Americans React to How to Have a Very British Christmas

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Reacting To My Roots
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In this video we react to how to have a British Christmas. We had no idea just how different some of the British Christmas traditions are compared to what we're used to here in the US. From leaving brandy for Santa, burning Christmas letters and even the foods that are eaten on Christmas night, British Christmas celebrations are on a whole other level!
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[@TheWebcrafter]

2:40 - BURNING LETTERS? - I'm 60 years of age, I was born in the UK and this is the first time I've heard of burning letters to Santa.

[@alisonscurr4395]

Same here. I don't know where this lady gets some of her ideas from.

[@khalebdaarke7809]

Yep, never heard of that in my 53 years in the UK

[@spiritusinfinitus]

When putting out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas, don't forget to put a carrot out for his reindeer too. This was an essential addition in our house!

[@janinemhall6922]

Oh yes Rudolph always got a carrot in our house too

[@LewisLittle66]

When I was a kid it was always a carrot for the reindeer and a glass of milk for Sannta. It was only later I figured out that the milk was because my dad doesn't drink alcohol. 😄

[@isabeledelsten3945]

one time i ate the carrot the day after because i wanted to know what it was like to be a reindeer and i got so ill we never did it again lmao. i was throwing up the entire day 😂

[@susanbaker9255]

We always left out a bucket of water and carrots for the reindeers. One of my tasks on the way home from Midnight Mass was to tip out some of the water and nibble on the carrots to make it look as thought they've been. Then indoors to fill all the stockings and sacks

[@pitchdark2024]

i thought the brandy was there for the kids to sneak and try then it knocks them out so easier for the parents to sort the santa sack... i used to drink a bit anyway lol

[@Garybaldbee]

That was a very misleading description of Boxing Day. It's really not just a 'Black Friday' type event. It's a public holiday which to some extent serves as an extension of Christmas Day; people continue to eat and drink and celebrate (or suffer) with extended family. Yes, some go shopping but it's also traditionally a time to talk a walk, go to watch a football match and basically just get out of the house for some fresh air. Oh, and the Christmas Pudding is not a cake. It's extremely rich and dense - you won't want a large portion. It's traditionally served with a cream infused with brandy called brandy butter.

[@gillianrimmer7733]

Yes, Boxing Day is just a second Christmas Day for everyone I know - it's used to visit family you didn't manage to see on the day itself.

[@JuneSivell]

My family were greedy we had three Christmases, the day, Boxing Day for visiting relatives, and the 27th which was my parents wedding anniversary.

[@gillianrimmer7733]

@@JuneSivell, we always had turkey and ham on Xmas day and roast pork with stuffing and apple sauce on Boxing day. None of our family have ever had to work over Xmas, so it's basically Christmas week that ends on the 1st January with another big family dinner - usually roast beef.

[@secondtimearound2539]

@@gillianrimmer7733 Turkey butties and milky coffee sat in front of the open fire listening to the footy results on the wireless (no T.V. until years later) Cosy, comforting, sat with parents and siblings. Bliss.

[@Baiswith]

That sounds like brandy cream, not brandy butter. Not sure if that's a regional/class distinction, but I hadn't even heard of brandy cream until a couple of years ago when, for some reason, brandy butter just wasn't in the supermarkets at all.

[@nikkirazelli3250]

4. We don't usually call the "chipolatas", they are usually called "cocktail sausages", but we usually use regular sausages wrapped in bacon, and they are called "pigs in blankets"

[@claregale9011]

And who still pulls the wish bone of the turkey with there pinky , maybe an older tradition but we still do it .😊

[@gillianrimmer7733]

Crimbo, was a slang term for Christmas in the 1980s - I've not heard it for years.

[@Lily_The_Pink972]

Same with a chicken

[@ORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR13]

Yup me..

[@christopherwatts1833]

Every one does

[@susanseaborn691]

Still pull the wishbone, make your wish but don’t tell anyone, or wish for money.

[@elemar5]

Personally, our family didn't put Santa letters in the fire. We put them up the chimney above the flames. You didn't see them burn. They were supposed to be transported by the hot air out the top of the chimney.

[@neilsouthern321]

Aye they were sucked up the lum lol.

[@oz25]

Yes, we did this, the letter goes up the chimney and flies to Father Christmas. X

[@reactingtomyroots]

Okay, this makes a little more sense lol

[@RoadkillbunnyUK]

That is exactly what I did as a kid, well my dad would do it as you have to put your hand in above the fire and let the letter go so it is sucked up with the smoke. Thing is that practically nobody had an open fire anymore, most houses don’t even have working fire places. Central heating is king now. My children didn’t grow up doing this as we didn’t have a chimney let alone fireplace. Honestly we didn’t do the letters to Father Christmas as to me having grown up with the tradition I had anything else just seemed a let down!

[@MrBulky992]

I have never heard of tgst custom and it is definitely something we would not have done when I was young in the 1960s: it would have risked setting the chimney on fire and having to call the fire brigade!

[@Ghhft33]

The biggest difference that jumps out for me is that you call it ‘The holidays’, we tend not to use that frase, here it’s just Christmas time. .Have a wonderful Christmas, don’t forget the mince pies..

[@colinmorrison5119]

USA is a cultural melting pot, so there's not just Christmas, but Hanukkah and probably other holidays too, all clustered around the winter solstice.

[@nicolad8822]

⁠​⁠@@colinmorrison5119So are most cities in Britain, but we all know people are talking about Christmas.

[@stephenlee5929]

@@nicolad8822 Agreed. Other festivals are celebrated, but in general conversation it is Christmas or some times Xmas.

