3 UK Christmas Traditions
3 min read
Level: Intermediate
Christmas markets, Santa Claus, reindeer and Christmas lights— it’s not hard not to get that festive feeling…
There are many things that can help you to start feeling Christmassy, especially as the 25th of December gets closer and closer. Festivities start in November in the UK when you start to see twinkling lights in people’s homes. And, the shops start to put up their Christmas displays in the windows. Then there’s that one day when you hear that Christmas song on the radio, and that’s it. You’ve been caught and you now have that Christmas feeling! Here are three of the top UK Christmas traditions that give you that festive feeling. Let’s go…!
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Christmas Trees
When I was a girl, Christmas always started when we made that visit to the Christmas tree farm. My mum would wake up one morning and say, ‘Let’s go and choose the tree’. Of course most of the trees looked exactly the same, but that didn’t matter to us. We would run around the trees in the crisp winter air smelling the pines and looking for the perfect tree.
The most exciting part was bringing the tree home. But we weren’t allowed to decorate it until Christmas got closer…but that was all part of the excitement! Many people now decorate their trees at the start of November. And now most people have plastic trees, however recently more people have been buying real trees. They put them in pots in their gardens to reuse the following year.
Christmas Markets
While waiting to decorate our tree, we would go to different Christmas events: Santa’s grotto or special carol services to prepare for the big day. My favourite event was the Santa train. There would always be a special gift for each child. I also always loved the Christmas markets. They smell beautiful and are decorated with bright lights. There is also something tasty for everyone to try with food from around the world. It’s truly a special place to be and they’re always filled with people happy to be there.
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Decorating Your Home
The finishing touch for me was decorating the Christmas tree. Hanging up cards around the home and putting tinsel on every shelf in the house. I believe that lots of people today really enjoy decorating their homes with their families, baking cookies and making everything shine! Most people like to decorate their houses with red and gold, and add a star to the top of their tree. Outside some people’s homes you can find wonderful light displays. People also often drive around to look at the beautiful homes. It really is a wonderful experience.
Knowing all of these details, it’s no surprise at all that the Christmas feeling is easy to find, especially here at Britcent. As teachers we love sharing our British culture and traditions with you in our 1-1 classes. Even if you don’t have a Christmas tree or a special market to visit, you can feel festive too. Book a class today and practise your English with us, you won’t be disappointed!
Vocabulary takeaway
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Please note: These blog posts are written in informal, conversational English.