Anyone who has traveled even a little knows the wonderfully disorienting experience of celebrating holidays or observing festivals in a fashion or style different from what we were used to growing up. For example, trying to convince anyone that for Thanksgiving supper, stuffing is superior cornbread dressing might get you a turkey leg upside the head.
Traditions have long, intertwined roots. And, as such, they are not to be tampered with lightly. And it is no different with Christmas. Not that one culture’s traditions are better than others. They are just different. Here are just a few of my favorite traditions that England observes but either does not happen or rarely happens in the United States.
Music: There are several things here.
First, it must be said that this writer loves Christmas music. I can hardly wait for the day the local radio station converts to a 24 hr Christmas music format. That said, it does seem wear on many. And that is why I really like how few stations in the U.K switch over to a completely Christmas format. The closest I can find is Classic FM, which gradually increases their Christmas-themed music as they get closer to the big day. And even then, most of the music is religious music rather than ceremonial. That struck me, having grown up in a nation that does not have a national religion or state-sponsored religion.
Closely tied to this is the number of concerts that every town and organization seems to sponsor. If it is not a choir, then its a brass band. And if its not a choir, its a local church’s service. And if not that, then its the school nativity play or a local group’s “panto”. But forget the town tree lighting service. You could spend all your free time in December going to these wonderful little treats. Additionally, I recently heard a piece on BBC Radio 2 on the Yorkshire tradition of gathering in the pubs to do hymn sings. Apparently people travel for miles, sometimes literally across the world, to attend. Don’t get me wrong, we have our fair share of singing in the US but I really think we’re just rank amateurs when it comes to the per capita quantity compared to the U.K.
Lastly, under the rubric of music, I must confess I really do like the tunes used in the U.K. for O Little Town of Bethlehem and Away in the Manger.
Accouterments: I really miss the Christmas Crackers and accompanying paper crowns. I have no clue what the tradition on these things are. But for the uninitiated, imagine small firecracker inside a festively decorated tube. Pull at the two ends and “pop”. You get a loud noise and some silly kind of treasure that kids (and the occasional adult) goes ga-ga over. Also in the cracker is a paper crown. I assume this is a figuration of the three kinds but Chrismas dinner, all dressed up and with the sterling on the table, looks delightfully silly with poor-fitting paper crowns are atop everyone’s head, including grandma who just paid to have her hair done the day before. Lastly, I miss the children’s services with the Christingles. Christingles are decorated oranges. With the finished product looking something like the Queen’s orb, each part of the christingle is symbolic of something related to Jesus, his life and ministry. Something so simple. I know its crazy. Every church I’ve been in back in the U.S. has had it introduced at some point.
Transportation: This something I do not really care for but find interesting. To me, its a little off-putting that a great number of people traveling for the holidays aren’t so much traveling to see family but are looking for a place where they can get a tan in December and drink the holiday away with family or friends. Admittedly, folks in the U.S. are increasingly making destination-themed Christmas part of our lives but it seems many times its those of us in the south search for something approaching a white Christmas. But what I do enjoy about the U.K. travel system is that just about everything in U.K. shuts down on Christmas day. Airports are all but closed. If there’s a train on the tracks on Christmas day, I would be surprised. While potentially inconvenient, there is something enduring about this. The Christ child’s birth is so important, that even the trains and planes stop for him.
“Extended Hours”: I remember being profoundly assumed that “extended holiday shopping hours” meant staying open until 8pm. Obviously, the whole island has a few more levels to discover until they are masters of the art of “retail therapy.” In the U.S. malls regularly stay open until at least 10pm the few nights before Christmas Eve. But there is something nice about shorter retail days. First of all, it means that retail employees get to be home with family and friends at a decent hour. Also, it demonstrates that, culturally, maybe there’s not as much emphasis on the retail/ commercial side of Christmas that our friends at Coca-Cola invented for us so long ago.
And this leads me to my last point, the Christmas I spent in Britain was not as fixated on consumption as the Christmases I spend in the United States. I realize that this is a matter of degree and that I lived in a rural area with a high unemployment rate. Back then, I was just out of grad school and on my own. Now, I am married and have a child. So circumstances are different. But still, I have the impression that while there’s great emphasis placed on gift giving, there’s not the price tag that we place here in the U.S.