[@reactingtomyroots]

I think one reason 'holidays' is used, at least for me, is because we tend to lump Christmas and New Year's together

[@Sine-gl9ly]

I think one of tne reasons the yanks call it 'the holidays' is because it's possibly the only holiday they get all year, whereas in the UK we take holidays lots of different times during the year. There is no *THE* Holidays, but lots of different ones. Summer holidays, seaside holidays, foreign holidays, sunshine holidays, city break holidays, activity holidays, relaxing-at-home holidays ... you get the idea. That can only happen when _everyone_ gets ample paid time off from their job.

[@PeterDay81]

Boxing day.This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663. This custom is linked to an older British tradition where the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day.

[@juliemacdonald6572]

Correct. It was called Boxing Day, because they were generally sent home with a small box of gifts, usually food, often clothes, and a Christmas bonus usually an extra days pay, because they worked Christmas Day, hence tradition of double time wages if working Christmas in hospitality.

[@barrywood7322]

The Queen was the first monarch to have a televised Christmas message, before television the King sent the Christmas message by the radio.

[@diane64yorks]

When I was small we had a coal fire, my letters to Father Christmas were thrown up the chimney not into the flames, the heat carried the letters up the chimney to the north pole 😊, stockings were put at the end of the bed and usually contained a small toy, a mandarin orange & chocolate coins. My children had stocking right up until the left home, with the same sort of contents plus a comic, it kept them busy while my husband lit our coal fire before we had gas central heating, my children carry on the same tradition with our grandchildren. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Yorkshire, England 🇬🇧

[@reactingtomyroots]

Thanks for the explanation! Makes a little more sense when put that way 😅 Merry Christmas to you and yours, too.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

I'm also from Yorkshire. The presents for my sister and I were put in a pillow case at the bottom of the bed. I never once woke up until the weight of the full pillow case could be felt. Big presents were kept downstairs.

[@peteharper2687]

Most kids in the UK, will pretend to be asleep when our folks sneak in to fill our Christmas stockings. Christmas pudding is very filling, so you don't need much to fill you up.

[@emeraldgirl7374]

In our house, we use the left over christmas pudding. In a big fry up, on boxing day morning. Its delicious sliced and fried with sausages, bacon and eggs.

[@glenmartin7978]

@@emeraldgirl7374 The boxing day fry up lovely but we cook the left overs from the chistmas dinner not adding the christmas pudding we just eat the christmas pudding all year round lol we always buy far too much of it

[@allycbythesea7937]

@@emeraldgirl7374wow never heard of that but I’m going to give it a go. Sounds delicious

[@ORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR13]

And she forgot the family punch ups 😂

[@pogleswife7572]

With my children we put a pillowcase with presents in it at the end of their beds. It always contained a satsuma. In the past getting an orange in a stocking was a real treat because they were expensive ( my dad who was born in 1927 told me it was often the only time he had an orange all year)

[@markfour2841]

As a Brit, I've never heard of putting the letters to Santa on the fire. We always "posted" them to the North Pole !

[@Trebor74]

I seem to remember that in a Christmas film. Something about Swedish tradition,or something.

[@trailerman2]

It's probably a generational thing....us older people when growing up practically every house had an open fire. When you threw the letter on the fire if you were lucky the updraft would take it up the chimney!! Magic!! LOL

[@lisap6584]

You'd have to be pretty old to remember putting letters up chimeys and eating bread sauce (which is disgusting). TJ Max is TK Max in UK.

[@vaudevillian7]

@@lisap6584I’m in my 30s and we did it, remember there being so many more fireplaces in houses even then

[@margaretbarclay-laughton2086]

Yeah the royal mail used to have a department to deal with letters to Santa.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

When I was a kid in what feels like "Victorian Times" now, we used to give all the people who delivered things to our doorstep a "Christmas Box" tip. In the week before Christmas. When we had daily/weekly visits from the milkman, bread man, paper boy, rent collector, loan collector, insurance man, Football Pools man, and garbage collector etc.

[@richt71]

Panto is an amazing tradition. As said it's usually a 2 hour theatre production around a children's fairytale. It has men dressed as women and women dressed as men. A lot of audience participation. Singing and jokes aplenty aimed at kids but some more adult humour is usually slipped in. Each town usually has it's own panto and local news is often scripted into the panto.

[@audiocoffee]

it's full of slapstick, double entenres, bad jokes, ropy songs, dancers, men as women, women as men, moments of glorious f***uppery (prop fails, lighting issues, people forgetting lines, dancers exiting on the wrong side of the stage, slips, trips and wardrobe malfunctions) and worth going to see one for all that and more 😁 grew up doing panto and yeah, I was that uncoordinated tap dancer in the lineup.

[@MyOutdoorsUK]

Oh no it isn't. 🤣

[@raymondporter2094]

​@@MyOutdoorsUKOH YES IT IS!

[@alisonrodger3360]

@@audiocoffee HE'S BEHIND YOU!!

[@stephenlee5929]

@@alisonrodger3360 I would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those darn kids... Sorry wrong show. 😁

[@susantracey4486]

We always put out pillow cases on the end of the bed for presents and yes parents sneak in.

[@cazez17]

I'm from the UK & our stockings were always around the fireplace. The letters were left in the chimney when the fire was out & not thrown in the flames.

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

Our stocking was allways at the fire and we always lit the cornor of the letter and it whooshed up the fire. We had 4 fireplaces in our house growing up and 3 of the 4 were always lit before we did anything on Crimbo day. Father Christmas always left a new daecoration we would have to find. We also had a fry up breakfast before we opened any gift.

