Christmas

For most British families this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter.

On Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung.

Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room, glittering with coloured lights and decorations.

One of the most main traditions of this festival is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning.

At some time on Christmas Day the families will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. In this day Queen delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

December 26 is also a public holiday, Boxing Day (the first weekday afterCristmas Day, the day of giving small Cristmas presents/money to emploees, postmen, milkmen, etc), and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or to be a spectator at one of the many sporting events.