British Christmas Traditions : British Christmas Traditions
Boxing Day : Boxing Day When is Boxing Day?
In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December.
Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.
Slide 3 : What is a Christmas Box?
The Christmas box was a wooden or clay container where people placed gifts.
History of Boxing Day
To protect ships
During the Age of Exploration, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, A Christmas Box was used as a good luck device.
Slide 4 : To help the poor
An 'Alms Box' was placed in every church on Christmas Day, into which worshippers placed a gift for the poor. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day became known as Boxing Day.
A present for the workers
Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.
Slide 5 : And the tradition still continues today ......
The tradition of giving money to workers still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees.
What happens on Boxing Day in England? : What happens on Boxing Day in England? Traditionally, Boxing Day is the day when families get together. It is a day of watching sports and playing board games with the family.
Many families will go on walks in the countryside together on Boxing day.
Slide 7 : In recent times, some shops have broken from tradition and started opening on Boxing Day to start the New Year sales. Hundreds of people now spend Boxing Day morning in queues outside shops, waiting to be the first to dive for the sales racks as the doors opened.
It is unlucky to kill a wren on any day apart from Boxing Day. Hunting of the Wren on Boxing Day was once a popular activity in England.
Groups of young boys know as 'Wren boys' would hunt a wren and then tie the dead bird to the top of a pole, decorated with holly sprigs and ribbons. With blackened faces, the group would sing at houses in hopes for coins, gifts or food.
A Traditional English Christmas Dinner : A Traditional English Christmas Dinner The Christmas Dinner is the main Christmas meal and is traditionally eaten at mid-day or early afternoon on Christmas Day in England, and also in the rest of Britain.
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Facts about Christmas Food : Facts about Christmas Food Christmas pudding was first made as a kind of thick soup with raisins and wine in it.
Christmas pudding originates from an old, Celtic dish known as 'frumenty'.
In the 19th century, the Christmas Cake was eaten on Christmas Eve. It was consider unlucky to cut a Christmas cake before dawn on Christmas Eve.
It is considered unlucky to cut a mince pie with a knife.
Facts about Christmas : Facts about Christmas Each year between 34-36 million Christmas trees are produced to cope with the holiday demand.
Electric tree lights were first used just 3 years after Thomas Edison has his first mass public demonstration of electric lights back in 1879. Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.
Jokes to tell at Christmas time : Jokes to tell at Christmas time What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
How can a snowman lose weight?
What did one snowman say to the other snowman?
What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
What often falls at the North Pole but never gets hurt?
Slide 16 : Merry Christmas