American Reacts 15 Christmas Traditions British People LOVE

[@alysonhopkins2037]

Pantomimes are not only performed in theatres but in local village halls. Every year where I lived a panto was put on. Lots of booing and hissing from the audience when the villain appeared. "He's behind you", and from the actor "Oh! No, he's not", and "Oh! Yes, he is" are other audience participating sayings. The children love joining in.

[@jemmajames6719]

The children love joining in? I beg your pardon I was in my element when I took our kids! Oh yes I was 😉!

[@leehallam9365]

Pantomime is great, it's on two levels, it's for kids but packed full of sexual innuendo for the adults. Broad humour, singing, dancing, cross dressing and audience participation. A proper Panto sticks to a set of rules about how it should be constructed, whatever the story is.They are a very old tradition.

[@martstar1]

Oh no it isn't 😅

[@04williamsl]

@@martstar1 Oh yes it is!

[@rlosangeleskings]

Oh no it isn't...

[@Itshushhush]

He's behind you.

[@AD270479]

I know everybody is joking here, but let me be clear, I'm not. It really isn't great, it's cheesy af & just the same repetitive nonsense year in year out, with the most annoying 'celebs' you can find.

[@Marli-o4g]

Annus Horribilis was not part of her Christmas Broadcast it was said at the dinner with the Lord Mayor of the City of London at the Guildhall.

[@jacquelinepearson2288]

When he said that having Yorkshire pudding with Christmas dinner was controversial, it was because it is traditionally served with Roast Beef. Mince pies contain a dried fruit mix (some also have some alcohol mixed in). A few centuries ago pies were made with minced meat, and then had fruit & spices added to preserve the meat. Eventually they became pies without meat and just the dried fruits, but the name mince pies has remained.

[@yamyampi36]

Yorkshire pudding should be served cold with jam after making too many for the main course.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

Cold Yorkshire pudding with jam!! Yuk! Sacrilege! Gravy, preferably onion gravy. From a reet proud Yorkshire Lass.

[@Stannington]

Pantomimes are usually a kids' show really, but the performers also put in a few saucy adult jokes that generally go over the kids' heads. Mince pies are made from short crust pastry and filled with a mixed blend of candied citrus peel and chopped currants, raisins and sultanas which have been steeped in brandy.

[@Janvier65]

Christmas pudding. Yum! I use a family recipe adapted from 1749. Our tradition is that is served hot with a white almond blancmange to counter the richness of the pudding

[@trinelabori1130]

I come from a country (Denmark) where we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. So my traditions start on the 23rd of December. My family and I meet in the evening for a very simple, but very important dinner. We have rice porridge with butter and cinnamon sugar and a sweet beer that has almost no alcohol (0.5%ABV), so children can have some too. The reason why this rice porridge is so important is because the leftovers are used for the very delicious dessert risalamande (translates to rice and almonds) on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve we have roast duck and pork with potatoes, boiled and caramelized, sweet pickled red cabbage and two types of gravy. Then we sing a couple of Christmas carols and then comes dessert. The cold rice porridge has been mixed with a little bit of sugar, chopped blanched almonds and lots of whipped cream and one whole almond, this is then served with a cherry sauce. And whoever finds the whole almond gets a present. Then we walk around our Christmas tree and sing a few more carols and then it's time for presents. The next day we meet up for a late leftover lunch and play a game where you can "steal" presents from eachother. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

In Sweden it's called "risallamalta" (Rice á la Malta), we usually have the almond, but it's not where the name comes from

[@DruncanUK]

Pantomime stems from Medieval theatre where the "leading boy" is played by a girl, the two "dames" are played by men in drag (usually the ugly sisters etc), an evil villain and a love interest, and involves a whole heap of innuendo and cheap jokes. Great fun for all the family....as long as you know what you are getting into!

[@lottie2525]

Other families will go for a Boxing Day walk in the countryside or if you live close enough, which many of us do in the UK, a walk on the beach and followed by a trip to the pub. And the same goes for New Years' Day.

[@CamcorderSteve]

We go for a walk on Christmas day too.

[@OneDarkMartian]

I haven’t been to a panto in many years but they’re damn good fun! I love Christmas and our crazy traditions.

