Christmas traditions in Great Britain.
Everywhere in the world, Christmas has one thing in common. It keeps everyone
busy even the youngest family members. This year I was to spend it with my aunt Cecilia from Edinburgh. As I have to know at the beginning, the hustle and bustle of the season begins well before Christmas and there is barely anytime for a break until the Twelfth night. There is preparation going on of foods, the sending of Christmas cards, the decorating of houses, and churches.
No wonder that when I went shopping with my aunt, I got lost in a crowd of people, searching for Christmas presents and decorations.
I suppose that in a normal day, when a child got lost in a big town – almost naturally burst down crying, but not me, not during such an interesting time.
As I realized that I was alone, I decided to walk down the street and look at the shop windows. All shops were decorated with Christmas chains. However, the time passed and it started to get dark. I sat in the stairs to the small theatre. The owner let me come in. There had just a rehearsal of a show begun. It was a pantomime. I had not known what it was before. They were playing Aladdin, and next Cinderella; it was all for
children for Christmas. I really enjoyed it. The audience was asked to take part by shouting out, when something is said or when they see something, or by booing, when the bad character appears. The actors sang songs, and all children were then invited to the stage. What surprised me was a pretty, young woman playing handsome young man and a man dressed as an ugly woman. That was funny. As I have to know pantomimes were
traditional Christmas plays put on in a theatre for children. It is traditional for the audience to join with the pantomimes. It usually starts on Boxing Day but often before Christmas, so now more people can see it.
When the performance ended, the owner of the theatre, Mr. Brown offered to take me to my aunt’s house. During our way back home, he told me what people in England prepare for Christmas dinner. Christmas meal is really traditional – stuffed turkey, boiled ham, mashed potatoes to be followed by plum pudding, mince pies, tea or coffee, and cakes. All the family stirs the pudding and makes a wish. When the pudding is hot, they put 5-penny piece means in it and sometimes-silver chains – a horseshoe, or button, or a ring. A 5-penny piece means you are going to have money the next year, the horseshoe brings good luck, the ring means wedding.
If there are children in the family, people usually have Christmas crackers. When you pull them, they make a bang, and inside there is usually a paper hat, a small toy, or a piece of paper with a joke in it.
When we got to my aunt’s house, thanked Mr. Brown, and said that I was really looking forward to spending Christmas there in England.