[@wildadventure5101]

My stocking would be put on the outside of the bedroom door or hung from the door catch. Normally the stocking would be a pillow case.

[@elemar5]

That's just greed.@@wildadventure5101

[@ethelmini]

I think the fireplace is THE tradition, but it's complicated with concept of bedrooms and heating. some families will have all slept in the same room others may or may not have had children's bedrooms with or without fireplaces. Then there's the tradition that you had to be asleep or Santa wouldn't come, which makes more sense if the prezzies are left by your bed.

[@kimtopp5984]

We put a letter in the the postbox addressed Father Christmas and always receive a letter back …….Thank you Royal Mail ❤️🇬🇧

[@TheOrlandoTrustfull]

Playing Monopoly with family at Christmas is the perfect way to end up having a massive argument, resulting in at least 1 person going for a walk 😂

[@hopper7234]

Always the tradition in our family too 😂

[@moonshinepz]

Santa found a bottle of scotch one year in our house, after that he found the fridge, ate a whole christmas pudding, threw up in the bathtub, and went to sleep on the lounge floor where the kids found him on christmas day, where somebody had been sick on him. He has been strictly excused alcohol on christmas eve for the last 34 years and has behaved himself ever since.

[@johnthomas9992]

ROFLMAO best keep an eye on that bottle in my cupboard tonight WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS

[@pauldurkee4764]

Priceless..😂😂

[@Cherokee-q4b]

😂😂😂

[@secondtimearound2539]

@moonshinepz 😆

[@CollieDog24]

If it wasn,t for the kids ,we wouldn,t bother!!!

[@JamesNoms]

When I was young in the before I knew days My dad would sneak the presents into our room and then go stand at the other side of the house and shake some bells to make it sound like Santas sleigh bells and we would wake up to find the presents in a sack at the end of our bed. I did the same with our son except I put a red bulb at the end of a stick rang the bells and then slowly pulled the bulb away from the window. Was so awesome seeing his face when he burst in to tell his mum.

[@ronturner9850]

Letters don’t go on the fire they get ‘posted’ up the chimney where they fly to Father Christmas….

[@MickRiley]

The paper crown tradition can be traced back to the ancient Romans, who wore festive headgear to celebrate Saturnalia, a festival that took place around the winter solstice. A lot of things we do in the UK are from pagen traditions slowly watered down over the ages. Mistletoe, for instance, was a druid ritual to bring it in the house for good luck for the household and ward off evil spirits, now used as a sign of love and friendship.

[@valeriewalker3886]

Our Christmas stockings had an apple, orange, nuts and usually a colouring book and crayons in them.

[@seijika46]

In my house it was sherry rather than brandy. Monopoly kills family gatherings through people throwing a strop (Trivial Pursuit can have a similar result) - better off sticking to Game of Life or Cluedo (Scrabble lies somewhere in-between).

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

I grew up in Scotlad so Santa had Whisky also a carrot for the Raindeer. Parsnips are wonderful. Our gravy is diffrent to yours and i love bread sause. The white on the xmas cake is brandy sause which is butter icing sugar and brandy all mushed together. I have never gone shopping on boxing day.

[@pauldurkee4764]

In the UK, it was traditional to put a silver sixpence coin into the mix, so some lucky person would get it with their pudding. The pudding can be served with Custard, Cream, or Cream laced with Cognac or Baileys Irish Cream. 🎄🎀🎄

[@johnp8131]

When small, we would all get a silver "Tanner" in our pudding. I could never understand why my Dad was so lucky to get a Half Crown in his?

[@Burglar-King]

I love soaking the pudding in brandy and sett8ng fire to it and taking it to the dinner table.

[@helensmusings]

I still put a 5 pence in for each family member when I'm making them lol

[@gillcawthorn7572]

There were tradition silver tokens ,which meant something to the recipient . Apart from the money ,I can remember only a few; a tiny horseshoe , a stirrup, and often the housewife`s gold wedding ring . None of these things were to be kept, but washed and returned to the kitchen for next year`s pudding.

[@ORDEROFTHEKNIGHTSTEMPLAR13]

Yeah I hate CHRISTMAS PUDDING and i just wanted the coin inside it 😂

[@psibug565]

I would note that the Xmas Pud is indeed portioned up in bowls after being set on fire. It can be served with custard, double cream or brandy butter.

[@BlueTexel]

Or white brandy sauce 😋. And pouring brandy over it then setting on fire, burns off the alcohol leaving pure brandy flavour. Don't forget the sixpence!

[@beckyallsopp5695]

Or all 3 together

[@jagster0810]

Americans call double cream Heavy Cream 🙂

[@davidflack6430]

Also referred to as plum pudding from the time where plum was slang for dried fruit.

[@susie7356]

We always put a £1 coin in ours too lol just have to warn people

[@dee2251]

Brandy sauce is traditionally served with Christmas pudding, but custard is a good substitute. The alcohol is cooked out.

[@mewsli]

Father Christmas must get pretty drunk drinking all the alcohol, and rudolph gets a lot of carrots :) if the house didn't have an open fire? Father Christmas has a "magic key" of course!! 😂

[@keithrudd8003]

My parents used to leave the bathroom window open for Father Christmas to get in

[@kdog3908]

We were told that Santa doesn't drink all the sherry/brandy. We were told it helps Rudolph's nose stay bright red because, as anyone who has drunk alcohol knows, the consumption of alcohol causes the drinker to get a red 'glow' about the cheeks. The same effect helps Rudolph guide the sleigh!

