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ChristmasinBritishIslesManyofourcurrentAmericanidealsaboutthewayChristmasoughttobederivefromtheEnglishVictorianChristmas,suchast

hatdescribedinCharlesDickens'AChristmasCarol.Thecaroling,thegifts,thefeast,andthewishingofgoodcheert

oall-theseingredientscametogethertocreatethatspecialChristmasatmosphere.Thecustomofgift-givingonChristma

sdatesonlytoVictoriantimes.BeforethenitwasmorecommontoexchangegiftsonNewYear'sDayorTwelfthNight.SantaClausisknownby

BritishchildrenasFatherChristmas.FatherChristmas,thesedays,isquitesimilartotheAmericanSanta,buthisdirec

tancestorisacertainpaganspiritwhoregularlyappearedinmedievalmummer'splays.Theold-fashionedFatherChristmaswasdepictedwearinglongrobeswithsprigs

ofhollyinhislongwhitehair.ChildrenwriteletterstoFatherChristmasdetailingtheirrequests,butinsteadofdroppingtheminthemailbox,thelettersaretossed

intothefireplace.Thedraftcarriesthelettersupthechimney,andtheoretically,FatherChristmasreadsthesmoke.GiftsareopenedChristma

safternoon.FromtheEnglishwegetastorytoexplainthecustomofhangingstockingsfromthemantelpiece.FatherChristmasoncedroppe

dsomegoldcoinswhilecomingdownthechimney.Thecoinswouldhavefallenthroughtheashgrateandbeenlostiftheyhadn'tlandedinastockingthathadbeenhungouttodr

y.Sincethattimechildrenhavecontinuedtohangoutstockingsinhopesoffindingthemfilledwithgifts.ThecustomofsingingcarolsatChr

istmasisalsoofEnglishorigin.Duringthemiddleages,groupsofserenadescalled"waits"wouldtravelaroundfromhousetohousesingingancient

carolsandspreadingtheholidayspirit.Theword"carol"means"songofjoy."Mostofthepopularoldcarolswesingtodaywerewritteninthenineteenthcentury

.Thehangingofgreens,suchashollyandivy,isaBritishwintertraditionwithoriginsfarbeforetheChristianera.Greenerywasprobablyusedtoliftsaggingwintersp

iritsandremindthepeoplethatspringwasnotfaraway.ThecustomofkissingunderthemistletoeisdescendedfromancientDruidrites.ThedecoratingofChristmastree

s,thoughprimarilyaGermancustom,hasbeenwidelypopularinEnglandsince1841whenPrinceAlberthadaChristmastreesetupinWindsorCa

stleforhiswifeQueenVictoria,andtheirchildren.Theword"wassail"isderivedfromtheAnglo-Saxonphrasewaeshae

l,whichmeans"goodhealth."Originally,wassailwasabeveragemadeofmulledale,curdledcream,roastedapples,nuts,eggs,andspices.Itwasservedforth

epurposeofenhancingthegeneralmerrimentoftheseason.Likemanyoftheancientcustoms,"wassailing"hasalegendtoexplainitsorigin.ItseemsthatabeautifulSax

onmaidennamedRowenapresentedPrinceVortigenwithabowlofwinewhiletoastinghimwiththewords"Waeshael."Overthecenturiesagreatdealofcere

monyhaddevelopedaroundthecustomofdrinkingwassail.Thebowliscarriedintoaroomwithgreatfanfare,atraditionalcarolaboutthedrinkissung,andfinally,thesteam

inghotbeverageisserved.FormanyyearsinEngland,aroastedboar'sheadhasbeenassociatedwithHolidayfeasting.ThecustomprobablygoesbacktotheNorsepracticeofsac

rificingaboaratYuletideinhonourofthegodFryer.OnestorytellsofastudentatOxford'sQueenCollegewhowasattackedonChristmasDaybyawildboar.Allheha

dinhishandtouseasaweaponwashiscopyofAristotle,soheshovedthebookdowntheboar'sthroat.Wantingtoretrievehisb

ook,thestudentcutofftheanimal'sheadandbroughtitbacktothecollegewhereitwasservedforChristmasdinnerwithmuch

pompandceremony.ThecelebrationofBoxingDay,whichtakesplaceonDecember26-thefeastofSt.Stephen,isapartoftheholida

yseasonuniquetoGreatBritain.Traditionally,itisonthisdaythatthealmsboxateveryEnglishchurchisopenedandthecontentsaredistribu

tedtothepoor.Also,thisisthedaythatservantstraditionallygotthedayofftocelebratewiththeirfamilies.Itbecametraditionalforwor

kingpeopletobreakopentheirtipboxesonthisday.BoxingDaybeganinthemid-nineteenthcenturywhenthecustomoftippingbyrichpersonstopersonsinservic

epositionshadapparentlygottenoutofhand.Childrenandotherspretendedtobeinthetradesandsolicitedtips.Thecus

tomwasexpandedtogivingtoanyoneandeveryonewhohadlessmoneythanyoudid,andsoonthestreetsatChristmastimewerefu

llofaggressivesolicitingoftips.Tocontainthenuisance"BoxingDay"wasdesignatedastheonedayforgivingtothelessfortunate.