CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS OF THE UK
by the students Liapi Elena & Zounali Valeria
1.St Nicholas ,Santa Claus & Father Christmas
The Man Behind the Story of Father Christmas/Santa Claus St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century, in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money. He was also a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it. There are several legends about St. Nicholas, although we don’t know if any of them are true!The most famous story about St. Nicholas tells how the custom of hanging up stockings to put presents in first started!
Because of his kindness Nicholas was made a Saint. St. Nicholas is not only the saint of children but also of sailors!
How St. Nicholas Became Santa ClauS ?
In the 16th Century in northern Europe, after the reformation, the stories and traditions about St. Nicholas became unpopular.
But someone had to deliver presents to children at Christmas, so in the UK, particularly in England, he became “St Christmas’, “Father Christmas” or “Old Man Christmas’, an old character from story plays during the middle ages in the UK and parts of northern Europe.
The UK Father Christmas and the American Santa Claus became more and more alike over the years and are now one and the same.
Some people say that Santa lives at the North Pole. In Finland, they say that he lives in the north part of their country called Lapland.But everyone agrees that he travels through the sky on a sledge that is pulled by reindeer, that he comes into houses down the chimney at night and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds, in front of the family Christmas tree, or by the fire place.
2.The History of Christmas Stockings
In England, Christmas presents might be found in a Christmas Stocking, hanging up by a fireplace or at the end of a child’s bed.
The custom of hanging stockings comes from the story of St. Nicholas dropping money into a stocking drying by the fireplace or window to help out a poor family.
It is now more common to find chocolate coins at the bottom of a Christmas stocking, rather than real coins or even a tangerine, clementine or satsuma! You might also now find a candy cane sticking out the top of the stocking.
3. Boxing Day – the Day after Christmas!
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December).[1] Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to poor people, today Boxing Day forms part of Christmas celebrations, with many people choosing to take advantage of Boxing Day sales. It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in several Commonwealth nations. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday. Boxing Day is also concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen’s Day.
4. Mistletoe
Why do we kiss under mistletoe?
The custom of kissing under Mistletoe seems to comes from England. The earliest recorded date mentioning kissing under the mistletoe is in 1784 in a song from a musical comedy called “Two to One’. The custom appears to have started around the 1720s, so in the early Georgian period
There were illustrations of kissing under the mistletoe in the first book version of “A Christmas Carol” published in 1843, and this might have helped to popularised the custom. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing!
~CHRISTMAS PLATES~
5.Christmas Turkeys
By 1720 there were about 250,000 turkeys being farmed every year in Norfolk (on the east coast of England in the UK). As well as coming via Turkey/Constantinople, turkeys also came into the UK from The Netherlands (which is quite near Norfolk by sea) via Spanish and Portuguese traders who had strong historical with The Netherlands/Holland.Turkeys became “fashionable” to eat for Christmas in the UK in the 1840s and 1850s. In “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, which was published in 1843, the Cratchit family first had a goose, but at the end of the book Ebenezer Scrooge gives them a turkey, because it was bigger and more “important’. Dickens’s family are also recorded having a turkey for Christmas in 1843!
Queen Victoria first had a Turkey at Christmas in 1851 (along with the more traditional goose and beef). In the 1861 book «Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management», turkey was praised the as the Christmas meal for the growing “middle classes” and the book even included instructions on how to carve them “correctly’.
6. EGGNOG
Eggnog is a traditional “American” drink but it started life in the UK as a kind of “posset” (hot milk mixed with wine or ale and spices). There are a very few old mentions of eggs being mixed in as well.
During the middle ages, possets were used to help treat colds and the flu. (Now the word posset is normally used for a cold set milk pudding which was developed from the drink in the 16th century.)
“Posher” possets were also drunk by the upper classes in the UK, where it was made with Sherry or Brandy rather than beer or ale.
7.CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Christmas (or Plum) Pudding is the traditional end to the British Christmas dinner. But what we think of as Christmas Pudding, is not what it was originally like!
Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called “frumenty” that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. This would often be more like soup and was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas festivities.
Over the years, many superstitions have surrounded Christmas Puddings. One superstition says that the pudding should be made with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and His Disciples and that every member of the family should take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west, in honour of the Wise Men.
~Royal family making Christmas pudding~
8. MINCE PIES
Mince Pies, are small, normally round pies. They’re very popular in the UK and some other countries like Australia and New Zealand.
Like Christmas Puddings, were originally filled with ground up or “minced” meat, such as lamb, as well as dried fruit and spices, which where they got their name from.
Over the years the meet went out of them, as sugar and dried fruit became more affordable.
So although they’re still called Mince Pies, and their filling is still called’mincemeat’, there’s no longer meat in them!
CHRISTMAS CAROLS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zKfX9gGCs
~MERRY CHRISTMAS~HAPPY HOLIDAYS ~&~HAPPY NEW YEAR~
