Christmas in british and american tradition.

Christmas is the most important public holiday in the US and the UK, and takes place on and around December 25th. It is a Christian holiday, when the birth of Jezus is celebreted, but even people who are not Christian also celebrete. Christmas as on occasion to give presents and spend time with their families.

In the week before Christmasthe shops are very busy since many people traditionally buy present for their friends and family for Christmas. Shops and huge deportment stores decorate their buildings with lights and pictures showing things associated with Christmas:holly, Christmas trees, santa Claus. Some big stores and malls usually have a special area decorated like Santas home, called Santas Gotto. Parents take their children there and the kids can meet Santa and tell him their wishes. Although most people enjoy Chistmas shopping, some people complain that the holiday is concerned only with spending money and making profit, and that the real purpose of Christmas should about remembering the story of Jesus birth and being very kind to other people.

People also send Christmas cards to their friends in order to say Merry Christmas. The cards usually have pictures relating to Christmas traditions, presenting Christmas trees, holly, snowman and Santa Claus. Cards with religious messages show pictures of the Nativity play, the birth of Jesus Christ.

During the Christmas period there are many performances of carols. The are sung in church as part of a religious ceremony. Children in schools have special concerts singing carols. There is another tradition-people gocarol singing meaning they sing carols autside in a large group, especially outside, and collect money for charity becouse they want to spend the money on some good things such as helping people who are poor, sick and lonely.

Manypeople decorate their homes for Christmas. They buy Christmas trees on which they put small lights and decoration. Some people also buy plants with bright red leaves called poinsettias and they hang branches of mistletoe above their doors. A very nice tradition concerned with mistletoe is that people each other under it. In the US people put small lights along the edges of their windows, the roof, and the main door. In the UK, people hang shiny, brightly coloured decorations made of paper from the ceiling or along the walls inside their homes. People also like decorating their front doors with a special circle made of green leaves called wreath.

When the Christmas time friendly comes, people eat more food and drink more alcohol than at other times of the year. In the US, people eat Christmas cookies, special ones baked only at home.But traditionaln British food must include Christmas cake and mince pies.

The day before Christmas Day is known as Christmas Eve, some people go to church to take part in a special service called midnight mass. Others have a drink with their friends .Children get very excited on that day since they belive in santa Claus coming down the chimney of their house in the middle of the night and putting presents in the Christmas stockings at the end of their bed. The leave a glass of sherry and a mince pie, a small pie filled with raisins, apples, and spices, for santa.

December 25 th, Christmas Day, is a public holiday when people spend it with their families. They open presents and then have a special meal – Christmas Dinner. Typically this is roast turkey with potatoes and other vegetables, usually carrots and sprouts. In the UK, this is followed by Christmas Pudding. At the start of the meal, British people usually pull a Christmas Cracker. The Cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube that makes a small explosion when you pull it apart and it contains a small toy, printed jokes, paper hats and other gifts. Then everyone puts on a paper hat and reads the jokes. On this day also in the UK the Queen delivers on annual oration on television.

The 26 December, following Christmas Day, is called Bixing Day in Britain. It is celebrate as a bank holiday. People give presents og money to paperboys and dustmen. A lot of sport is played on Boxing Day, and many people watch sport on TV. They also visit their friends and arrange parties. In the US many stores have special sales. In the UK the sales usualy start later, and are known as the January sales.

December 26 th is last non-working day and the last day of the Christmas celebration.However, the christmas Day becouse this is the day when people take down their decorations and remove their Christmas trees.

Christmas is one of the most important and eagely awaited holidays in the year. Everyone loves it since this is a unique time when people try to be kind, friendly and generous to one another all over the word.