British Christmas Traditions

http://usa.britishcouncil.org/british-christmas-traditions

I would love to learn even more about them than what I've seen on Wizzley so far, so maybe this gives people some ideas. I'm just saying ;-). I could research them myself, but I so enjoy reading them from the British on Wizzley :)

I think your man for that might be Rupert Taylor. He's always good with the traditions and eccentricities of this fair isle, despite the fact that I believe he currently resides in Canada!

Rupert is definitely in the frame here.  Though the rest of us could make the effort too.  :p

It never occurred to me that British Christmas traditions would be article worthy.  I've just looked down that list and I'm familiar with everything except the posset.  I don't want to be familiar with that.  I'll stick to the mulled wine.

I guess that when things are too close to home, you don't imagine others being that interested in them.  Are we getting some Romanian Christmas traditions from you too, Mira?

Best get to it, Jo. I have a pressing job application to finish...sorry 

Hey. I'm being set up here.

I have a few recollections from the very distant past.

The week before Christmas we went round the village with the church choir singing carols.

My Mum used to put silver threepenny bits wrapped in wax paper into the Christmas pud. Of course, you had to be careful not to chow down on a mouthful too hard or you'd be off to the dentist the day after Boxing Day. By the early 1950s the coins pretty much disappeared and the tradition ended.

Of course, we had Christmas crackers with daft mottos and ditzy hats to wear.

After we got a telly we always watched the Bertram Mills Circus after lunch.

My sister and I got our presents delivered to our bedrooms overnight.

By the mid-1960s Christmas Eve was spent in the Drum and Monkey, which was allowed to stay open until midnight rather than the mandatory closing time of 10.30. Having got thoroughly blotto my pals an I would decide it was far too dangerous to walk home so we drove.

Yes, I live in southern Ontario where it is currently bloody cold and the snow is tumbling down. We don't usually get this kind of weather until January.

I ever thought of British Christmas traditions being article worthy either. Going through the list though, I had to smile. I've just written something for a client about the Roman tradition of the Yule log.

My husband (he's Scottish so he should have known!) was asking why people bothered celebrating Boxing Day over here. Trying to explain to him that it was because it was the day to get rid of all the boxes, but it's actually St. Stephen's Day, was quite difficult. He just couldn't get his head around it.

2uesday: 12/14/2013 - 12:09 PM

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I was told that Boxing Day was the day that traditionally (in the past)  tradesmen collected their 'tips/bonus money' from customers or bosses. 

Maybe that was another reason for it--I've never heard of it but I've not done any research into it either. I only remember the boxes this because that's how it got the name "boxing" day. I also remember it's St. Stephen's Day because of the song "Good King Wenslas"--not sure of the spelling on that without checking. It's getting late for me though, wee one is now in bed and I'm about to catch up on Greys Anatomy and Reign :)

Wow. I love it. Thank you all for sharing.

Jo, I have been meaning to read more about our traditions here for years. I feel I know and have experienced so little. A lot of what Christmas used to be like is now gone. Many people don't even cook the traditional dishes anymore. They receive Italian panettone as a gift from others and eat that. Or buy the Romanian sponge cake from the supermarket.

I do intend post stuff in the future. Thank you for expressing interest :) It's a great direction for me to pursue and you're motivating me to do it sooner rather than later.