Happy Christmas!

If you try to catch a train in England on 24th December, you may have difficulty in finding a seat. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25th December. 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 the Sunday before Christmas, many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes, carol-singers collect money for charity. 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.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas, but perhaps the most important one 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. Children leave a long stock or stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas Eve, 24th December, hoping that Father Christmas—or Santa Claus—will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts.
At some time on Christmas Day, the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. They will probably pull a cracker with another member of the family.
Later in the afternoon, they may watch the Queen on television as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. If they have room for more food, they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie.
26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or be a spectator at one of the many sporting events.

Have a soft drink. Christmas Punch
Very easy to do. No cooking. Very colourful and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
- juice of 4 lemons (about ¾ cups)
- 1 quart orange juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 quarts ginger ale—chilled
- thin orange slices
- halved maraschino cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Mix juices and sugar
2.  Pour into punch bowl over ice
3.  Add chilled ginger ale, pouring slowly down side of bowl
4.  Place slices and cherries as floaters on surface of punch.

CHRISTMAS ON-LINE


 www.kidsdomain.com/games/xmas.html
Many different Christmas Games:
Christmas Jokes, Mixed-up Christmas (crosswords, etc.),
Spot the Differences, Christmas Trivia Quiz, etc.

 www.santas-factory.com
Christmas recipes, from 'Plum Pudding' to 'Rich Christmas Pudding'!

elisabethanais.free.fr/noel/index.htm
Origins , traditions and urban legends about Christmas