22/12/2017
CHRISTMAS IN THE UK
In Britain, planning for Christmas begins before the commencement of
December and it includes buying decorative items, cleaning houses,
organizing gifts, baking pies and sending Christmas cards across to families
and friends. The essence of love among people is regenerated through the
goodness of the occasion and even the family members living abroad are not
left untouched of the warmth. If you are looking to be a part of Christmas
celebrations that are a perfect fusion of & #39;modern& #39; and & #39;traditional& #39;, Great Britain
is where you should be heading.
Arrangements for the Christmas feast is done until the meal is ready to be
consumed. The table is usually decorated with fruits, flowers and candles. The
Christmas pudding must contain thirteen ingredients, of which, one is for Jesus
and the rest for the twelve disciples. A silver coin is dropped in the pudding
mix which is meant to bring prosperity and good luck to the family. Turkey,
served with cranberry sauce, roast vegetables and potatoes are the centre of
attraction of the entire feast. The Christmas pudding must have a holly placed
on top of it.
After a heavy meal, all members of the family watch the customary Christmas
special speech by the British Monarch. In the evening, people pay visits to
their relatives around Britain. Certain churches have services in which every
child is given a candle wrapped in a red ribbon which symbolizes the blood of
Jesus.
The brightly shining Christmas trees on the eve of Christmas make for a great
view. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone
helping. They are decorated with candies, cookies and bulbs and are taken
down only twelve days after Christmas. The tradition of Christmas trees can be
traced down to Prince Albert who brought this tradition all the way from
Germany.
Most villages, towns and cities are decorated with Christmas lights over
Christmas. Often a famous person switches them on. The most famous
Christmas lights in the UK are in Oxford Street in London. Every year they get
bigger and better. Thousands of people go to watch the big switch on around
the beginning of November.
There are some customs that only take place, or were started, in the UK.
Wassailing is an old Anglo-Saxon custom that does not take place much
today. Boxing Day is a very old custom that started in the UK and is now taken
as a holiday in many countries around the world.
vocabulary:
commencement – začátek
essence – podstata, základ
to head – mířit
disciple – učedník
prosperity – blahobyt
ribbon – stužka
bulb – žárovka
trace down – vystopovat
switch on – rozsvítit