⇢ ОМ
Ольга Малышева
Татьяна Багира
Christmas Day, December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in
Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and
friends give each other presents. So, before Christmas all the
department stores and shops are crowded, everybody is choosing a
present.
In general, people get prepared for this holiday very carefully. They
decorate their houses in the traditional way. Christmas trees are set
up in houses, in the streets and churches. They are always decorated
with fairy lights, angels and small toys. In addition, little packets
with nuts, candies and special biscuits are hung on the tree. Presents
are put around the tree and artificial «frost» is scattered over the
branches.
The Germans are believed to be the first to use the Christmas tree in
their celebrations and Martin Luther was the first to place a star on
the top of the tree. This star represents the star appeared over the
stable in which Christ was born.
In Great Britain, the Christmas tree became popular while Queen Victoria ruled the country.
Besides the Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe are used to decorate
the house. Branches of holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is
hung over doors, so the young people have a chance to kiss the girls
under it, plucking each time a red berry from the mistletoe. It is said
that the girl who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not get
married that year.
On the eve of Christmas children hang their stockings, so that Santa
Claus could put presents into them: oranges, sweets, nuts and if the
child didn't behave properly Santa Claus can put there a piece of coal
as punishment.
Santa Claus got his name from a man known as St. Nicolas, who lived
in the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor and often to
children. After he died, the Dutch brought this legend to colonial
America. Soon the Dutch name Sinter Klaus became Santa Claus.
Carol singing is an essential part of Christmas. No church or school
is without its carol service. Carols may be traditional or with some
variations that express different feelings. Carols were used for the
first time during Christmas in the fifteenth century.
Usually children come around in the evening to the front doors and
start singing carols and people who live in these houses give children
candies, nuts, pies and so on, to thank them for carol singing.
A typical Christmas lunch includes turkey with cranberry sauce and
pudding. Every young woman in each household helps to stir the Christmas
pudding, if she wishes to be married that year. Usually a coin or two
are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see who finds
it.
After the lunch they go to the sitting room to listen to the Christmas speech of the Queen, shown on TV.
So, Christmas is a merry family holiday for all the people of Great Britain. Christmas comes but once a year.
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