• In the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand,December,25th is the most important holiday. Families gather on Christmas Eve. Traditional decorations are red and green.

• Families decorate evergreen trees.

• In America families often decorate early in December, but in Great Britain it is more traditional to decorate in Christmas Eve.

• Children hang stockings by their fireplaces for Santa Claus to fill with gifts during the night.

• Some children leave milk and cookies for Santa before they go to sleep on Christmas Eve.

• In all of countries it is traditional to have a big dinner with family and to exchange gifts. on the 25th.

• Two other holidays are celebrated around the same time as Christmas.

• Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, an eight-day “festival of light”.

• Every night families light a candle until there are a total of nine burning at the end of the period.

Black people in America celebrate Kwanzaa from December 26 to January,1.This is a cultural holiday, not a religious holiday with a principle for each day.

• Because people from many different cultures and countries live in America and Canada, there is not only one strong Christmas tradition.

• People decorate, exchange gifts and have a big dinner on the 25th.

• Traditional foods are ham, turkey, stuffing, vegetables and pie.

• The Christmas season in these countries is very musical. Many people go from house to house to sing, and there are many concerts with music, singing and bells.

• Sometimes people dress in costumes and put on Christmas plays.

The weather is warm and some people have their Christmas dinner as a picnic at the beach.

• The day after Christmas is an official holiday, Boxing day. It is a time to help people who don’t have enough money, food or clothing.

JOHNAND ALBENA

WISH YOU