snorkmaiden

We've just been into a thanksgiving type party at our childrens school and my sons teacher told us they were learning about Christmas traditions, and wondered if there were any specific to England that she could tell the class about.

Of the top of our heads we could only come up with Boxing Day and the Queens speech.

Can anyone think of anything else the British associate with Christmas that the Americans don't?

James Box

British fruit cake (apparently fruit cake is different over here) with marzipan and icing (frosting).
Christmas pudding

cabritpop

Mince Pies

NC Penguin

Christmas crackers!!

The custom of sending Christmas card originated in the UK I think (please Google for clarification).

There's probably others...




NC Penguin

Bob

Being a slob on boxing day rather than shopping...

Crackers, Mince Pies, Nasty fruit steamed pudding, Roast potatoes.

adeshell

We get a Boxing day this year as the 26th is a Sunday. Its really pants going back to work on the 26th Decemeber,

Big Vern

SPROUTS!!!! :scared:

Tone

Two week shutdown...

NC Penguin

That's Brussels, not alfalfa!!

Do people still play games like charades at Christmas?

mvjenno

The holiday special issue of Radio Times...

Patrick

Being slapped for tieing mistletoe to my belt buckle!

Bob

Aye, but there still evil...though I've seen 'em about...and lots of shows doing things with 'em for thanks giving...eek...

Wintersong

Cliff Richard songs spring to mind, as does Eastenders being miserable and Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials.
How about angel chimes?
Do they do the whole crackers, poor jokes and silly hats thing?
Pantomimes?

Here's one that is specific to my family, which I love and will continue til the day I die:
One year, when I was about 8, my Dad came home from work on Christmas Eve and walked into the house with a huge smile on his face, saying he had a big surprise for Christmas Day. Mum was convinced he had got us a puppy. When he said it was in the garage overnight she started to have second thoughts...
Anyway, Christmas morning rolled around and it turned out to be a bottle of champagne (money was tight in those days and champagne didn't happen often) which we had for breakfast with Eggs Fromage (my Dad's own version of scrambled eggs with lashings of cheese) and crusty bread. We've had it every year since and it certainly helps you to pretend to like that hideous jumper from Auntie Doris when you're half cut by 10am

Yosser

Now thats one thing I really miss, a good ol' xmas cake.

Couple of years ago my wife bought me a Collin street bakery fruit cake thinking it was like ours back home, bloody awful it was, frigging pecans in it

Typical British tradition

- Top of the pops number 1 on xmas day.
- Piss up down the pub on xmas eve.
- Major hangover on xmas day.
- More drinking on boxing day

Englishmum

Hanging up decorations *inside* the house!

We used to buy those strips of coloured paper which had gum at the end and make them into long rows to hang just below the ceiling (with balloons in the corners!).

Most people that I know in Blighty display their Christmas cards on the walls and don't put them in a basket where no-one can see them.....and no, the Brits don't normally send photo cards of their smiling family to all and sundry LOL!!

Did anyone ever try to make the 'Blue Peter' Advent Candle with two wire clothes hangars and lots of tinsel?

I think it's dying out now but we used to get Christas Carollers going door to door....and the Salvation Army brass band doing a mini-concert outside next to the town's Christmas Tree. Sometimes the Sally Army would go into the pubs with their collection boxes at Christmastime.....