Holiday Traditions in the UK

Kel_ee · Nov 25, 2008

I am simple when it comes to Holidays. For Christmas a decorated tree is all I like to have. I do enjoy seeing the taste of decorations in others. When I go to my mother~n~laws I feel like I've stepped into Santa's vacation home in the south. All that's missing are the elves. Christmas Eve we go out and look at all the Christmas lights. We are amazed at the time and effort ones put in to decorating the outside.

It doesn't snow here where I live. It would be nice if it could snow Christmas Eve and then disappear two days later. That would be good for me. Here we have trees in our stores that have names on it, pick a name and buy a gift for a child that wouldn't get one that year. Do you have this there?

The Christmas time for me is when I can catch up on my family. Picture cards are popular thing here. It's nice to see the changes, esp with growing children over the year. Is it similar with you over there?

A new thing here is to fry the whole turkey in a pot of oil. It's delicious! My favorite is turkey, mashed potatoes gravy, greenbean casserole, deviled eggs, and of course pie. I don't think I have a favorite pie, but I'm in the mood for pecan pie this year.

What are some of your traditions over there in the UK? Do you open your gifts on Christmas Eve or Day? I would like to here what you all do there, so please share.

Kel_ee · Nov 26, 2008

Anyone??

Kel_ee · Nov 27, 2008

Ah well… If anyone changes their mind, you know where to find me. On that note, I do wish you all over there safe and Happy Holidays.

ukok · Nov 27, 2008

Kel_ee said:
Ah well If anyone changes their mind, you know where to find me. On that note, I do wish you all over there safe and Happy Holidays.

We celebrate Christmas rather quietly in our family, but we have a fantastic time. We all go to Mass together either on Christmas morning or to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (just the 5 of us: me and my 2 children and my mum and dad) and we open presents Christmas Day morning. We have lot of lovely food and drink, play games, watch Christmas movies, eat more sumptuous food.

It's just lovely getting together to worship the Lord and celebrate his birth and anticipate his second coming and then there are the celebrations with our loved ones.

We usually stay in Christmas Day and Boxing Day unless we are going to Mass on Christmas morning, so we are warm and comfortable and can just relax and enjoy ourselves.

Kel_ee · Dec 1, 2008

ukok said:
We usually stay in Christmas Day and Boxing Day unless we are going to Mass on Christmas morning, so we are warm and comfortable and can just relax and enjoy ourselves.

We will usually go to a movie after Christmas dinner. It's the only time we don't need to buy popcorn cause we're stuffed. I used to go to midnight mass Christmas Eve when I was younger with my father and my brothers. It brought a certain comfort. I sort of miss it.

What is boxing day?

Arthulian · Dec 1, 2008

Kel_ee said:
What is boxing day?

The day after Christmas Day. Wiki link

TemperateSeaIsland · Dec 3, 2008

I dont think there is a huge difference between the modern British and American Christmas. The more religious inclined normally go to midnight mass on xmas eve. Presents are opened on xmas day; people normally have roast dinner consisting of Turkey with stuffing and veg (brussel sprouts are a must). The traditional meat used to be goose but I suppose that was mostly replaced because turkey if far less greasy (roast potatoes made using goose fat are unbeatable though).

GreenMunchkin · Dec 3, 2008

An unspoken tradition in the UK is kids open their Christmas stocking first thing in the morning (while it's still dark) and they will invariably find a Chocolate orange and satsumas in there. Fabbalous!

Christmas lunch is always followed by mince pies and Christmas pudding - some families open presents first thing in the morning, some wait til after lunch. Then we watch tv for hours - til around the morning of the 27th

- and doze an awful lot feeling very fat. It's awesome!

Actually, this year we've invited some homeless people and some people without family to spend Christmas with us, (my family and I) so I don't know how it'll go this time. It looks like there will be around 15 of us, so family traditions will have to be eschewed really. Oh, and we're getting an 18lb turkey

18lbs! I've known large dogs that weighed less than that!

Kel_ee · Dec 3, 2008

TemperateSeaIsland said:
(brussel sprouts are a must). Never have I had this at Christmas dinner. I wonder what ones would say if I added them this year. The traditional meat used to be goose but I suppose that was mostly replaced because turkey if far less greasy (roast potatoes made using goose fat are unbeatable though).
Never had goose either. I've never even seen goose in the supermarket here, but this is one dinner I will have to try. It sounds yummy.

GreenMunchkin said:

Actually, this year we've invited some homeless people and some people without family to spend Christmas with us, (my family and I) so I don't know how it'll go this time. It looks like there will be around 15 of us, so family traditions will have to be eschewed really. Oh, and we're getting an 18lb turkey 18lbs! I've known large dogs that weighed less than that!

Click to expand...

This is great!!! please let me know how it goes. I wonder how many hours that turkey is gonna have to cook? I hope it all turns out well for you.

I'm not sure how opening the stocking first would go with my kids. Well actually it would drive them crazy. lol ... so i'm gonna try it, spice it up a little. Watch em squirm.

Pogue · Dec 7, 2008

Is there no Boxing Day in other countries? Is that just us? Wow, I am surprised by my ignorance!
We do the traditional Christmas thing in many ways- get the children to bed early on Christmas Eve, leave the stockings out, etc. My younger two siblings tend to wake up stupidly early, kind of 4am kind of early, and wake everyone else up. Then my grandparents often come over, we eat Christmas dinner, which at our house is pancakes with baked beans because we're all vegetarian (I know, it's weird. Everyone thinks we're weird. But pancakes are nice!), and then maybe go for a walk. And on Boxing Day, we lie around, and/or get forced to write thank you letters by my mother.

Kel_ee · Dec 8, 2008

Pogue said:
Is there no Boxing Day in other countries? Is that just us? Wow, I am surprised by my ignorance!
We do the traditional Christmas thing in many ways- get the children to bed early on Christmas Eve, leave the stockings out, etc. My younger two siblings tend to wake up stupidly early, kind of 4am kind of early, and wake everyone else up. Then my grandparents often come over, we eat Christmas dinner, which at our house is pancakes with baked beans because we're all vegetarian (I know, it's weird. Everyone thinks we're weird. But pancakes are nice!), and then maybe go for a walk. And on Boxing Day, we lie around, and/or get forced to write thank you letters by my mother.

I have found out that NZ and AU also celebrate boxing day. Not sure who else does. Pancakes? lol well that is different for Christmas dinner, but great to hear. Baked bean with pancakes isn't one of our eating combinations over here though. We ususally eat baked beans with hamburgers and hotdogs.

Thank you letters are a great idea, but I'm sure my girl's response would be the same as yours. lol I hope you have happy holidays with your family.

Search

Search

Holiday Traditions in the UK

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

ukok

Freaked out, insecure, neurotic and Emotional

More options

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

Arthulian

Bitter and Cynical

More options

TemperateSeaIsland

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

More options

GreenMunchkin

Likes things. And stuff. But mostly things.

More options

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

Pogue

left CF, please see profile for further details

More options

Kel_ee

Active Member

More options

Need help?

Similar threads