[@markblakelock5801]

Mincemeat is actually a combination of dried fruits all mixed together to form the filling for a mince pie

[@timothyallan111]

Christmas pudding is my favourite part of the meal, I actually made mine last weekend on what we call 'Stir-Up Sunday' (which was the 26th Nov this year), the day when it is traditional to make, or 'stir up', your Christmas pudding, which allows for the perfect amount of time for your pudding to mature before Christmas day. To be clear, most people buy a pudding rather than make them; the recipe I use is started the day before cooking and the mixture left overnight to develop, and then takes 8 hours to steam (plus another 3 hours steaming on Christmas day). The kicker is that they are the easiest things in the world to make because you just mix a load of dried fruit with some suet, breadcrumbs, sugar and spices (and often some variations, like mine has some apple, candied peel, orange and lemon zest, and chopped almonds in it), and then your liquid is usually eggs and in my recipe by the English cook Delia Smith, rum and Guinness (other recipes might use brandy or other booze), all bound together with a little self-raising flour. You then just pack it into a greased bowl, cover with some foil and greaseproof paper, tie it all up with string and then steam it. You then change the papers and foil, and store it somewhere cool and dark to mature until Christmas day.

[@jlr108]

My mum used to make about a dozen Christmas puddings to share to family and friends, but the one we ate on Christmas Day was always one she had made the year before and stored away to mature. Also, while she was mixing it before steaming, we all got a turn to stir and make a wish, and there would be a sixpence in the mix for some lucky person to find when we ate them.

[@charlottehardy822]

I do love making Christmas pudding and the alcohol variations are endless it seems.

[@paulharvey9149]

No, it's not just you, Connor: food allergies were almost unheard of in my childhood! The war was still fresh in the memories of my grandparents' generation, and the abject poverty of my parents' childhoods. There wasn't anything like the same level of wealth around, and most people were happy just to have something nice to eat. Then in the 1980s, large numbers of children started to peanut allergies - and hyperactivity was blamed on E-numbers (artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives, for the most part). I met the first person I ever knew who had celioac disease in 1993, and things seemed to become increasingly special diet focussed thereafter! I guess some of them must have existed before, but, where were they all?!!

[@webbsfan1]

You're right about allergies and such,I'd never heard of coeliac disease until I was diagnosed with it about 1987...

[@paulharvey9149]

@ThetaSigmaTheOriginal Or the over-use of antibiotics? You're probably right - it's more likely to be more than just one reason anyway - not least that there were a lot more young deaths in days gone by.

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

You should remember we don't do thanksgiving , so our Christmas holiday includes Boxing day and can be until New year with a bit of leave added to the equation to spend time friends and family .

[@missharry5727]

Watching the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carol's from King's College Cambridge on Christmas Eve. That really puts you in the mood. When I was a child we always used to go to the Midnight Mass at our local (rather high) parish church on Christmas Eve and sing carols ourselves.

[@marycarver1542]

I always make my mince pies to the background of Kings College music and Carols. It it really where Christmas starts .!

[@waterloosunset7784]

Mince pies contain dried fruits. there is no meat in them. Years ago they had meat in them

[@Janvier65]

And they were coffin-shaped 😂

[@hadz8671]

unless they are made with lard/suet.

[@lindamerrett6600]

Every year we always did the panto on Christmas Eve . Love it

[@Steve-gc5nt]

Warm sweet mince pies with a dollop of creme fraiche.

[@marieparker3822]

I used to love Pantomimes round Christmas time when I was a child. They were always in the Theatre Royal or the Alhambra in Glasgow - beautiful, luxurious Victorian theatres, and the production values were of the highest. I will never forget Cinderella's coach being drawn round the stage by FOUR white Shetland ponies - just fabulous. And the Costumes! - out of this world! I always think that a live production for children should have the highest production values and the most talented actors and comedians. There was an expected formula. There was always a comic Dame, played by a man, but not at all in 'Drag' - the Dame was a frump, and a kind of jester and topical satirist. The Principal Boy, eg Prince Charming, was always played by an actress with very good legs who wore high heels. Matinee performances were more child-oriented, with audience participation - 'Oh, yes it is!', 'Oh, no it ISN'T!', yell the children. A good actor can work them into a frenzy. There is also, 'It's behind you!', and getting the children to sing along to a printed sheet brought down to the stage. There are some risqué jokes for the adults, but many more in the evening performances.😂

[@carolinecrollick6305]

I don’t like pantomimes

[@nigelmoignard5348]

@@carolinecrollick6305I love pantomime and I’m in my mid 60s. We go every year it’s a way of stupid fun, laughter full of adult innuendos and is as camp as Christmas itself. I live in London so generally go to the London Palladium stuffed with big stars. When I was a kid, you used to have sweets thrown into the audience, sing-a-long and kids game on the stage. The hissing and boooing is mandatory. You should never grow up or old whilst you’re watching a good pantomime.

[@davidseale8252]

After Christmas Dinner as head of the family I would produce a bag of small presents called the "Unlucky Dip". Each person would take a small present out of the bag and unwrap it in front of every one else. There would be party games, novelties, Risqué' items and other items such as pregnancy tests, handbag toilet fresheners and Face and Arse soap. It was always hilarious.