[@ronspalding6946]

Some Christmas puddings are small individual puddings and others are large that you would dish out into bowls.

[@nickgrazier3373]

You’ll notice that Brits always shorten words to make it faster to say making it more friendly and comfortable hence Chrimbo!

[@juliedowning7782]

Hi both…..we don’t generally call Christmas time “ the holidays”, it’s just Christmas. Chrimbo is just a shortened version of the word Christmas 🤷‍♀️….us Brits do love a shortened word haha! Christmas pudding is lush if you like lots of fruit but it’s very rich so go steady! Crackers are fun and the hat never fits me lol! I’m just heading off to spend Christmas in Cornwall with my family….its where I come from. Happy Christmas to you both and Sophia 🎄🎅🏻⛄️❤️

[@reactingtomyroots]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Julie! :) Safe travels

[@janelockwood347]

Brandy SAUCE is traditionally eaten with Xmas pudding! It’s a creamy sweet white sauce laced with brandy… yummmm. Some people like custard, or thick cream either.

[@rikmoran3963]

The British tradtion was always Sherry and Mince Pies for Santa, which you will discover if you Google it. Not sure why she said Brandy, perhaps because Sherry is not as popular as it once was, so people have started substituting it with Brandy. Most likely as they get to drink it after the kids have gone to bed! 😁

[@deja-view1017]

Just thought it needs to be made clear that you pull crackers between two people (usually everyone around the table pulls together with those on either side) and the person that gets the biggest part gets the prize inside. Mentioning as I recently saw (in a film) Americans attempting this tradition but pulling it like this woman did.

[@reactingtomyroots]

Okay, thank you! Yeah, we wouldn't have done it that way haha

[@JMNL07]

​@@reactingtomyroots In my family you cross hands and pull with both neighbours in a big circle! That way everyone should get one.

[@kitchfacepalm]

Also “British Tradition” is very subjective. I had never even heard of bread sauce till having a meal in the south of England. I truly was surprised by it and admit that it looked so bad (like wallpaper paste) that I didn’t bother to taste more than a finger tip dip’s worth. I don’t know ANYONE who has ever watched the queen’s speech or even cared about, it and care even less about one by Charles. We never refer to Father Christmas, but always Santa or Santa Claus, sometimes even Auld Nick and our Santa drinks Whisky and eats shortbread and mince pies. Traditionally the bird we ate was goose but the cheaper big Turkey bird to feed lots of people has replaced the traditional goose to the extent that many people think that Turkey is traditional, and I suppose it is the modern / current tradition.

[@deja-view1017]

@@kitchfacepalm I think that a lot of 'traditions' came out of the Victorian era and the turkey one was almost entirely the result of Dickens character Scrooge giving a turkey to the Cratchits. Turkey, at that time, was exotic and expensive whereas many people were able to keep a goose, so turkey was aspired to. Funny how it's now the other way round. I'm surprised about the bread sauce. My Nanna was from Newcastle and she always made it (as did the other Grandma from Dorset). Is it just because it's a bit old fashioned (for a start it has to be white bread)?

[@Anna-ez5ij]

If you write your letter to Father Christmas, a little earlier, not only did the parents have time to buy the gifts, but if you posted it with the address included, the children get a card from the Royal Mail, from Santa and some letters make it all the way to the North Pole & the letter comes back, with a story. Those cards and letters are treasured forever.

[@paidwitness797]

The best thing about stockings left on kids beds is the extra half hour or so asleep they can buy you! My kids always used to have a few small toys, some chocolate, a drink and satsuma just to keep them occupied for a bit! Also, about traditions being lost, try starting your own with your kids. When mine were born we were poor as church mice our first few xmas', and we made many of the tree decorations. Now fastforward to my kids all being grown and i still had those old decorations we used to use, so i split them between them for their own trees. Its only a little thing but always sparks memories when they come out.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That's pretty genius, actually, in regards to the stockings in the bedrooms 😂

[@flo6956]

It doesn't always work, when my son was about 6 he came into my room shouting Father Christmas had been half hour after I'd gone to bed at about 1am

[@paidwitness797]

@@flo6956 Yeah its not 100%, but back then i would take what i could - i used to work retail selling fruit and veg, xmas week was always brutal especially xmas eve, so any extra rest was worth it!

[@christinecoombs3536]

I had COVID for Christmas too guys. Get well soon. ❤️

[@muppetsstoogesfan1]

One thing she kinda breezed past is how huge a deal television is on Christmas Day in the UK. Many tv shows air special Christmas themed episodes that air on Christmas. Particularly comedy shows and soaps. Here in America Christmas themed episodes air earlier in the month and not on the actual day itself.

[@susanbaker9255]

Boxing Day in our family has always been a huge family lunch with cold meats, pickles, bubble and squeak (mashed potatoes and Brussels mixed up, and fried into patties). Christmas pudding again with custard or/and cream. Then later a big buffet with an evening of games. Physical games like musical hats, guess the playdough item, and paper games, guess the celebrity, flags of the world, etc, etc. Great fun

[@Bridget410]

People have Brandy sauce on christmas pudding or custard or cream. Its rich, I love it!

[@katethorpe4943]

Hi, hope this isn’t too impertinent - love to watch you and your wife exploring the UK 👍👍👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@gillianrimmer7733]

We didn't burn our letters to Father Christmas - they went straight up the chimney by the force of the hot air from the fire. My mum would hold them above the flames and let go, and they would 'magically' fly up the chimney straight to the North Pole.

