Christmas in Britain

Christmas is the most popular family holiday in Britain. On 24 December usually all preparations for Christmas are complete. Christmas greeting cards are exchanged, a Christmas tree is decorated and presents are purchased. In many work places the annual parties are held and shops and banks close earlier. Late in the evening some people go to church to attend the so called "midnight mass". Childrendo not forget to hang up old stockings at the head of their beds as they believe that Santa Claus who arrives in a sledge drawn by reindeer visits each child's house and leaves wonderful presents.

Chistmas Eve is followed by Christmas Day (25th December) which is the most important day of Christmas. Early in the morning children wake up and open their presents. At midday the whole family gathers at the Christmas table. Christmas dinner traditionally consists of roast turkey, mince pies and rich Christmas pudding decorated with holly and containing delicacies, dried fruit and spices.

Everyone eats one's fill and children have much fun pulling "crackers" (cardboard tubes containing small presents, printed jokes and paper hats). When two people pull a cracker, it explodes and throws out its contents. Then everyone puts on a paper hat and jokes are read. On this day the Queen delivers an annual oration on television.

The 26th December, following Christmas Day, is called Boxing Day. It is celebrated as a bank holiday. On this day people give presents of money to paperboys or dustmen. They visits their friends or arrange parties. This is the last non-working day and the last day of the Christmas celebration. However, the Christmas season continues until the twelfth day after Christmas Day (6th January).

***

holiday - święto

preparations - przygotowania

complete - ukończone

Christmas greetings cards - świąteczne kartki z życzeniami

Christmas tree - choinka

purchase - kupić

annual parties - doroczne przyjęcia

hold - odbywać się

attend - wziąć udział

midnight mass - msza o północy

stockings - skarpety na prezenty

Santa Claus - Święty Mikołaj

sledge (BrE) - sanie

sleigh (AmE) - sanie

reindeer - renifer

presents - prezenty

midday - południe

gather - gromadzić się, zbierać

Christmas dinner - świąteczny obiad

roast turkey - pieczeń z indyka

mince pies - okrągłe babeczki z suszonymi owocami, bakaliami itd.

rich Christmas pudding - suty świąteczny pudding

delicacies - bakalie

dried fruit - suszone owoce

spices - przyprawy

holly - ostrokrzew (krzew z czerwonymi owocami o ostro zakończonych twardych listkach, tradycyjne przybranie świąteczne w Anglii)

to eat one's fill - najeść się do syta

crackers - walce (tuby) papierowe z niespodzianką i ogniem bengalskim, które wybuchają, gdy dwie osoby ciągną je w przeciwne strony

cardboard tubes - tekturowe tuby

printed jokes - wydrukowane żarty

to put on - wkładać

to deliver an annual oration - wygłosić doroczne uroczyste orędzie

Boxing Day - drugi dzień świąt, nazwa pochodzi od dawnego zwyczaju dawania prezentów (Christmas Boxes) służącym i dostawcom

bank holiday - oficjalne święto państwowe, gdy wszystkie banki, sklepy i biura są zamknięte

paperboys - roznosiciele gazet

dustmen - śmieciarze

arrange a party - wydać przyjęcie

celebration - świętowanie

Christmas season - okres świąteczny