[@carltaylor6452]

Vegetarianism and food allergies aren't the same thing at all, but you are right, they are both on the increase. I've been a veggy for forty years but I have no food allergies. That's probably because I'm not middle-class 😉

[@viviennerose6858]

Because I come from such a large family, us (13!) children were given SO MANY small presents from Father Christmas that we took ages opening on Christmas day morning, then had traditional roast turkey dinner, and spent the day playing family games. Such fun. We saved given out main presents for Boxing Day, when other family joined us. EVERY one of us, no matter what the age, bought something, no matter how small for everyone. The tree reached to the tall ceiling, in the corner land presents reached all the way up all round the tree. Handing out the presents started after dinner (always roast beef) and went on until well into the evening as we waited to watch each person unwrap their gift, handed out one at a time, and listened to reading out of the messages. Some could be extremely funny. Sadly, once mum and dad had passed away, the family scattered across the UK. Miss it so much, but such fantastic memories of happy times

[@SoapyWetDish]

3:54 “Box? No… Minge?” Definitely the Christmas quote of the day.

[@shaksper]

Sir Ian McKellen is one of the country's greatest actors and greatest Shakespereans. He fell in love with theatre after being taken to see a pantomime at his parents' local theatre. Pantos are simple and silly, but they provide theatres with a huge proportion of their income for the year. As a device for introducing children to theatre, they are effectively the beating heart of the country's entire theatre culture.

[@gillianrimmer7733]

😮I don't know anyone who goes shopping on Boxing Day - it's just a 2nd Christmas Day for most people where you see family you didn't see on Christmas Day.

[@bblair2627]

only a real saddo would go on Boxing day

[@gemlou763]

As a kid I think I preferred Boxing Day, all the relatives came over and mum did the best Boxing day buffet. Cold cuts of meat, pork pies and several puddings. Try to do it as good as mum did for mine now.

[@johninman1354]

Pantomime is very serious theatre.... ooh no it isn't.... ooh yes it is

[@hadz8671]

"Celebrity" in pantomime - Where's my career? Audience - Behind you!

[@rosaliegolding5549]

Don’t forget the Christmas Trifle yum 🤷‍♀️

[@cheryla7480]

Yorkshire pudding would be controversial with turkey, because you normally only have it with a Roast beef dinner.. Christmas cake ( ugh, blah ) is not Christmas pudding ( delicious ) it is a steamed pudding, served hot brandy is poured on it and set on fire for the grand entrance to the dining table. You slice it and usually pour on your favourite sauce, like a brandy sauce or a custard sauce etc. Mincemeat is spicy chopped fruits and currants used as fillings in pies and tarts.

[@lottie2525]

Not if you're a veggie, we have Yorkshire puds with just about any roast dinner going :)

[@Zippy66]

@@lottie2525 Same as. I'd never have them if it was only with beef as I don't do roast beef

[@vallejomach6721]

'...because you normally only have it with a Roast beef dinner.' Utter BS....that MUST be some weird southerner nonsense.

[@cheryla7480]

@@vallejomach6721 Obviously you do not know your British history, Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding have been a tradition since the 1700’s.. Today you can eat it with pizza for all I care, but that’s it’s origins and many Brits still reserve it to be served with Roast Beef to this day!

[@vallejomach6721]

@@cheryla7480 Utter and complete codswallop. I've forgotten more than you will ever know. I have lived in Yorkshire for over 50 years and let me tell you this. Unequivocally. Not only have I never, ever heard of such an idea, I don't know anybody else who has either. At no point, as long as I have had a hole in my backside have I heard such a spurious load of utter horsec0ck and b0ll0cks. Now, some people might not prefer them with a xmas dinner...that's one thing, but to suggest there's some sort of traditional 'rule' is utterly laughable.

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

Sweden: 24th is the major day, it's when presents are given and when we feast on all the traditional food. We don't use stockings, the presents are either underneath the tree or carried in a sack by "Santa". Most commonly Santa comes right after the father of the house goes out to buy a newspaper or some such. It is kind of forbidden to put the tree inside before the 24th, the whole thing of decorating it is part of the celebration, and the tree should be thrown out 20 days after the 24th, as well as all decorations taken down. And the tree is spruce, nothing else! 25th is more of a formal day, people wear suits and dresses and have a nice dinner, no presents, no dancing around the tree

[@claregale9011]

Hi connor , I've been to a few pantos over the years something for all ages in them , just been to a Dickens festival in Rochester which had a Christmas Market as well as parade through the High St of Dickens characters , scrooge , Fagan, jacob marley were all there it was great fun . 😊

[@jonathangoll2918]

My mother made both Chrietmas Puddings and a Christmas Cake. Many nowadays don't like Christmas Pudding, but I love it.Mincemeat is sweet and rich.The recipes for Christmas pudding have got too heavy; my mother's version was traditional, but lighter. To be served with brandy butter or brandy sauce. There is another tradition, Christmas Carols. The more widely-known are sung in saccharine versions in stores.But there àre older ones which are beautiful and mysterious. On Christmas Day there is a wonderful Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, sung by their outs5anding choir, from King's College Chapel, Cambridge, just about the most beautiful building in this country.