[@susyward581]

Have you ever witnessed a chimney fire. Put the letters in the fire, the smoke goes strait to Father Christmas. Children have a great imagination and love to play along, like pretending to be asleep when the stockings are taken to fill and being thrilled to see mince pie crumbs and an empty brandy glass. Long live imagination - oh yes it is!

[@reactingtomyroots]

Okay! THAT makes sense lol

[@WG1807]

The gifts for Santa, put out just before bedtime on Xmas Eve used to be a glass of sherry and a mince pie in our house. Plus a carrot for Rudolph the reindeer.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

During the six yrs we lived in VA, we certainly celebrated Christmas as we always had. Many of our neighbours had a lesser event. I think this may be because only Christmas Day itself is a holiday for many Americans, whereas in the UK (Canada, Australia, etc) and in much of Europe, the days off work run from midday on the 24th to January 3rd.

[@vaudevillian7]

Also in the US it gets diluted by Thanksgiving - another holiday where you eat turkey just before Christmas, where you sit and eat turkey

[@Ukhome-s4p]

Boxing Day was started in the Victorian era. Where a family member in service would be given a part of the day off the day after Christmas taking gifts of left over food

[@Peterraymond67]

Hello Both. One of my neighbours used to leave the veg peelings on the doorstep telling the kids that Santa’s reindeer had called by. No chimneys in my street! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda I chi, in Welsh. Chrimbo is just a childish version of Christmas.

[@reactingtomyroots]

Thank you! The same to you and yours :)

[@eh-i1841]

There is no chimney,on my granddaughter’s home,but she knows that Santa has a special key.And she knows he’s so busy,that he likes nanas and granddads to help,and then he comes to sprinkle magic dust,on those gifts.

[@no-oneinparticular7264]

A lot of what she says does not apply to all of Britain. My children and grandchildren put their letters to santa in a special santa post box, and the post office replied. Never heard of burning letters or throwing in the fireplace. Our stocking were at the bottom of our bed, or attached to the fireplace. A lot of traditions vary throughout the country and families.

[@cornwallcrafter8410]

I was just checking if royal mail still replied to letters to santa

[@witlesswonderthe2nd883]

Most people don’t have open fires anymore, this would have come about when every home had a coal fire.

[@flamingbridges1649]

Me and my brother used to put our letters to santa in our grandma's coal fire.

[@BenBallard13]

Burning letters in the fireplace is a British tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Ever since we had open fires in the house, it kind of died out when central heating was invented and houses had no need for fireplaces. Just because you haven't heard of it, doesn't mean it wasn't/isn't a tradition.?

[@Diamondmine212]

Ah! ,you mustn’t be old enough then, I’m 76 and YES WE DID post our letters UP the Chimney, delicate act though, Dad did it because it had to be held just right over the fire so the draft whipped it UP the chimney and not on it. 👍👍. In our stockings, we opened first ,we got Half a Crown, (22 and half P),an orange, walnuts and chocolate money. 😃

[@TheChrisleekay]

You hit the nail on the head!! UK Christmas dinner is very close the US Thanks Giving dinner!

[@nicolepowell5470]

Born in 72 and i can say as a child i never put my letters on the fire here in the UK. For one did not have a coal fire it was electric with fake plastic coals, we left ours on the hearth with whisky for santa and a carrot for rudolph.

[@sallytaitchison-gould740]

As Santa comes down the chimney, the idea was that route was the best way to dend letters (up with the smoke) most houses now don't have chimneys. The King follows the tradition of the Christmas 💆 televised 3pm Christmas afternoon.(pre recorded by him some weeks before. Boxingday is a holiday as well. Traditionally when upperclass families and royalty get outside either for the shoot, pheasants, or the fox hunt. Everyone else just goes for a walk, so as to walk off the effects of overeating,and a chance for kids to try out their new bikes . In Ireland it is St.Stephens day, when everyone goes to the horse races.

[@Happyheretic2308]

Boxing Day was also when the staff, suppliers and other tradespeople would receive their Christmas present (or ‘box’)

[@glenmartin7978]

I live in the North East of England we always leave milk a mince pie and some carrot sticks no alcohol

[@stevehartley7504]

Christmas Pudding with Custard Cream Brandy Sauce Heated up brandy in a ladel lit and poured over hot pudding This not done much now. It was a spectacle bringing into a darkened room Spooned into bowls Used to put sixpence in pudding ( coin) and lucky to find

[@jennd9091]

rum sauce please! x

[@huskymad]

We usually finish work on Christmas Eve and don't return to work until the 2nd or 3rd of January because most work places close between Christmas and New Year (depending on which industry that you work in)

[@hildajenkins9497]

We left sherry and a mince pie for Santa Claus and a carrot for the reindeer. Our letters went up the chimney on the hot air from the fire, you had to time it just right.

[@theshack-garagenightclub7309]

my son is 7 and he writes his letter to santa. Then we send off his letter santa by Royal mail and then he gets a reply back. The best Santa's reply was with a proper private company that we'd used last time, as they send you a far better more detailed letter back and it's in more realistic.

[@Rachel_M_]

Will "Santa" be having a British treat tonight 😉.. Merry Christmas to all 🎄

[@ajkarimpumalil]

Ummmmm I don't think I like that

[@nadeansimmons226]

Boxing day is a repeat of Christmas Day. Family, parties, left overs etc. Some people go shopping but many people just hunker down for another day of fun and celebration

[@sharonheffernan9551]

UK Christmas is more important than in the US as we don't have Thanksgiving. The sauce on the pudding will be Brandy cream or brandy sauce.

