Christmas around the
world
GREAT BRITAIN
England
The 24"' of December is called Christmas Eve. It is not a holiday in Britain. But it's the big day for
decorating the house. They decorate their trees with tinsel, coloured lights, coloured glass bowls,
chocolate coins and candy canes. At the top they put an angel or a star.
The rest of the house is decorated with balloons, paper chains, holly and mistletoe. The children
hang up their stocking by the chimney.
On the morning of the 25th- Christmas Day, the children wake up early to find their stockings
filled with presents from Father Christmas.
The Christmas dinner is usually eaten at midday or early afternoon. The dinner includes roast
turkey, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and Christmas pudding.
At 3 0'clock in the afternoon on the 25th of December, the Queen gives her Christmas speech
to the nation. It is broadcast on radio and television.
Scotland
Wales
The Scots have their big celebration on New
The Welsh really like singing so at Christmas
Year's Day. On Christmas Day people
they have a lot of carol singers.
sometirnes make big bonfires and dance
around them. Some also play bagpipes. The
A lot of people gather in the public square.
Christrnas celebrations are pretty small
The person who has written the best carol
because the Church of Scotland doesrft care
wins a prize.
that much about Christmas.
People here decorate their houses in the
same way as the Englishmen.
It is very itnportant to make taffy. It is a kind
of chocolate toffee. Instead of eating turkey
the Welsh eat goose.
TAFFY
AUSTRALIA
Christmas in Australia is often very hot because it is in the middle of their
summer. It is often around 35 degrees Celsius in December. Santa often
comes on a surf board or on a lifesaving boat.
Thousands of people gather every Christmas Eve in Melbourne.
They sing their favourite Christmas songs together. It is called
"Carols by Candlelight" because the stars in heaven are like candles.
A traditional Australian Christmas dinner includes turkey, ham and pork.
They eat a flaming Plum pudding or Mince pie for dessert.
Some Australians have their Christmas dinner at the beach. Thousands of
people eat at Bondi Beach in Sydney. If they are at home they swim in the
pool, play Cricket in the backyard or do other outdoor activities.
USA
Christmas celebrations are very different in different parts of the country.
For instance: In California, Santa Claus comes on a surf board but in New
York he moves around in a sleigh drawn by reindeers.
In the capital city, Washington DC, the president lights a giant Christmas
tree by pressing a button.
Most homes arc decorated with holly, mistletoe and branches of trees.
Altnost everyone have a Christinas tree hung with electric lights, tinsel,
baubles, and strings of popcorn and candy canes.
In America the traditional Christmas dinner is roast turkey, goose, duck, or
ham served with cranberry sauce. Then they cat plum pudding or pumpkin
pie.
Most Americans exchange gifts and greetings
and visit their families. A lot of people go to the
Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
In 1863 Santa Claus got his name. He wears a
red suit and smokes a pipe. He has a sleigh
and reindeers. The most famous reindeer is
Rudolph.
Santa has two homes in the USA. Onc is in
Connecticut where Santa and his helpers
make all the presents. The other one is in
Wilmington where there is an entire village for
Santa and his reindeers
CANADA
Many homes in Canada are decorated with the
usual Christmas decorations, but they also have
nativity scenes as a part of their decorations. On
Christmas Eve people visit the midnight mass.
When they get home from church they eat pork pie
or small meatballs called boulettes.
In Canada the traditional Christmas dinner is roast
turkey with vegetables and sauces. For desert they
eat fruity Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
