brandy is poured over the pudding, then lit. The day ends with everyone relaxing, watching television or playing guessing – games like charades".

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Boxing Day

“Boxing Day (26December) is so – called because it `s a time when tradespeople receive a “Christmas Box” – some money in appreciation of the work they `ve carried out all year. Traditionally a time for visiting family and friends and indulging in more feasting, Boxing Day is a popular day for football matches and other sporting fixtures. The day is a public holiday, so shops and banks are closed. More recently, some shops have broken with tradition and now open on Boxing Day to encourage shoppers who can `t wait to spend their Christmas money!”

(The United Kingdom – 100 Questions Answered, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Christmas Songs

Let It Snow!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

It doesn't show signs of stopping,

And I brought some corn for popping;

The lights are turned way down low,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

When we finally say good night,

How I'll hate going out in the storm;

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,

But as long as you love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list,

And checking it twice;

Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

O! You better watch out!

You better not cry.

Better not pout, I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

Rocking around the Christmas tree

at the Christmas party hop

Mistletoe hung where you can see

every couple tries to stop

Rocking around the Christmas tree,

let the Christmas spirit ring

Later we'll have some pumpkin pie

and we'll do some caroling.

You will get a sentimental

feeling when you hear

Voices singing let's be jolly,

deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rocking around the Christmas tree,

have a happy holiday

Everyone dancing merrily

in the new old-fashioned way.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring

Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun

Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time

Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square

In the frosty air.

What a bright time, it's the right time

To rock the night away

Jingle bell time is a swell time

To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet

Jingle around the clock

Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet

That's the jingle bell,

That's the jingle bell rock.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer

And Prancer and Vixen,

Comet and Cupid

And Donner and Blitzen.

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

(reindeer)

Had a very shiny nose

(like a light bulb)

And if you ever saw it

(saw it)

You would even say it glows

(like a flash light)

All of the other reindeer

(reindeer)

Used to laugh and call him names

(like Pinochio)

They never let poor Rudolph

(Rudolph)

Play in any reindeer games

(like Monopoly)

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

(Ho Ho Ho)

Rudolph with your nose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

Then all the reindeer loved him

(loved him)

And they shouted out with glee

(yippee)

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

(reindeer)

You'll go down in history!"

(like Columbus)

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

“Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already -- it had not been light all day -- and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!' “

http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/stories/a-christmas-carol/xmas-stories-achristmascarol.html