[@SevenEllen]

LMAO "Sending the letters to Hell" Satan must so confused and annoyed that he's getting all this post and everyone's spelling his name wrong!!

[@FiFiTheVampBitcxh]

my parents, to get over not having a chimney, Santa has a magical key that allows him to open doors to give presents :) It was specifically the back patio door for me but it worked and would work for any door haha :) we also gave carrots for the Raindeers as Christmas :)

[@christopherwarren9439]

Hope you and your family have a great christmas and a happy new year

[@littleannie390]

Growing up Santa always left our presents in my parents’ bedroom (stockings weren’t big enough). Mum would wake us up to let us know he had been. Nowadays most people just put their presents under the tree. Boxing Day is the start of the January sales and the reason is to get rid of the Christmas stock they didn’t sell. The monarch’s Christmas speech tradition that goes back King George V and the invention of radio and has been shown on TV since 1957. It’s on at 3.00 pm, about the time everyone is dozing off after a huge Christmas dinner.

[@phoebegreig6523]

About the letters, you send them up the flume. You don’t burn them. The hot air will send the letter up the chimney and you tell kids that that is Christmas magic sending them to Father Christmas/Santa. The reality is that it will probably burn up inside the flume but kids don’t know that part 😂

[@stevepreston-be3fi]

Steve, I loved your reaction to rocking the Christmas hat! Yeah!

[@ElizabethDebbie24]

HI STEVE AND LINDSAY DEBRA HERE FROM SOUTH WALES UK Say hi to Sophia for me, I hope she is being a good girl and not getting to excited for Santa, so she stays on his good childrens list. MY CHRISTMAS DAY Just like you guys, Santa, (as that is what we called him as well), left my filled stocking by the fireplace, my parents (aka Santa) left stuff for me to amuse myself with whilst I waited for my parents to get up later that morning and thren open up my main gifts. In my family we left pulling our christmas crackers until after our lunch, which was a stuffed roast turkey with vegetables (carrots, sprouts, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips and honey roasted carrots) and gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing and of course pigs in blankets (sausages wrapped in streaky bacon (American style bacon)). Then we had our dessert of Christmas pudding and custard whilst we pulled our christmas crackers. Oh boy did we feel full after that meal or what! After lunch whch we normally had at around 1:00 p.m. we lounge out around the tv watching a special christmas soap episode followed by the Queen's speech (now of course the King"s speech) at 3:00 pm to 3: 15 pm followed by a film usually a James Bond or a musical depending what channel you was watching. Then we started on our christmas chocolates ( mmm mmm mmm). That basically is my christmas day here in my little part of South Wales. I would now like to take this opportunity of wishing you, Lindsay and Sophia a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2024.

[@fjonesjones2]

Christmas here, in Australia , is in the middle of Summer we tend to have a barbecue on the beach..... Surfing Santas and white Kangaroos to pull Santa's sled... 🥳🥳🥳

[@jonathanwetherell3609]

She forgot Christmas Cake! A rich fruit cake, baked months in advance, and regularly dosed with Brandy afterwards. Finally covered with marzipan, royal icing and decorative icing. Eaten on it's own in the South and with cheese in the North (Wensleydale is best or Cheshire).

[@DeborahHamilton-q1w]

I remember one year, when my mother somehow forgot the marzipan! My father had to use a saw to cut the cake. The icing was like candy - you couldn't bite into it, so we sucked on it! She was mortified, but we all thought it was great. LOL

[@Angelic_Alternatives]

I think it depends on the family. We NEVER had stockings in the bedroom. Always in the living room. If we didn’t have a fire place, they would be on the floor of the living room

[@anthonyquinn3671]

1st let me say I used to be a Postman (mailman) and we used to get a lot of Letters Posted to Santa at Christmas, which we forwarded on to a Special dept that would read them and if there was a return address They would often reply to the letters on Santa's behalf. 2nd I always convinced my kids it had to be Mince Pie and Brandy left out for Santa otherwise they would be on his naughty list for next year. I also Agree Monopoly is a Brilliant Game, But a lot of things are being exchanged between the USA and the UK. We never had Trick or Treat at Halloween, when I was a kid, We called it Mischief Night and we used to knock on doors and run infuriating the Neighbours. Christmas Pudding is served like that on the table but I wouldn't advise trying to eat a whole one to yourself they are very filling and usually sliced up in individual portions around the table. The Alcohol is usually Heated on the stove until it is ready to flame off and it burns the Alcohol off so it makes it safer for Children to eat. Boxing day may have had many different reasons but the norm now is for Supermarkets to Cut the Prices to the bone on Boxing day especially on Christmas Lines because they can clear the shelves for the January Sales, It's either that or pay staff to store them until next year, and of course some of the Christmas food stuffs wouldn't survive until next year. Merry Christmas to you all see you next year.

[@readMEinkbooks]

We have the Christmas pudding and a Christmas cake which is basically the same thing but in more cake shape with icing and Christmasy decorations on. We also mostly use the same-ish recipe (heavy fruit cake) for wedding cakes. With the pudding you don't put the cream/custard/brandy butter (yes more alcohol) on the big pudding. You pour brandy over and set it alight. Once it's in individual bowls, then you put your 'sauce' of choice over it.

[@The_Yokshireman_In_The_Hat]

A glass of whisky, a mince pie and a carrot for Rudolph. My cat of 18 years sadly died overnight between Christmas eve and Christmas day one year. The boys were told she had gone to help Santa deliver the presents. From then on we also put some cat biscuits out for Sala. The boys accepted it and there were no awkward questions.