[@JenMaxon]

My mum used to do brandy butter AND rum sauce for the pud - basically my family couldn't get enough, I think. I like making Christmas puds and cakes but I only make the cake these days since there's only the two of us now. Delia's Christmas cake recipe is an absolute corker.

[@gracerichards3920]

I'm performing in my first panto next week - I'm so excited! It's a smaller local version, so no famous person from the TV, but all the other ingredients are the same. Classics children's tale? Check (we're doing Jack & the Beanstalk). Principal boy (Jack) played by a female actress? Check. Pantomime dame played by a man in drag? Check. Pantomime cow? Check. Cheesy musical numbers? Check. Cheap innuendo for the adults? Check. Audience participation? Oh yes there is!

[@RalphWigg1]

Pantos are performed in the majority of amateur venues over Christmas, so most of our villages have one performed at their local village hall.

[@jamesbyrdsdragrace3644]

My wife and I have a Christmas tradition that she only lets me do once a year. I won't go into detail but Every Christmas Eve we play a game we call coming down the chimney.

[@pathopewell1814]

😮😅😅

[@mairiconnell6282]

Christmas pudding is a fruit steamed pudding generously infused with brandy. Traditionally, it has a silver sixpence contained within it and it is very lucky to get it in your pudding. It comes from Pagan times whereby all the dried fruit would be used up into something very delicious. Then brandy is poured over it and lights out as it comes to the table flambéed.

[@marycarver1542]

"mince meat" is a sweet filling, made of a mix of dried fruits, some have a spot of alcohol added to the mix!

[@grahvis]

My son-in-law once had a job driving lorry loads of mince pies to a land fill. They had to be discarded because they accidentally had more than the permitted allowed alcohol content.

[@michaeljohn1978]

Christmas pudding with brandy butter and cream is the bomb

[@viviennerose6858]

You can't beat the smell of a real Christmas tree 😊

[@101steel4]

Christmas is crap in America, according to my cousin who lived there for over a decade. Open presents on Christmas eve, not Christmas morning. No turkey dinner, its dry ham with no gravy. And back to work the following day as there's no boxing day. It's really not a big celebration like it is here. New years eve is crap too😂 many go back to work on new years day.

[@MrBulky992]

Christmas for me begins at 3pm on 24th December when the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from the mid-fifteenth century Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. This service has been broadcast annually to the nation since 1928 when public radio was in its infancy and people had crystal sets! Then a couple of hours later, there is a non-identical Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on BBC Television emanating from exactly the same place but recorded some weeks earlier. That tradition has been going on annually since 1954. Both begin with one of the choristers (a young treble) singing the first verse of "Once in Royal David's City" as a solo without accompaniment. Verse 2 is then sung by the famous choir of King's College and a large congregation joins in for verse 3. [Connor may be interested to know that, in 1916, a service of Nine Lessons and Carols was held at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island where it has been held annually ever since for over 100 years. The format was invented in the UK at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall in 1880.]

[@dorothysimpson2804]

Mincemeat can be bought in a jar. Mince pies originally were real meat, but in Victorian times they changed to a fruit filling, mincemeat has raisins, sultanas, candied peel, citrus flavour and either rum or, brandy, all in a thick jam (animal suet) is added but nowadays you can get (veg suet). Our Christmas dinners include Christmas pies, Christmas pudding both are served hot, brandy is poured on top of the pudding and set alight at the table, they are served either with thick cream or, custard, we also have Christmas cake covered in marzipan and icing, German Stollen too, and an English Trifle ( a layer of sponge set with mixed fruit and alcohol all set in jelly(the wobbly type), then a layer of custard topped with thick cream. I used to add blancmange too.

[@RalphWigg1]

Mince meat, not minced meat. It's fruit & I'm addicted to them!

[@susanmclellan6447]

Yorkshire pudding is only traditionally served with beef. Mince pies are now mixed fruit but were originally a sweet mixture containing minced meat.

[@wildwine6400]

Theres a video here "What is a Pantomime? - History, Traditions and Culture" that'll give you more information. Nearly 14 minutes

[@nadeansimmons226]

The controversy is that Yorkshires are meant to be just for Sunday roast according to some people and were never originally part of Christmas dinners

[@vallejomach6721]

Source and citation needed.

