1. ChristmasTraditions in Great Britain

2. Christmas ChristmasDay , December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends get together and give each other presents.

3. History of Christmas The history of Christmas dates back to thousand years. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336AD in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December.

4. Thisdatewasprobablychosenbecause theWinterSolsticeandtheancientpagan Romanmidwinterfestivalscalled 'Saturnalia' and 'DiesNatalisSolisInvicti' took placeinDecember.

5. StAugustinewasthepersonwhoreallystartedChristmasinthe UK byintroducingChristianityinthe 6th century. HecamefromcountriesthatusedtheRomanCalendar, sowesterncountriescelebrateChristmasonthe 25th December. ThenpeoplefromBritainand WesternEuropetookChristmason the 25th Decemberallovertheworld!

6. Boxing day BoxingDaytakesplaceonDecember 26th andisonlycelebratedinafewcountries. Itwasstartedinthe UK about 800 years agointheMiddleAges. Itwastheday whenthealmsbox, collectionboxesfor thepooroftenkeptinchurches, were openedsothatthecontentscouldbe distributedtopoorpeople. Somechurches stillopentheseboxesonBoxingDay.

7. Stockings Christmas - is a holiday for the whole family, but most of all children love it and wait for Christmas.They hang out near the fireplace stockings for gifts.

8. ChristmasTree ThefirstChristmasTreescametoBritain inthe 1830s. Theybecameverypopular in 1841, whenPrinceAlbert (Queen Victoria'sGermanhusband) had aChristmasTreesetupinWindsor Castle. Eversincethen, ChristmasTrees havebeenapartofaBritishChristmas. Becauseofthedangeroffire, in 1895 RalphMorris, anAmericantelephonist, inventedthefirst electricChristmaslights, similartotheonesweusetoday.

9. Santa Claus Santa Claus, also called Santa, Father Christmas is an imaginary old man in red clothes and with a long white beard.

10. Some people say that Santa lives in the North Pole. In Finland, they say that he lives in the north part of their country called Lapland. But everyone agrees that he travels through the sky on a sledge that is pulled by reindeer, that he comes into houses down the chimney at night and puts presents for the children in socks, in front of the family Christmas tree, or near the fire place.

11. Santa Claus is often connected with the name of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the 4th century AD in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very kind man and had a reputation of a man who helped the poor and gave secret gifts to people who needed it. Because of his kindness Nicholas was made a Saint.