When I was a child growing up in England, Christmas was always a wonderful time, and while I now enjoy this special time here in the U.S. with my husband and children, I still look back each year on those memories of the customs both within my family and of England. Many are similar, such as decorating the Christmas tree and hanging stockings for Father Christmas (Santa), although some customs differ, depending on the area of England.
Christmas morning would bring squeals and excitement, as my brothers and I plowed through a heap of presents that we had been waiting since five a.m. to open.
Mum would get the turkey in the oven, and often we would pop to the neighbors for a glass of sherry. (I remember one particular year when my mother had a little too much and we almost lost the turkey on the kitchen floor!)
Dinner was midday, and we would drag a table into the living room by the tree to eat. Each place had a Christmas cracker, which is a popper type device covered in colorful paper and contains a paper crown, toy and a joke.
My dad would make a Christmas cake each year, which was a fruit cake laced with rum or brandy, which would be eaten after dinner or Christmas pudding, which is a similar dessert covered in brandy sauce. (Yes, we Brits like a little zing in our desserts!)
In the afternoon the television would be switched on to watch the Queen’s speech. I can not remember anything in particular she ever said, but the day would be missing something without her face speaking from the palace.
The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day, and I am often asked the significance of this day. There have been a few explanations of this day that originated long ago, but the most commonly held idea stems from the days of old, when large houses had servants who would tend to the family on Christmas Day. The next day was their free day, and they were given a box containing gifts and bonuses. Nowadays of course it is simply another day off from work, although many use the time for visiting family.
I may be far from home and Christmas is the time of year when I particularly feel the space between myself and my family in England, but the traditions that have been created with my own children comfort me. Luckily some memories such as the Christmas crackers are now making their way across the Atlantic and onto my dinner table as they are now available in a few stores here.
Happy Holidays to all, and may your memories be as wonderful as mine.