Christmas
Christmas can mean different things to different people. For many people it means eating a lot
and spending time with family and visiting relatives and friends. For children it often means
presents, presents and more presents!
The origins of Christmas
In ancient times people had mid-winter festivals when the days were short and the nights were
very long. They believed that their ceremonies would help the sun’s power return. The Romans
decorated their homes with green plants in December to remind Saturn, their harvest god, to
return the following spring. In CE440 the Christian church decided that the birth of Christ
should be celebrated every year on December 25th. Some of these ancient customs were
adopted by early Christians as part of their celebrations of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Green
plants are still used to decorate many British homes in December. At Christmas we cover trees
(real ones or reusable synthetic trees) in with shiny balls and flashing lights!
Cards and presents
It’s very common to send Christmas cards to friends, family, colleagues, classmates and
neighbours in the weeks leading up to December 25th. Christmas is traditionally a time for
helping other people and giving money to charities. Many people send charity cards; where a
percentage of the cost of each card goes to charity. People send fewer cards than in the past as
they now send Christmas greetings by email or via Facebook. Christmas presents are reserved
for close friends and family. Traditionally the giving of a gift is symbolic of the three wise men
giving their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Popular presents for young
people in the UK in recent years include a Smart phone, a Playstation Move and 80’s retro
fashion.
Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus)
Every year small children tell Father Christmas (also known as Santa Claus) exactly what
presents they would like to receive. They can write him a letter with a list of requests or they
can visit him personally in one of the large department stores across Britain in the weeks before
Christmas. On the night of December 24th Father Christmas travels through the sky on a sleigh
pulled by magic reindeers and delivers presents to children across Britain. How does he enter
the children’s houses? Via the chimney of course!
The Christmas number one
Every year, for a few weeks around Christmas time, the UK music charts go mad. Groups and
singers who normally make cool music create a song that they hope will be number one on
Christmas Day.
The Christmas number one single is written about in newspapers, talked about on the radio and
people can even bet money in betting shops to see which song will win the race. In the last ten
years, the Christmas number one has been dominated by singers who have won reality
television competitions. One year ‘Rage Against the Machine’ started a Facebook campaign to
be the first group with a Christmas number 1 with a download only song. They won their anti-
corporate campaign with the song ‘Killing in the name’.
Snow
Snow at Christmas is part of British culture. You often see it on Christmas cards, you can buy
fake snow to decorate your house and there are even songs about snow at Christmas. There
was lots of snow last winter in the UK so many people enjoyed a white Christmas. People can
bet on whether it will snow or not on December 25th at betting shops around the country.
Turkey and crackers
Christmas dinner is usually eaten at midday or early afternoon. It traditionally includes roast
turkey, vegetables and potatoes. There are also lots of alternatives to the turkey dinner for
vegetarians who prefer a meat-free Christmas. Dessert is a rich, fruity cake called Christmas
pudding. Traditionally a Christmas cracker is placed next to each person. When you pull the
cracker with the person next to you, you hear a loud ‘bang!’ and a paper hat, a joke and a small
gift fall from the cracker. You have to wear the hat, tell the joke to the other people at the table
and keep the gift.
Christmas means…..
Does everyone like Christmas? These comments from young Brits reflect some of the wide
range of opinions about Christmas in the UK:
Yasmeen, 20, Liverpool: Christmas to me means catching up with your family and having a
laugh. Last of all opening your presents.
Ruby, 15, London: It’s too commercial. There are too many adverts trying to get everyone to
spend their money.
James, 13, Crediton: Bringing all your family together, having a laugh, giving presents and eating
loads of delicious foods. YUM! YUM!
Tony, 18, Bakewell: The shops start selling Christmas cards in September! That’s 3 months
before Christmas. Ridiculous!
Claire, 22, Derby: I work for a charity that gives food to homeless people every Christmas. These
people have no home or family so we try to make December 25th a happy day for them.
Charlie, 15, Canterbury: I think Xmas is as much about giving as it is getting. I also think it's a
time for the whole family to get together and enjoy being with each other.
Alisha, 16, Manchester: I think that Christmas is a religious time, not just for Christians but for
Jews and Muslims too. I celebrate the season the Christian way.
Are the sentences true or false?
1. Some modern Christmas traditions date from Roman times.
2. British people send money to friends, family, colleagues, classmates and neighbours at
Christmas.
3. Gold, frankincense and myrrh are popular Christmas presents for young people in the UK.
4. Santa Claus is another name for Father Christmas.
5. ‘Killing in the name’ won number one position in the UK music charts one Christmas.
6. It doesn’t always snow at Christmas in Britain.
7. A Christmas cracker is a type of dessert.
8. Only Christians celebrate Christmas.
