Christmas in England – It’s a marshmallow world in the winter… 

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year! Although the weather is gloomy, everyone is feeling festive. There are Christmas lights everywhere and some people even fully decorate their own houses. Lots of people take time to have Sunday roasts at the home or at the local pub. Traditionally, Sunday roast is a big meal you eat with your family, consisting of roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, meat/vegetarian option and gravy. Homemade is always best though! And pictures don’t do it justice either, it’s just so good. Workplaces, family and friends will also hold Christmas parties, and there are loads of events going on. 

On Christmas day , we have a roast dinner with our families. And then there are presents! We always used to open them as soon as we woke up because it was so exciting, but most families open them after dinner. Just before we eat, we have Christmas crackers. Two people pull each end of the Christmas cracker and BANG! They pop, and if you're left with the bigger piece, you win. You get a hat, a joke and the little prize inside! After we eat, we have drinks, play board games, watch movies, or go to other people’s houses for – you guessed it – a Christmas party!

During the winter, England is gifted a tree from Norway and this tree is placed in Trafalgar Square. The lights are usually hung vertically because that's how trees in Norway are decorated. And central London is filled with Christmas markets, decorations and Christmas lights - it’s so beautiful! Here's my tree at home. 

 

 

More locally, councils, churches and charities put on a range of events. My family’s favourite is from the Rotary Club. They have a float that drives down the road, and people collect money for charity dressed as Santa. My mum especially loves it, and starts running around the house collecting spare change as soon as she hears the loud Christmas music from the float in the distance! 

It’s fun to see how different parts of the world celebrate the same holiday. I was really surprised to see that in Japan it’s more of an event for couples rather than families. But I’m excited to see if Nagoya will have any European-style Christmas markets!