[@christinepreston8642]

You could watch a video of a pantomine, but its really about the shouting, things going wrong, bad jokes, and general tackiness that makes it fun to be silly for a few hours! On Boxing Day, my favourite meal is bubble and squeak with the leftovers and Branston. If I've missed out due to visiting family and friends, I have to get that in before 12th night!

[@emmahowells8334]

Mince meat in those pies are mixed dried fruits with spices wrapped up and pastry with a dusting of sugar on top. No beef or lamb etc, different kind of minced meat. Merry Christmas to you and your family. 🎄🎁🌟

[@margaretphare3157]

Boxing day is a day for eating leftovers but usually cold turkey, cold ham, with pickes, pickled onions. Mincepies and Christmas Cake in the afternoon. The main food is usually very late in the day.

[@leighmonty13]

Mince pies and Christmas pudding don't contain meat it's various dried fruits cooked so don't worry

[@martinconnors5195]

December is an especially symbolic time of the year (for Me and my family). My birthday is December 12th (Sagittarian all the way) and we always put up the tree up (a few days before my birthday). Then 13 days later it's The Main Event (Christmas Day). But sadly two most important people, won't be there to celebrate. Rest In Peace Maternal Grandfather Les and Maternal Grandmother Irene xx. Love you and miss you both xx

[@billyhills9933]

There are twenty FOUR doors on an advent calendar, not twenty five. Advent is the period preceding Christmas Day and also, when a child has a stack of presents to open, how are you going to get them interested in opening a cardboard door for one small piece of chocolate on Christmas Day morning? Adult advent calendars are likely to contain alcohol, so you would have 24 different cans of beer or maybe gin. They are a lot more expensive.

[@traceyearp5919]

Some have 25 doors. Just saying.

[@MrBulky992]

Pantomimes are not just put on in professional theatres with paid actors. There are also local, amateur groups who will also put on a panto for a short run or even just one night: particularly so in rural areas or small towns. The performances might be in a village hall, church hall or school hall. I was once in one myself, put on by an amateur dramatic group at the office where I worked.

[@planekrazy1795]

Mince Pies have No Meat in them. The Mince is minced Sweet Meats, like Raisins, Currants, Sultanas, Crystallized Orange and Lemon Peel, Brown Sugar, grated Suet and a good splash of brandy. Spices are added Nutmeg, Cinnamon etc, These are cooked and sealed in a jar to mature. Then baked into a small pies when cooled dusted with caster sugar or icing sugar. Delicious.

[@hadz8671]

There are only 24 doors on an Advent Calendar - you don't need a door for the 25th: it's Christmas!

[@pathopewell1814]

Advent: the coming.Christmas day Christ's birth the arrival.

[@rach15ish]

Yorkshire pudding is normally served with a beef roast - Whereas turkey has stuffing and cranberry sauce etc

[@enemde3025]

Years ago we didn't have food allergies. We just didn't like stuff ! Yorkshire puddings are part of a SUNDAY ROAST. But most people will have them with their Christmas dinner. " Mincemeat " is NOT minced meat. It's chopped fruits. My neighbour puts their tree up on 6th of November, the day after Bonfire Night !

[@gliderdan3153]

food allergies have been around for a long time..

[@pureholy]

Documented by ancient Greeks and Romans. However definitely getting much more common, especially among urban western societies.

[@pwitney1]

Boxing Day: fry up all the leftover vegetables into a bubble and squeak - perfect.

[@samanthagibson5791]

Mum put our stockings at the bottom of the bed, so we were less likely to wake up. She also used pairs of Dads socks, so she could just switch them. She was less happy when someone gave us all special stockings because we wanted to use those and she had to take them and fill them at the time

[@vivienwilliams1538]

Controversial because Yorkshire pud is usually served with roast beef, but I love it with chicken/turkey or anything! Mince meat is a sweet mixture of dried fruits, sugar, brandy , all mixed up into a kind of jam (you say jello?) - it's yummy when baked into pastry (mince-pies) Christmas pudding is delicious too, very similar, but it's sort of a steamed cake, with dried fruits, suet, alcohol, etc. At Christmas dinner when you pull the cracker it's in very bad form not to wear the paper hat which is always inside. It's ususlly cause for a lot of laughter - everyone sitting around with these daft paper hats falling over their eyes. But by then most adults are three sheets to the wind and no one cares.