Christmas in England: An Expat Returned Home’s View
Anyone who has traveled even a little knows the wonderfully disorienting experience of celebrating holidays or observing festivals in a fashion or style different from what we were used to growing up. For example, trying to convince anyone that for Thanksgiving supper, stuffing is superior cornbread dressing might get you a turkey leg upside the head.
Traditions have long, intertwined roots. And, as such, they are not to be tampered with lightly. And it is no different with Christmas. Not that one culture’s traditions are better than others. They are just different. Here are just a few of my favorite traditions that England observes but either does not happen or rarely happens in the United States.
Music: There are several things here.
First, it must be said that this writer loves Christmas music. I can hardly wait for the day the local radio station converts to a 24 hr Christmas music format. That said, it does seem wear on many. And that is why I really like how few stations in the U.K switch over to a completely Christmas format. The closest I can find is Classic FM, which gradually increases their Christmas-themed music as they get closer to the big day. And even then, most of the music is religious music rather than ceremonial. That struck me, having grown up in a nation that does not have a national religion or state-sponsored religion.
Closely tied to this is the number of concerts that every town and organization seems to sponsor. If it is not a choir, then its a brass band. And if its not a choir, its a local church’s service. And if not that, then its the school nativity play or a local group’s “panto”. But forget the town tree lighting service. You could spend all your free time in December going to these wonderful little treats. Additionally, I recently heard a piece on BBC Radio 2 on the Yorkshire tradition of gathering in the pubs to do hymn sings. Apparently people travel for miles, sometimes literally across the world, to attend. Don’t get me wrong, we have our fair share of singing in the US but I really think we’re just rank amateurs when it comes to the per capita quantity compared to the U.K.
Lastly, under the rubric of music, I must confess I really do like the tunes used in the U.K. for O Little Town of Bethlehem and Away in the Manger.
Accouterments: I really miss the Christmas Crackers and accompanying paper crowns. I have no clue what the tradition on these things are. But for the uninitiated, imagine small firecracker inside a festively decorated tube. Pull at the two ends and “pop”. You get a loud noise and some silly kind of treasure that kids (and the occasional adult) goes ga-ga over. Also in the cracker is a paper crown. I assume this is a figuration of the three kinds but Chrismas dinner, all dressed up and with the sterling on the table, looks delightfully silly with poor-fitting paper crowns are atop everyone’s head, including grandma who just paid to have her hair done the day before. Lastly, I miss the children’s services with the Christingles. Christingles are decorated oranges. With the finished product looking something like the Queen’s orb, each part of the christingle is symbolic of something related to Jesus, his life and ministry. Something so simple. I know its crazy. Every church I’ve been in back in the U.S. has had it introduced at some point.
Transportation: This something I do not really care for but find interesting. To me, its a little off-putting that a great number of people traveling for the holidays aren’t so much traveling to see family but are looking for a place where they can get a tan in December and drink the holiday away with family or friends. Admittedly, folks in the U.S. are increasingly making destination-themed Christmas part of our lives but it seems many times its those of us in the south search for something approaching a white Christmas. But what I do enjoy about the U.K. travel system is that just about everything in U.K. shuts down on Christmas day. Airports are all but closed. If there’s a train on the tracks on Christmas day, I would be surprised. While potentially inconvenient, there is something enduring about this. The Christ child’s birth is so important, that even the trains and planes stop for him.
“Extended Hours”: I remember being profoundly assumed that “extended holiday shopping hours” meant staying open until 8pm. Obviously, the whole island has a few more levels to discover until they are masters of the art of “retail therapy.” In the U.S. malls regularly stay open until at least 10pm the few nights before Christmas Eve. But there is something nice about shorter retail days. First of all, it means that retail employees get to be home with family and friends at a decent hour. Also, it demonstrates that, culturally, maybe there’s not as much emphasis on the retail/ commercial side of Christmas that our friends at Coca-Cola invented for us so long ago.
And this leads me to my last point, the Christmas I spent in Britain was not as fixated on consumption as the Christmases I spend in the United States. I realize that this is a matter of degree and that I lived in a rural area with a high unemployment rate. Back then, I was just out of grad school and on my own. Now, I am married and have a child. So circumstances are different. But still, I have the impression that while there’s great emphasis placed on gift giving, there’s not the price tag that we place here in the U.S.