General Chat

I have been asked to help to compile a list of English Christmas customs and traditions including family favourites. I was wondering if anyone had any regional or cultural differences, any stories to tell . What changes have you seen over the years good or bad, what lost tradition would you like to see back again?

I would love to share your thoughts. Happy sad funny glad.


Thank you

Paula


<3

I shall have a think Paula

See if you can get hold of a copy of a book called 'By Rite' bu Bob Bushaway.

<3 <3. Thank you both

It’s difficult to differentiate between family and cultural traditions.

Probably the greatest change is that although the majority of English people will celebrate Christmas (not the original pagan event) they don’t attend church, neither Midnight Mass nor on Christmas Day.

When to open presents is possible one of the most variable. We used to allow the children to open their Stocking presents + one other first thing in the morning, but then wait until after lunch when all of the visiting relatives were there. The Royal Family open theirs on Christmas Eve.

During our lifetime, the main meat has changed from Chicken or Turkey to any variety of meat you care for. A 3 bird roast used to be the preserve of the wealthy. Now it’s readily available at supermarkets at affordable prices.

Mince pies served with the Christmas Pud, or with the afternoon tea/supper? That differs from family to family.

Thank you Det I am thinking of family traditions within different cultures.

Thats a tricky one then Polly.

Unless we've experienced a family Christmas in another part of the country from where we were raised, we don't know if or how they differ.

My neighbour, a Yorkshire man, always has cheese with his Christmas cake.

Not sure if this is because he comes from that area or not :-S :-D :-D

One thing that has changed over the years is that post is no longer delivered on Christmas day. I can remember watching the postman coming down the road and hoping he would stop at our house ;-)

I remember my father getting our boarding school bill in the Christmas Day post!

Christmas cake with Wensleydale cheese is a must in Yorkshire - and further north.

I also remember that in quite a few neighbouring houses we would be offered two pieces of Christmas cake at New Year - one piece from the year before and one from the new cake. I don't really know why, it was just something that happened.

Kath. x

Not sure this a a tradition lost, but when I was little I used to watch out for removal vans which would be delivering parcels from the post to houses. I don't think many of us receive parcels for christmas by post any more. (Well unless it is stuff bought on the internet). Maybe the demise of toyshops is a tradition lost, we would be taken to the toy shop to see Father Christmas and it was always elaborate. Like a moving (we thought) sleigh.

Money in the Christmas pudding. Christmas crackers.

I remember when visiting our grandparents in the 50s we were allowed to open one present in the morning and the rest of them before tea Christmas dinner alway had to finish dead on 3 and we all had to had a drink in our hands to toast the Queen us children had orange, there was always a 3d in the Christmas pudding but you were lucky to get one because there was never enough to go around all grandchildren but nan would save the 3d till the next year and then it would start all over again. I also remember the Christmas day post and the Sunday before Christmas, as

Germans celebrate Christmas eve. French go to midnight mass then tuck into a full on Christmas feast when they get home - sleeping can wait.

In the UK 'Christmas eve boxes' for children are creeping in :-0 Whether they still get stockings to open in the morning I have no idea.

In Spain, Naples and Portugal, they have the 'El Caganer' ie the crapper, in the corner of nativity scenes. :-D
This is, traditionally, a man in peasant clothing, relieving himself in the corner.

Thank you all for your comments. I am.making notes. Please keep them coming if you have time.


Keep smiling!



Paula

Our stockings were always similar, starting with a shiny penny in the toe, with a small bag of nuts and an orange (quite a feat in wartime) followed by some small gifts and topped off with a balloon. We always felt them at about 4 am, just to make sure that Santa had been!, and then opened them properly later.

Main presents were later, after we had eaten breakfast, and Boxing Day was for thank you letters. Later, as an adult, I used to be quite cross about parents who told their children that all their gifts were from Santa. This meant that the children never thanked the donor for anything until after they had discovered that Santa was a myth.

Ah yes - stockings had to have a fresh orange or equivalent, nuts and, in our case, chocolate coins.

The parents of those born shortly after WW2 would've thought oranges a luxury. Certainly in our family the orange and nuts are now omitted. A couple of them have substituted a chocolate orange.

We also had a coin in the pud. It was small and silver, possibly a 6d? Puddings were home made, not bought. Rather than boiling even bought ones for hours, many people will microwave instead. Metal coins & microwaves are not a good mix. No more hidden coins.

In our house,,,,,,,,christmas eve the house was filled with the smell of baking,,,,,,the crepe paper was fringed to put round the cake.silver balls to decorate the cake and home made iced biscuits.

rolling all the saved silver paper and threading on cotton for the tree.making paper chains.

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we always had a sugar pig or mouse in our stocking.wiht nuts etc,,,,,aunt had a grocery shop so we had a good supply of chritsmas tuck.

christmas day afternoon we played board games and cards with mum and dad,,,then the table was laid for late tea.with the traditional tin of Ye Old Oak Ham just incase anyone called. :-D :-D.
no one I know seems to have this quality family time nowdays.

I know a couple of Yorkshire people no longer living in Yorkshire but still adhering to their traditional Yorkshire way of eating Christmas cake with a slab of cheese. Why, I even do it myself sometimes. :-D

Polly, one of the newer traditions now adopted in England seems to be the Kristingle Service for children. It has become a regular occurrence.