[@marilynhaughton1955]

Love Pantomimes. I used to assist taking the children whose mums or dads worked for the company I did in England. The principal girl would be played by a girl. The principal boy would be played by a girl too. In a little costume, fishnet stockings and stilettos. The kids used to get so exicited. Any sisters, mums, etc would be played by men in crazy dresses and makeup. The villain would get behind the hero and be threatening and the kids would be screaming at the tops of their lungs “ He’s behind you. “ The hero would be putting his hand to his ear and the children would be yelling even more excitedly. The children got so excited they would forget to go to the toilet. Or they wouldn’t want to miss the performance. They were supposed to ask us and we would take them safely. On the coach on the way home they would be wanting to sit on your knee in turns. You used to arrive home very happy even though you didn’t smell too fragrant. Mince Pies. Minced meat is minced up mixed fruit. They are very nice heated a little with a dollop of fresh cream. Love your videos. Your are very natural.

[@michaeljohn1978]

It can be mince pies and a glass of milk left out for "Santa" too

[@sallyannrowlands1154]

Mince pies are soo delicious, they are made from short crust crumbly pastry with mince meat ..which isn't meat 😊it's sultana, orange 🍊 mixed peel cranberries anything that's in that field filled with a gorgeous rich juice if all the above fruits.. absolutely yum yum 😋 😋

[@annbottelli5682]

Christmas pudding is a steamed cake mix more or less. Yorkshire puddings are a side dish for beef but as they are so popular they are now served with all roast meats

[@iainsan]

In Pantomime, there is always a Dame (a middle-aged man dressed in drag) who plays the mother of Jack / Dick / Aladdin, etc. In Cinderella, there are two Dames playing the Ugly Sisters. The male hero (Jack / Dick / Aladdin / Prince Charming, etc) is always played by a young woman dressed as a man. She is 'the Principal Boy'. There is a lot of slapstick comedy involving the Dame (for the children) as well as jokes based on sexual innuendo or current political events (for the adults). The audience is encouraged to 'boo' when the evil character (Baron Hardup, Uncle Abernazer, etc) comes on stage. Dance routines, songs and special effects also feature. For most British children, it is our first experience of live theatre and very magical.

[@allenwilliams1306]

The main reason to cal out the photocopier repair man in December is that the glass has been broken by someone breaking it through sitting on it to photocopy his or her naked bottom.

[@MarjorieStoker-oj8fh]

Mincemeat in mince pies is fruit like raisins currents sultanas soaked either in syrup or brandy either shortcrust or puff pastry

[@richardfedczuk5760]

Christmas pud or figgy pudding and mince pies have booze in them. Set fire to the Christmas pud with more booze and eat with cream or custard or brandy butter. Christmas cake which is a heavy fruit cake also has booze in it. Trifle on Boxing day has yes you guess it booze in it.

[@AD270479]

Connor, have you never considered obtaining a P.O Box address? Firstly it means ppl could send some stuff you hear about in vids, so you can try them out. But they are also fun videos to watch, seeing U.S reactors experience things we just take for granted.

[@NettyP-v9e]

We celebrated much the same. My grandparents would take us to see a panto each year! I was lucky as my mum's family was scottish so we celebrated new year with mum's family as the scots make a big deal of new year!! 🎉🎉

[@carolynekershaw1652]

Boxing Day is now the day when cats get to enjoy the boxes that presents came in . . .

[@gillgill6095]

Another tradition is "Mad Friday" this is the last Friday before Christmas day. For lots of people it's the last day at work before the Christmas holidays, because we have good holiday entitlement many people won't be back at work till the New Year. On Mad Friday people leave work and go straight to the pubs and have a really good time which can become a bit crazy.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

Boxing Day when I was a kid, used to be the day that I went out to watch the kids wobbling around on the 50cc mopeds that they were given as presents on Christmas Day. 🙃

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

Have you ever been to a screening of Rocky Horror with the audience yelling at the screen? Cross that with Mrs Doubtfire, and you'll have some idea about pantomime. It's mainly aimed at the kids but there'll be a lot of (usually topical and smutty) jokes which go over their heads for the adults to enjoy. Yorkshire pudding is traditionally only eaten with beef, so to have it with turkey is "non standard". Christmas pudding is a rich, moist fruit cake, often containing alcohol, served hot and eaten with cream. Mince meat is chopped up fruit :)

[@Devonshirejackdaw]

Farther Christmas is an adult so he drinks brandy in Britain 😂 Plus mince pies are not meat Its spiced fruit, great with ice cream or any cream really

[@robertlangley1664]

Boxing Day is the day you tell your in-laws to go home

[@ericg5791]

Christmas pudding IS usually very sweet FRUITcake. Mince pies are usually very sweet minced FRUIT.Originally both mince pies and christmas pudding were actual minced MEAT

[@kerrydoutch5104]

