Christmas Celebrations in London
Christmas is a religious event celebrated as a major festival across the world on the 25th of every December. It’s a long awaited event and all the friends and families get a chance to reunite. London is one of the best places where the celebration is in the air with icy weather sparkling in the glittering lights of the festival. It is celebrated in the remembrance of Jesus’ birth in every country but in a slightly different manner. The houses and the trees are ornamented with special decorations; green and red colors being the main themes and gifts are exchanged. Dedicated songs are sung at churches and social gatherings are prearranged with special Christmas cuisines. Also, the religious people in London head towards churches to perform religious services.
Instructions
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History of Christmas:
Christmas is celebrated in the remembrance of Jesus’ birth which happened 2000 years back but still the exact date is not known. Now the religious scholars have agreed to celebrate it on the 25th of December which was originally 6th of January.
In London, Christmas was introduced by St Augustine in AD 596 and is celebrated with full rigor as ever with all the songs, cuisines, decorations and parties and it’s a national holiday.
The green plants are considered sacred especially mistletoe and holly as they symbolize fertility. The early Romans used to celebrate Christmas by paying a visit to the relatives, friends and families, exchanging gifts to promote good luck and by decorating their homes. Today the gift exchanging tradition is still followed. -
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Activities:
Christmas Tree:
The Christmas trees, either evergreen or artificial, are decorated with electric lights, garlands and canes.
Santa Claus:
He is a friendly looking man and has a long beard and is wearing a red costume and he is supposed to bring gifts for children and is therefore of special interest to children . It is believed that he comes in the night and he leaves gifts in the red stockings or under the fireplace.
Boxing Day:
The following day to Christmas is the Boxing Day and the people of London celebrate by boxing out their gifts. Traditionally, it was celebrated by opening boxes in the church to distribute money among the poor and the needy. Now, in England, Boxing Day is celebrated as a shopping day with remarkable sales on the items in the stores.
Cuisines:
On 25th December the people of London usually have their dinner in the midday. Some traditional cuisines are frumenty and roasted turkey, Christmas cakes, puddings and trifles.
Shopping:
The people in London start their shopping early in November and to retailers it’s a golden time as they have the chance to make the most money. Also many shops offer free eatables to all the visitors to keep the fervor on its go.
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Important Dates:
Christmas Eve: 24th December
Christmas Day: 25th December
Boxing Day: 26th December
New Years Eve: December 31st
New Year’s Day: 1st January -
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Duration:
Christmas comes in the frosty season of winter and the celebrations are started soon in November and continues till the arrival of New year. -
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Best Places in London to be on Christmas:
The English enjoy Christmas by hanging out in some of the best places in London including Christmas markets and Christmas restaurants. Some of the Christmas markets are Boutique de Noel, Angels Christmas market, Belgravia Christmas Market and some of the London’s best restaurants to visit are Hotel 41, Claridges, The Soho hotel and The Arch.
