Christmas

    CHRISTMAS...

Christmas is a very important celebration in England and in the United-States.  Christmas comes from the word Christ and mass (church service). 

In the United-States :

Christmas time begins after the end of Thanksgiving, the third thursday of November. The following Saturday, there is a big parade in New-York that marks the beginning of the season of presents. All Americans go to the stores to find the perfect present.                                           

                                                                        

 Before Christmas, American people write some cards to send them to their family or friends. They decorate their house : they hang some tinsels of popcorn on a Christmas tree and they put some electric lights.

In the streets or in the churches we can hear some people singing Christmas carols like « Jingle Bells ». Some children sing in the streets and they sometimes get  money.

For the Christmas dinner, the traditionnal dish is turkey. Many families eat that at Christmas.

In the White House, they eat the « President's cake », a very old and unique recipe.

The night before Christmas (Christmas Eve), they hang big stockings on the mantelpiece and they set out some Christmas cards.

There is, too, a traditionnal drink : the Egg Nog. That drink is very rich and thick : it is done with rhum.

In England :

The weeks before Christmas day is  a time of preparation for Christmas. Three weeks before, many people send Christmas cards. Two weeks before, they put decorations in their house and the churches. Traditional colors for Christmas are red and green. The children sing Christmas carols. One week before, they buy a Christmas tree to decorate their house. The tradition is that the Christmas tree is decorated on the Christmas Eve (the night before Christmas)  but now most people don't wait for Christmas Eve and put  their decorations on their tree one week before Christmas day.                                              

                               

On Christmas morning, English people open their presents under the tree. The little children believe  Christmas father puts the present under the tree.

At lunch, they eat the English Christmas dinner. 

The traditional English Christmas dinner is roast turkey, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, rich nutty stuffing, tiny sausages wrapped in bacon and lashings of hot gravy.

For dessert, there is the Christmas pudding : a rich fruity pudding. Christmas pudding is a pudding with raisins, nuts and cherries. Traditionally, a coin is inside the Christmas pudding.

Another tradition of Christmas is the cracker. The crackers are colored paper tubes with a paper crown inside , a small present and a joke (a funny story). At three pm, the English watch the Queen's speech on TV.

Christmas day finishes with the Christmas cake and a cup of  tea at break.

Christmas time is really finished after boxing day (the day after Christmas). On this day, they have another big dinner with their  family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !