Christmas is a magical time for anybody. It can be even more magical if this is the first Christmas that you’ve spent in the UK. There’s so much to do, see and explore. But you’d be forgiven if you found some if not all of our Christmas traditions confusing or downright bizarre.
Making things even more confusing is that many people who have grown up with these Christmas traditions probably don’t think that they’re bizarre at all. But where do these bizarre Christmas traditions come from, and why do we take part in them?
Read on and have all of these strange Christmas traditions explained for you.
Christmas Trees
The centrepiece of many homes, many people think that Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, introduced Christmas trees from Germany. However, they have their origins in Scandinavian winter festivals.
Christmas Crackers
These strange cylindrical objects that are designed to be pulled apart in a festive tug of war originated in the 1840s. Tom Smith created the first cracker. After a trip to Paris, he’d noticed how much the French loved colourfully wrapped bon-bon sweets.
He decided to make his own version, including a riddle in each wrapper. Dissatisfied, he later added the distinctive snap we use today. The naff jokes, toys and paper hats came along later.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a plant that grows during the winter months of the UK. It is often hung above doorways at Christmas time. Those who meet underneath it are supposed to exchange a kiss. Not necessarily a full-on kiss. A kiss on the hand or the cheek will do!
Christmas Pudding
This strange, brown fruit cake is made with plenty of alcohol. The hight alcohol content allows it to be matured and aged for up to six months before it is served. Home-made variants will often have pound coins inside of them.
If you happen to find a coin in your slice, it’s supposed to bring you good luck. When Christmas puddings are served, they are often doused in brandy and set on fire before being served, similar to flambee.
Boxing Day
The day after Christmas day is known as Boxing Day. Traditionally it was a day after Christmas when “postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas box”. A Christmas box was seen as a gift from employers, the wealthy and other people in positions of power as a way of giving a small something to those less fortunate.
These days, Boxing Day is all about either spending more time with your family or spending all of your money in the Boxing Day sales.
These are some of the best Christmas traditions the UK has to offer
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