Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack British Christmas Traditions Christmas has a long history in the UK, but we have the Victorians to thank for many of our most loved festive traditions, including sending cards and decorating Christmas trees. In fact, before the 19th Century, Christmas was barely celebrated in Britain. How did the Victorians celebrate Christmas? Much of our understanding of a merrie old English Christmas has more to do with the writings of Charles Dickens or Washington Irving than our real medieval ancestors. For the early Victorians, Christmas was an antiquated curiosity, but one that the English bourgeoisie were beginning to remember. Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is more an idealised romance based on his own childhood memory rather than a chronicle of what was happening at the time. But when the Victorians did rediscover Christmas they couldn’t stop themselves and soon we had Christmas cards, crackers and the sense that Christmas was a time for family. And, as Tiny Tim observed: “God bless us, every one.” When was the first Christmas card sent? Even some of our most established traditions have unusual origins. In 1843 John Calcott Horsley sent the first printed Christmas card for his friend, Sir Henry Cole The card caused some controversy at the time because it depicted a small child drinking wine, but in spite of this the idea of sending festive cards soon caught on. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? The custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from England. The earliest recorded date mentioning kissing under the mistletoe is in 1784 in a musical. There was kissing under the mistletoe in the illustrations in the first book version of 'A Christmas Carol' published in 1843, and this might have helped to popularise kissing under the mistletoe. 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! Will it be a white Christmas? In the UK, it doesn't snow very often, but people always want to know if it will be a 'White Christmas'. The British definition, used by the UK Meteorological Office (who say if it has been a White Christmas in the UK or not!), is that a single snow flake has been seen falling in the 24 hours of Christmas Day! This doesn't happen a lot in the UK!!! Statistics show that in the UK, they get an official White Christmas about every 4 or 5 years and have real snow at Christmas about 1 in 10 years (but often this is only normally in Scotland!). The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83% of stations (the highest amount ever recorded) but snow or sleet also fell at 19% of stations. We also had a white Christmas in 2009, when 13% of stations recorded snow or sleet falling, and 57% reported snow lying on the ground. Technically, 2017 was the last white Christmas in the UK, with 11% of weather stations recording snow falling. However, none reported any snow lying on the ground. This was also the case in 2016, when 6% of stations recorded falling snow, and in 2015, when 10% of stations saw snow. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Pru’s Traditional Christmas Cake There are a couple of traditions surrounding the Christmas cake. The first is the 'Stir Up' which traditionally takes place on the last Sunday before Advent (now more associated with the Christmas pudding). Traditionally the cake is made in November. The second is the 'feeding of the cake' when alcohol, usually brandy, sherry or whisky is added in small amounts through small holes in the cake (the cake during this time is kept in an airtight container) and the final tradition which is not so common now but was in Victorian times, it was thought to be unlucky to cut the cake before dawn on Christmas Eve. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Christmas in Germany Mery Christmas in German is Frohe Weihnachten! Christmas celebrations start in Germany on 24th December (Christmas Eve) when Christmas gifts are exchanged. On 25th December (Christmas Day) and 26 December, usually the family gets together for celebrations and also the religious Christians will visit Christmas mass during these days. The German festive season starts at the end of November or early December with the Advent celebrations. During the festive season, many cities and towns hold Christmas markets which open usually from beginning of December until Christmas eve. Christmas in France 'Merry Christmas' in French is 'Joyeux Noël.' Father Christmas is le Père Noël In the North East of France, Christmas celebrations begin on the 6 December - also known as Saint Nicholas' Day. The celebrations take place because, once upon a time there were three children who got lost in the countryside. A wicked butcher kidnapped them. Luckily, Saint Nicolas rescued the children and returned them to their parents. This is why Saint Nicholas is known as the protector of children. Another name for him is Santa Claus! On the night of 5 December (the eve of Saint Nicholas) children place their shoes at the entrance to their house. They also leave a carrot and a sugar lump for Saint Nicholas' donkey. During the night, the saint arrives bringing treats for the children to find in their shoes in the morning. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Christmas in Italy In Italian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Buon Natale', in Sicilian it's 'Bon Natali' and in Ladin (spoken in some parts of the northern Italian region of South Tyrol) it's 'Bon/Bun Nadèl'. In Italy, Christmas celebration lasts about one month, starting on December 8th, the day of the Immacolata, on which traditionally the presepe (Nativity scene) and the Christmas tree are set up, and lasting until the Epiphany, celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, on January 6th. Babbo Natale (Santa Claus/Father Christmas) is growing in popularity in Italy, but the true Christmas figure is La Befana. La Befana is usually depicted as a witch, and legend has it that this kind old woman was out sweeping when the Three Wise Men invited her to join them as they set out to visit the newborn King. Befana had too much to do, so she declined the offer to join the Magi on their journey. Once she realized Jesus was the Son of God, she regretted her choice, and now travels around the world leaving gifts for all the good children on January 6th. Christmas in Holland In Dutch Happy/Merry Christmas can be said as 'Prettige Kerst', 'Zalig Kerstfeest' or 'Zalig Kerstmis' For most children in The Netherlands, the most important day during December is 5th December, when Sinterklaas brings them their presents! St. Nicholas' Day is on the 6th December, but in The Netherlands, the major celebrations are held on the 5th December, St. Nicholas' Eve. The name Santa Claus comes from the name Sinterklaas. The evening of St. Nicholas’ Eve 'Sinterklaasavond' or 'Pakjesavond', the children will receive their presents during the evening. There might be a knock at the door and you might find a sack full of presents! On the 6th of December Sinterklaas leaves The Netherlands by steamboat via the entrance of the port of Rotterdam called the Hook of Holland and he travels back to Spain. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Christmas in Australia The most popular event of the Christmas season is called Carols by Candlelight. People come together at night to light candles and sing Christmas carols outside. Families decorate their homes with ferns, palm leaves, and evergreens, along with the colorful flowers that bloom in summer called Christmas bush and Christmas bellflower. Some families put up a Christmas tree. On Christmas Eve in families that observe Irish traditions, the father sets a large candle in a front window of the home to welcome Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus. The youngest child in the family lights the candle. Christmas Day is when families and close friends gather together from all over Australia. The highlight of the day is the holiday midday dinner. Some families enjoy a traditional British Christmas dinner of roast turkey or ham, other families head for the backyard barbie to grill their Christmas dinner in the sunshine. Many families even go to the beach or to the countryside and enjoy a picnic of cold turkey or ham and a salad. Father Christmas has been known to show up in shorts to greet children at the beach on Christmas! Christmas in The United States of America Traditions in America are very similar to in the UK Some Americans use pop-corn threaded on string to help decorate their Christmas Tree. Making gingerbread houses is also popular to make and eat at Christmas! People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen and Reindeer. The most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockefeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year. Bucks Mind Christmas Around The World Reminiscence Pack Unusual Christmas Traditions across the world Ukraine In addition to Japan the standard tinsel, fairy lights and Back in 1974, the American fast-food restaurant KFC baubles, released a festive marketing campaign in Japan.