Christmas

Christmas is the most important public holiday in Poland, the US and the UK, and takes place on around world. It is a Christian holiday, when the birth of Jesus is celebrated, but even people who are not Christian also celebrate. Christmas as one occasion to give presents and spend time with our families.

In the week before Christmas the shops are very busy because many people traditionally buy present for their friends and family for Christmas. Shops and huge firms decorate their buildings with lights and pictures showing things associated with Christmas: holly, Christmas trees, Santa Claus. Parents take their children there and the kids can meet Santa and tell him their wishes.
People also send Christmas cards to their friends in order to say Merry Christmas. The cards usually have pictures relating to Christmas traditions, presenting Christmas trees, holly, snowman, Santa Claus or Jesus.
Many people decorate their homes for Christmas. They buy Christmas trees on which they put small lights and decoration.

Christmas in Britain
Christmas is the most popular family holiday in Britain. In England, on 24th December usually all preparations for Christmas are complete. This day called Christmas Eve. In the evening some people go to church to attend the so called „midnight mass”. Children don’t forget to hang up old stockings for presents.
The most important day is the 25th of December. Early in the morning children wake up and open their present. On this day people eat Christmas dinner. Dinner traditionally consists of roast turkey, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and many other vegetables. For the dessert they eat Christmas pudding. In the evening queen gives her message on TV. The tradition is that people kiss under the mistletoe. It brings luck. People go from house to house singing special songs called carol.
The 26 December is called Boxing Day. It is celebrated as a bank holiday. On this day people give presents of money to paperboys or dustmen. This is last non-working day and the last day of the Christmas celebration. People spend Boxing Day relaxing or visiting friends and relatives.

Christmas in Poland
Polish Christmas has many traditions. In Poland we have Christmas Eve. It is on December 24th. It is a very important day for Polish Christian people. On this day families decorate Christmas tree-fir or pine tree with paper stars, angels, toys, nuts and glass balls. When the first star appears in the sky, people take their seats at the Christmas table. They share wafer and wish one another the best wishes like: good health, luck, big money etc. They leave an empty place for an unexpected guest. Traditionally dishes should be twelve. The most popular dishes are red borsch, pies and sour cabbage with mushrooms, fish (usually carp) and pappy-seed cake. The interesting dish is kutia. In it there are nuts, honey, almonds, cooked wheat and dried fruit. There is also a custom of giving presents. At midnight many people go to church. The next day, on December 25, is Christmas-the families eat and talk again, sing carols and go to church. On Christmas we can eat meat. We eat salads, cakes, smoked meat, sausages, pate, roasted chicken or turkey filled with dried fruit and drink beetroot soup and good alcohol. The next day is St. Stephen’s day. It is on December 26. The families eat the rest of food, talk, visit friends with wishes, sing carols and go to church to remember St. Stephen. From that day the festivities begin.
Christmas is one of the most important awaited holidays in the year. Everyone loves it since this is a unique time when people try to be kind, friendly and generous to one another all over the word.

Christmas in USA
On December 24, Christmas Eve, Santa hitches his eight reindeer to a sleigh, and loads it with presents. The reindeer pull him and his sleigh through the sky to deliver presents to children all around the world. In anticipation of Santa's visit, American children listen to their parents read "The Night Before Christmas". December 25 th, Christmas Day, is a public holiday when people spend it with their families. They open presents and then have a special meal – Christmas Dinner. Typically this is roast turkey with potatoes and other vegetables, usually carrots and sprouts.
People also visit their friends and arrange parties.