[@jenniferleighmiron8135]

Spending some of my childhood in England I have had " Christmas Pud" as we called it. My Dad would douse it in brandy and set it alight, making a pretty blue flame, then we would slice it up and have it with custard -yum!

[@kevs4252]

I'm 60 years old and have never heard of throwing the letters on the fire. Also, most houses don't have open fires and a chimney. I think most children leave out a glass of milk and a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer.

[@Rectal_Scattergun]

In my experience the letter to Father Christmas wasn't thrown in the fire it was shoved up the chimney. The logic is the magic used for him to get down the chimney can also convey the letters up to him. Nowadays most houses don't have a fireplace, which i suppose is where Royal Mail step in with their service to deliver letters to Father Christmas. Stocking was hung at the end of the bed (although when i was a kid i had a pillowcase instead of a stocking), so when you wake up you've immediately got some stuff to open. Father Christmas was left booze and mince pies but also a carrot for his reindeer. Although one carrot can't go between 8 reindeer. Christmas cracker jokes are deliberately bad. There's an episode of QI where it's explained that the terrible jokes allow everyone to get them and bond over the bad joke, instead of a joke where some might not get it and feel left out.

[@eh-i1841]

Just an extra tradition,guys,about New Year.I’m 73 now,and I’m not sure,if anyone still does this,but as the New Year chimes sounded,whoever was tall enough,took coal,bread,and salt,just a small amount,to a neighbour,to signify that you were wishing them good luck and prosperity,in the coming year,and that they would never be without those important things.I first-footed,when I was a girl,because I was tall enough.

[@davidmarshall6616]

If you guys have brandy in the house pour one or two tablespoons on your Christmas pudding and immediately set it alight, it will burn off the alcohol so you don't get that bitterness you mentioned. It will just add another flavour dimension although not really necessary. Serve with either custard or heavy cream and i hope it is something you will all enjoy. P.S. Last night i cheated and had some after my dinner but don't tell anyone. Here's hoping that you, your family and all your viewers have a great Christmas.

[@libradragon934]

Now that's very naughty and Santa would have seen, you might get a lump of coal in your stocking now! 😂

[@BenBallard13]

You're forgetting the white sauce laced with Brandy on Christmas pudding too.. 😉

[@octaviussludberry9016]

You should heat the brandy first. Lights quicker.

[@BenBallard13]

@@octaviussludberry9016 it does, it's the same principle as pre-boiled water boiling faster second time round.

[@starleighmagnus]

The stockings....best way to sneak in and "fill" them...DUPLICATE STOCKING!! put the empty one on their bed, when they're asleep, remove the empty one and replace with the full one. That way u spend no more than a few seconds in the room and voilà

[@suedavebennett1878]

Parents help Santa sometimes to fill stockings 😊 because he's so busy and we also leave carrots for the Reindeer

[@harryminto6048]

As someone from england, since when did we burn our letters to father christmas?!? Never knew this was a thing!

[@moonramshaw1982]

I'm feeling a little hoarse as well. I hope the RSPCA don't find out😂😂

[@mandimoo87]

You can make your own advent calendar out of fabric with 24 pockets sewn in. Place a hersheys kiss in each and something thats gaining popularity is a reverse advent calendar where you give rather than receive (place a slip of paper with a good deed/act of kindness or an item to be donated to a foodbank written on in each pocket). My fave tradition is a new ornament each year. Theres a set i am collecting.

[@trailerman2]

Merry Christmas to you all.

[@TheStar798]

Traditionally, in my house my child not only leaves M&S cookies and a snifter of brandy (or milk) for Santa - we leave three presents of toys (in pristine condition) that haven't been played with over the last year, for Santa to drop at charity shops for other kids who may not have money or a chimney 🤷🏽‍♀️ Santa is very kind and leaves good presents if you care about other kids 👀 (we also lay a light powder/flour trap on the floor to capture Santa's footprints 🤭)

[@mystiaviolet6482]

When I was a little girl, we left a mince pie and a cup of tea out for Father Christmas and a bowl of water with one or two carrots inside for the Reindeer to eat. My dad would get dressed up, eat and drink everything and then walk upstairs to place my stocking and a few presents at the foot of my bed.

[@charliecosta3971]

Tbh none of this was true for me. Wrote letters and posted them. This was normal not everyone had a chimney especially if you lived on a council estate. We left out whatever was available in the cupboard. Never had stockings by my bed. We had stocking fillers that were left around the Xmas tree.

[@Gambit771]

Sadly more and more families are become as American as yours and are hardly British anymore. This video is more of a history lesson now.

[@ianoo23]

@@Gambit771 thank god… I’m glad we don’t have bread sauce on Christmas dinner, I’m glad we don’t burn the Christmas letters from the kids (I found that as weird as Americans do) We never had a chimney either so not really able to follow a tradition of hanging stockings on the fireplace, Boxing Day I’ve never associated with shopping 🤣🤣 Christmas pudding I like but I see why not everyone at the table participates in it as it is very rich! I had someone telling me I shouldn’t have Yorkshire puddings on a Christmas dinner as it wasn’t tradition 🤣🤣 it’s a roast dinner- I would have them with any meat not just beef! If we stuck to traditions religiously without question we’d be in a sorry state also… some American traditions are hugely popular and appealing to kids and there is no harm in a few creeping in to British households

[@Gambit771]