Aussie here. We follow British traditions including Christmas pudding, which seems to have become my job now. Missed stir up Sunday but theyre done now and the alcohol and extra fruit varieties can change depending on availability and mood. Will be accompanied by custard cream and ice cream for all tastes. And of course it will be set alight with flaming brandy. We're that traditional Aussie family who will have a hot late lunch but will probably have some seafood as well. I also make my own Christmas crackers with gifts or chocolate or alcohol as the prize. Boxing day is the start of the epic Sydney to Hobart yacht race which a lot of people watch, but we just tend to eat leftovers and recover. Especially if its a hot one.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

When I spent Christmas with my cousins in Perth, Australia, we ate Christmas Dinner in the garden, starting with crayfish cocktails, then the traditional Christmas turkey, salad and potato salad, then the Christmas pudding, then a trifle, jelly, custard, cream etc. Later we visited another cousin where we had drinks and nibbles. On Boxing day, we went to Cottesloe Beach. It was a great Christmas.

[@kerrydoutch5104]

@@AnneDowson-vp8lg Christmas with the lot. Perfect Aussie Christmas 😀

[@speleokeir]

Pantos: Shrek is basically a panto, but without the audience participation. The jokes are on two levels, one for kids and another for adults. And there's lots of cross dressing. The Dame is always a man and the hero is always a girl in tights and thigh length boots.😉 Christmas pudding: This is a steamed suet pudding. Shop bought ones don't tend to be great as they're often dense, heavy and taste burnt. A good homemade one on the other hand is delicious. My mum puts grated carrot and apple in her's along with a load of brandy. It's like a moist carrot cake but the texture is smoother. Traditionally it's served with brandy (or rum) sauce, basically custard with booze in it. Traditionally before it's served some more(!) brandy is poured over it and lit so it's covered in blue flames. Very pretty.😀

[@pabmusic1]

'Meat' was the word for 'food' once. "Mincemeat" meant food that had been minced. This was usually dried fruit and other preserves but it could include animal flesh. Nowadays it doesn't (usually).

[@poppletop8331]

The Christmas jumper revival came back after the release of the movie Bridget Jones diary in 2001 & the culprit... Colin Firths reindeer jumper.😂

[@BlueBellBlue]

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices.

[@patrickslade2715]

When I was a child, and I admit that was a long time ago now, the Christmas pudding used to have a silver thrupenny bit (that was a three penny coin before, in their wisdom, the government decided to decimalise our currency) put into it. It had to be a silver coin because copper is not good for you and the only truly silver coin we had was the thrupenny bit although it ceased to be issued in 1944. We used to eat the Christmas pudding with cream and brandy butter and the rule traditionally was that whoever got the thrupenny bit got to keep it. In our case though it got swapped for a shilling so the thrupenny bit could be used next year.

[@InaMacallan]

The Royal Mint has issued a silver sixpence as part of the new Charles III coinage specially for Christmas puddings. It costs £33...

[@davidcooks5265]

Lol after 6 bottles of wine 🍷 you will like Christmas pudding 🤸🏿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🥰

[@maryandrews4097]

The established church, the Church of England or Anglican church (known in the USA as the Episcopalians), like the Roman Catholic Church, hold midnight communion services, which are quite often attended by people who never come to church at any other time. I think this is a time when people seek an element of drama in their approach to the festival which has pre-Christian origins, the Roman Saturnalia. Another much loved church service esteemed for the quality of the music and the beauty of the setting which is screened on TV on Christmas Eve and also on the radio, is the service of Nine Lessons and Carols, held in the chapel of King's College, Cambridge. This is sung mainly by the boy choristers and choral scholars of the College and Choir School with the congregation joining in some of the most familiar and much loved carols. There is an atmospheric start to the service, with the choir led into the chapel by a boy soprano singing, solo, "Once in Royal David's City". The lessons are read by various representatives of the college and others from the city of Cambridge. Some carols are very ancient but there are always one or two very modern ones composed specially for the occasion. The pantomime is based on the old Italian Harlequinade, with the characters Pierrot and Pierrette, Pantaloon and Polichinello, Some of the comic routines played out in the Harlequinade persist in the panto. What confuses those unfamiliar this entertainment is that the hero (Principal Boy) is played by a woman and the heroine's mother (the Dame) is played by a man. On the topic of food allergies, I am in my 90s and have observed the increased prevalence of these conditions. I think one of the reasons has been the decline in breast feeding which means that fewer babies absorb immunities from their mothers and the widespread use of various chemical antiseptic cleaners, etc. I grew up when the principal cleaning materials were hard soap or carbolic soap, soda crystals, vinegar, soap flakes and Persil washing powder and water. Any thing needing sterilisation was boiled. We were probably exposed to more dirt but had much less processed and adulterated food. Baby food was made at home.

