By Omega Love

How we celebrate Christmas and New Year England-style….

Christmas Traditions Christmas

CarolsGroups of children visit people’s houses and sing famous Xmas songs.E.g. We Wish you a Merry Xmas and Jingle Bells. A good way to make money for Xmas shopping….?

Advent Calendar

These calendars are designed for the count down to Christmas as each window contains a chocolate.

Christmas TraditionsPeople send

Christmas Cards

Built Snowmen and have snowball fights if we have a White Christmas

Xmas Parties and Secret Santa

Children at school and in churches perform Nativity Plays

Friends and families cook mince pies and festive foods together

Mulled Wine

Kissing

under

mistletoe

Christmas Preparations….My

house

last

year!!

Christmas Preparations….Decorating your house and garden is a very important part of Christmas. Though some people go over the top…

24th December….Christmas

Eve..! Children hang up their stockings by the fireplace or at the end of their beds so that Santa can fill them with presents.

Before children go to bed they leave milk, cookies and a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for Ruldolf (his favourite reindeer).

24th December….Christmas

Eve..!Children write wishlists to Santa telling him what presents they want.

Santa lives in the North Pole with ‘elves’ to help him in his workshop. He travels in a sleigh pulled by 9 reindeers and enters houses by climbing down the chimney.

25th December…Christmas Day! YAY!

Pagan tradition – the birth of Jesus ChristReligious people normally attend midnight mass on the 24thMorning Service

Important Religious info… Morning: Children are

excited to find their stockings filled with presents. Families exchange gifts, open presents and spend all day together.

Afternoon: We eat a special Christmas lunch and pull Xmas Crackers

Evening: Afterwards we relax, watch Christmas films, listen to Xmas music and enjoy our new presents

Plan for the day….

25th December…Christmas Day! YAY!A special meal

consisting of: • Roast Turkey• Roast potatoes,

parsnips, carrots• Brussel sprouts• Gravy• Cranberry Sauce• ‘Pigs in blanket’

We flambé the Christmas pudding and eat mince pies...mmmm…….

Postre

26th December

Boxing Day….

This day is reserved for relaxing, going on a walk, watching Christmas films and eating ‘leftovers’.

Boxing Day is renowned for all the Sports games – football and horse racing are the most famous!

31st December…New Year’s Eve…

New Year's Eve is the last hurrah of the year, the culminating event in a holiday binge of eating, drinking and celebrating!!

It's a time to get dressed up, reflect on the past, and ponder future resolutions.

People gather together in bars, pubs and the heart of London to watch the countdown. As Big Ben chime the arrival of a new year there is a spectacular firework display by the London Eye.

And all the important kiss at the stroke of midnight.

1st January 2014…New Years’ Day…

It’s a bank holiday, so everybody can recover from the previous night of partying!

New Year’s Resolutions – promise(s) to yourself that will improve your life. E.g. quit smoking, give up chocolate, lose weight

Christmas Quiz…..

1.What is a ‘Christmas Carol’?

2.What does “advent” mean?

3. What is the name of the plant people kiss underneath?

4. What are the two places children hang their stockings?

5. Where does Santa live and how many reindeers pull his sleigh?

4. We…….the Christmas pudding and ……the mince pies.

5. What are the two most famous sports to be played on Boxing day?

6. ‘Pigs in Blanket’ are made from…..and ……?

7. What does everybody do at midnight on the 31st?