Christmas in Czech Republic and Great Britain

Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Among the Christmas symbols belong evergreen trees, candles, stars, angels, bells but each country has different customs and traditions. In Czech Republic, four weeks before Christmas Advent begins. We decorate our houses with a Christmas wreath and candles. Everybody runs from the shop to the shop and look for some presents. We also send Christmas cards to our friends and relatives. Mothers make some sweets, usually vanilla rolls and Christmas cake. On Christmas Eve, in the morning, we decorate a Christmas tree with electric lights, little things made of straw, glass balls and some sweets and we put some presents under the tree. We don´t eat anything all day, but the Christmas Dinner is very rich. We start the dinner with traditional Christmas soup. It´s a soup with groats and mushrooms. We finish the dinner with fried carp and potatoe salad. During the dinner we drink some wine, fizz or Coca Cola. After the dinner we unwrap the presents and listen to Christmas Carols. Then we watch TV. At 10 o´clock p.m we go to Midnight Mass. On Christmas Day we are usually at home and we go to church again or we visit our relatives. We do the same on the second Christmas Day too. Some people go skiing to the mountains, where they can celebrate New Year´s Day. New Year´s Day is a day, when people sleep up after blow-out, when they say googbye the past year.
Christmas in Britain is a little different from the Christmas in Czech Republic. British homes are decorated with ivy, holy, mistletoe, eletric lights and a Christmas wreath on the door. Christmas trees are decorated on Christmas Eve but they don´t celebrate it. Children put their socks at the foot of the bed. They believe that Santa Claus will come down through the chimney and will fill the socks with sweets. Parents put some presents under the tree and in the morning of Christmas Day they open the presents. For Christmas Dinner they usually eat roast turkey or goose with vegetables, then they have a Christmas pudding which is prepared long before Christmas. In the evening they play some games and watch the Queen´s Christmas Speech on TV. On the next day, they usually organize some parties with thein friend or relatives. This day is called Boxing Day, because in the past people gave boxes with presents to servants, postmen, etc.