​@@ianoo23 Don't care about bread sauce, it's good, you either like it or don't. Burning letters isn't weird but it is a magical way for the letters to reach him from a time before there was postmen. Anyone that have it a seconds thought would see that especially if they are from Northern Europe and it is supposed to be a part of that country's traditions. I've never associated boxing day with shopping. Aware of the sales but boxing day was always a follow up to Christmas day. Less hassle, everyone more relaxed and an easier day to lounge about. I don't like puddings and I'm not fond of sweets in general, hate mince pie but I can see why people like it and I do find it weird if any of them aren't there on Christmas day. I don't understand why Yorkshire pudding wouldn't be a part of a Christmas roast. Yorkshire puddings have been around for many centuries so even if someone doesn't like them they are traditional to Christmas in the UK. I'm not saying we stick to traditions religiously but Brits are hardly sticking to them at all these days and it isn't merely some murican traditions sneaking in, but like monkey see monkey does, pathetic Brits just blindly copy every murican thing they see. Next thing we'll be celebrating the 4th of July and watching the superbowl like it's the fa cup final. Most Brits will be calling football 'soccer' soon, that's if yanks start watching it otherwise Brits'll be watching handegg.

[@Racheell4520]

The Christmas socking was always sleight of hand for us.....Mum used to use my red Hockey Socks, so she could fill one and then exchange it during the night/early morning!

[@helengander9093]

I have always loved the Boxing Day lunch with 'bubble and squeak', usually leftover cabbage and roast potatoes fried up together, however the leftovers after Christmas dinner include roast potatoes, parsnips, brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, stuffing, bread sauce(with all it's spices), carrots etc. I can't wait for this year's version (never the same twice), served with left over cold meats and chutneys. Happy Christmas, y'all from the South East of England.

[@shirl790]

I remember as a kid waking up to a stocking and pillowcase full of goodies. We always burnt our letters to Father Christmas. We always left a Sherry n mince pie with a carrot for Rudolph

[@chrisperyagh]

You ought to watch the animated film 'Father Christmas' which is based on two illustrated books by Raymond Briggs. The first part is him converting his sled into a reindeer-powered camper van and going off on holiday to France, Scotland and Las Vegas, then returns to the UK to go through all the letters, then load his sled up with presents and deliver them all as well as tying it in with 'The Snowman' (also an illustrated book by Raymond Briggs with no words). I heard back on '82 when in Canada the original Father Christmas books got a lot of backlash by parents in both the US and Canada as he's anything but the US/Canadian idea of Santa Claus - he's single (there's no Mrs. Claus at home) living in an urban terraced house with a cat and dog plus his two reindeer in the stable block out the back, he's moody, swears a lot (but without using actual swear words as they're children's books), shows his arse, uses the outside toilet, has false teeth and likes his drink. Or, just your average middle-aged beardy fat bloke.

[@stuartfitch7093]

Steve, it's brandy sauce they're pouring over the Christmas pudding. It either custard or brandy sauce with Christmas pudding.

[@Peter-gv6vf]

We have never thrown our santa letters in the fire. Pudding is nothing like cake which we also have. Black friday happens in november, boxing day has always happened only just recently the sales start on that day. We also sometimes call it crimble. She doesnt know what shes talking about😆. Hope you had a great day with best wishes from the UK

[@heraclefolia]

The Royal mail has a special santa letter service, if you get your letter in before the end of November theres a chance you might get a reply. Its free except for the cost of a stamp on the letter to santa. We also have special commemorative Christmas stamps as well which make your envelopes festive too.

[@iainsan]

Bread sauce: Half a pint of milk, one small onion (peeled but not cut up), about 10 dried cloves, 1 dried or fresh bayleaf, about 12 whole dried black peppercorns, 3 cups of white breadcrumbs. On Christmas Eve, stick the cloves in the onion and simmer it in the milk along with the bayleaf and peppercorns for 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it overnight. On Christmas Day morning, strain out the solid parts and add the breadcrumbs to the flavoured milk. Simmer, stirring, until it thickens. It is delicious with any poultry.

[@jessicat3649]

I love Christmas pudding with brandy butter! Yum! Butter, and sugar whipped together and then brandy beaten in.

[@livvyl3341]

We used to leave milk out for santa cause my mum said "he needs it to sober up" 😂 and always a carrot for Rudolf. The mince pie and carrot always had a bite mark taken out if them. She didnt mention the major house clean....us brits always blitz the house just before Christmas, it was also a great way of making kids help, with them being on their best behaviour or santa won't come 😂

[@kezlana6907]

I've always never got why just a bite taken out 😂 I'd imagine santa would eat it all haha

[@yumyummoany]

We always left Father Christmas a glass of sherry with his mince pie. Brandy not a thing in most homes. On the Christmas pudding is probably brandy butter! You will probably find a pantomime on KZbin, they are huge fun! We took our children every year. The Rocky Horror Show is almost an adult panto with the shouted responses! The audience participation, imagine hundreds of kids screeching ‘he’s behind you’. Brilliant!!!!!

[@MISSYGful]

My mum managed to sneak in to our rooms all of childhood filling our stockings/sacks pretending it had been Santa and NEVER woke us. I still don't know how she did it.

[@asseyez-vous6492]

She’ll have crept in, taken the stockings to another room, filled them, then crept back into your room again. Parents know when their children are sound asleep, or just pretending!

[@chriscox4023]

Christmas puddings are made and cooked in a pudding basin hence the shape, the alcohol is cooked off as you do with wine in sauce, but the flavour enhances the pudding. The extra alcohol at serving is optional.

[@chriscox4023]

Boxing Day sales are a nightmare for retail staff who have to reset from Christmas merchandise to sale merchandise over Christmas day

[@andrews6341]

The King did his first Xmas message last year and will be doing it from now on.