[@oz25]

During as one works Christmas do we played something called Secret Santa Yankie Swap, at a resturant. Basically, everyone buys a present that could be for anyone in secret. Everone takes turns to choose a present. Once unwrapped you can either keep the present you chose or swap it for the one before. At the end, the person who went first and opened the first present can pick from anyone. It is hilarious. Everyone buys stupid gifts because no one knows who it is from. It was particularly funny because when we played the presents accidently got mixed up with some fake presents used as a christmas display by the resturant we were in, so some people were suprised by empty boxes. Is this what you were thinking of?

[@LindaRolph-e6g]

Mincemeat is not meat Connor. It's dried fruit, usually soaked in alcohol if made at home although not so much the shop bought variety. Mince pies are small sweet pastry tarts filled with mincemeat and sprinkled on top with icing sugar.

[@samkenyon4522]

Mince pies don't have meat in them - they are made with dried fruit but do sometimes have beef suet (fat) cooked in with them. They are sweet pastries. It's still called mincemeat but hasn't contained actual meat for hundreds of years.

[@proskipper1]

The name mince meat comes from sweet meets it small choppped dryed fruit etc often with suet fat pastry.

[@janekinnane5884]

Boxing day is when you all gather as a family often with some who were not there the previous day, and all bring left overs to eat up. Then you relax and play with the children and their toys and games, watch films or go to sporting events. Yes there are boxing day sales and some people go to those.

[@janekinnane5884]

Originally servants who had worked on Xmas day had boxing day off and visited their families. They may have taken boxes or gifts for their families and received the same from their employers, hence the name. When I was young people always gave something to the dustbin men or coalman postmen and various others.

[@lynwratten9857]

You are right about the allergies rising but I wonder about all the additives they put not only in food but the food for livestock and vegetables. They tell us sugar is bad for us and they put artificial sweetener which is chemically produced instead. Yorkshire puddings were traditionally part of a Sunday roast beef dinner so some people say they shouldn't be with a turkey meal. We also always have the controversial Brussel sprouts. Christmas pudding is very rich, full of currants, raisins, mixed peel, sultanas, brandy and is usually in a pudding basin and gently boiled on the hob for an hour, then brandy is poured over the top and becomes the centrepiece on the Xmas table served with custard, cream or ice cream. Mince pies contains similar fruits as the pudding in a nice shortcrust crumbly pastry. Bubble ands squeak on Boxing day is quite popular, it uses up all the left over veg mixed with mashed potato and fried in bacon fat and accompanies cold turkey.

[@misschieflolz1301]

I have to channel my inner weeb at christmas to stave off the depression I get from the family gatherings. We have a lot in december/january and it's not good for me. Last year was so nice it was the first time my parents and I had christmas alone (with a kinda new family member, long story short they're not adopted legally.... but they're adopted lol). So I have my Dio hoodie that I wear only in december. It confuses people but that's how I like it

[@geekexmachina]

Actually Boxing day (St Stephens Day/ feast of Stephen) was the day wherevthe church would open the collection boxes of money (alms for the poor, which were put out at the start of advent) and distribute it to the poor and needy to help with the harshness of winter. This is of course mentioned in the carol good king Wenceslaus

[@Otacatapetl]

"Meat" originally just meant "food", not specifically animal flesh. Mincemeat just means some chopped up food.

[@deeboneham2738]

Chocolate advent calendars even special ones for pets

[@ThegirlfromU.N.C.L.E]

Oh wow! I thought my family was the only one who waited until the Queen's speech to open presents. Only the kids got to open them in the morning. Turns out other families suffered too 😄

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

Bread sauce looks like someone else already ate it tbh.

[@shanadeoreilly7416]

I don't leave father Christmas brandy! I leave him milk and a mince pie,

[@lunapuella2611]

I always left whisky, mince pie and carrots for the reindeer.

[@billyhills9933]

We always found that Father Christmas preferred rum... which by coincidence was also my Dad's favourite.

[@SRPM-yk9xw]

Can of Stella and a half-eaten kebab.

[@shanadeoreilly7416]

U can't work whilst being pissed up, he'll be delivering presents to the wrong house! 😂😂

[@SRPM-yk9xw]

This explains last year's pogo stick. I wanted Hungry Hungry Hippos.@@shanadeoreilly7416

[@lynnehackles5862]

We took an American friend to a panto. There's a lot of shouting from the audience. He stayed silent during the first half. After the interval he finally got it! During the secind half he shouted so much he lost his voice. He said panto wouldn't work in America unless the first six rows of the British audience were there to show what to do.

[@margaretphare3157]

Yorkshire Pudding goes with Roast Beef not poultry. Sage and onion stuffing goes with poultry. Mincemeat or mince pies are made with dried fruit but originally, many years ago, it was really meat. Christmas pudding is not the same as Christmas cake.