Christmas in Scotland
Christmas in Scotland is celebrated in a similar fashion to the rest of Catholic Europe. Christmas Day only became a public holiday in 1958, and Boxing Day in 1974.The New Year’s Eve festivity, Hogmanay ,was by for the largest celebration in Scotland. The gift-giving, public holiday and feasting associated with mid-winter were traditionality between the 11th of December and 6th January.The department stories and buildings are seen to be decorated with of brilliant  Christmas lights . Multicoloured  ligh bulbs are up on big fire  trees in the centre towns.In the days leading to Christmas these lights are ashed up by young people so that only one one or two remain at the top of tree by Christmas Eve. Join in the countdown by making Advent calendars at home all by themselves. They also compose a letter mentioning all the presents they want for Christmas and send it to Santa Claus.One means of doing this is throwing the Christmas list into the fireplace.Families decorate their homes with Christmas lights, tinsel and other decorative items.The origins of Boxing Day, the  day after Christmas. Go back to when the rich of the Lord and  Lady the castle or Estate on the day after chrismas Day go thered together all their statf and  organised the distribution of gifts done according to the statigs  of the worker and the size of the family.Cloth eather goods new tools and supllies of salt and spices as food such as meat fish vegetables and some fruit and cereals grow on the estate for bread making . They were presented in BOXES day’’

Christmas       in       Ireland

Christmas   for   Irish  people ,who are Catholics, lasts from Christmas . Eve to the feast of Epiphani  on January 6^th ,which some Irish people call little Christmas .Epiphani isn’t now widely celebrated!

 adorned with greenery ,which they believe helps the Holy family or any poor to find its way!

The day after Christmas Day , St. Stephen’s Day is also very important in Ireland .One  very old tradition is the Wren Boys Procession that takes place ,but no wren is hunted or used .The Wren Boys Procession mostly died out in the early 20^th century although it still takes place in some towns including Dingle ,in Country Kerry in the south west of Ireland. An addition to turkey for Christmas dinner ,it is sometimes spiced beef. This can be served hot or cold. Dessert is commonly a Christmas pudding !

New year in Ireland

On New Year’s eve, families remember those who have passed  away  during  the  year  by  setting    a  place  for  them  at  the  dinner  table  and leaving the door unlocked.

 Many people go to dinners, parties or galas in private homes , pubs or hotels in the late afternoon or early evening. Many of these events feature some kind of countdown to midnight and the New Year. At the stroke of midnight, there may be fireworks, short parades of performances by traditional musicious .Many parties continue into the early hours of January  1^st.

Winter celebracion has been held in Ireland for thousands of years. These marked the end of the fall harvest  season and the darkest part of the year. People celebrated by holding feasts, social events and lighting fires to bring light into the dark. These customs are still in modern New Years Eve celebration in Ireland .Now ,December 31^st is also the last day of the tax in the Republic of Ireland.

Christmas in England

In England people decorate Christmas trees. Towns and cities are also decorated with lights and large pine trees .The most decorated street is Oxford Street in London. Many people spend Christmas with family members. They exchange gifts cards and eat roast turkey and vegetables. Dessert is often Christmas Padding.

Many children leave out mince pies and brandy for the Santa Claus to eat and drink when he visits them. When they wake up they go to find a sock which is usually hanged up by the fireplace filled with gifts for them. Nowadays the knitted pattern jumper is considered to be the worst. On Christmas Day they go to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Present you could find under the tree, followed by a dustpan and brush and the dreaded socks.

Christmas Crackers

In its simple from a cracker is a small cardboard table covered in a brightly colored twist of paper. The cracker is ‘’pulled’’ by two people, each holding one and of the twisted paper the friction creates a small explosive ‘’pop’’ produced by a narrow strip of chemically impregnated paper. Inside the cracker there is usually a tissue paper hat, a balloon, a slip of paper with a joke on it and a small gift. The family will pull each other’s crackers before the meal starts; this often involves crossing arms and pulling two crackers at once. The paper hats are donned and the jokes read out, accompanied by moans and grounds at how awful they are.  Then, and only then,  can the meal begin.

New Years traditions in England Children don’t mail their letters to Santa Claus but they throw them in the fireplace and if the letters are burnt and the usher go up throw the chimney them the wish will be fulfilled.

Children hang their Christmas socks in front of the fireplace or on their front door of the house so that Santa Claus will see them and throw their present down through the chimney.

The English decorate their Christmas tree, and wherever there is a green gee they exchange kisses. They sing Christmas Carols on the streets. Many people make a cardboard cylinder and fill it with small present’s sweets and anticipation for the future. Two people pull from each side of the cylinder and the person who pulls the hardest is the winner and wins the content .Of the cylinder. The Christmas dinner includes either roast turkey of beef or a meat pie. There is also a pudding with plums for good luck.

                        

 Traditional  christmas recipechristmas Pudding

Christmas pudding are  very rich and dark and like christmas  cake , dried fruit you can think of, except it’s  soggy.Traditio server on christmas.

Ingredients

1 oz blanched almonds     

1 oz glace cherries

2 oz mixed peel

¼ lb raisins

6 oz sultanas

6 oz currants

¼ lb soft brown sugar

3 oz self-rasing flour

3 oz soft white breadcrumbs

¼  lb chopper suet

A small pinch of  salt

A large pinch of mixed  spice

A small pinch of nutmeg

1 small lemon

2 eggs

6 tbsp milk