1. AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey starts four weeks before Christmas. It is a special time in which Christians wait and prepare themselves for the AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey of Jesus Christ. To count the days before Christmas, people use an Advent calendar which usually takes the form of a large card with ‘windows’. One window is opened every day. When you open it, an image, poem, part of a story or a gift appears.

2. During the weeks before Christmas, lots of main streets, squares and shop windows in cities and towns are decorated. The most popular AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey include colourful lights and Christmas trees. In the air, everybody can feel the special atmosphere of Christmas. People start doing their Christmas shopping. They buy gifts and food. Some send traditional Christmas AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey to their relatives and friends.

3. Christmas AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey, which is on December 24, is the day when Catholics start the celebrations. However, for most British and Americans, Christmas begins on December 25. It is when the whole families gather round the table for Christmas AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey. They usually eat roast AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey or goose, roast potatoes, AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey sprouts, cranberry sauce, pigs in a blanket (that is small sausages wrapped in bacon) and lots of hot gravy. For dessert, they always have a rich fruity Christmas AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey doused in flaming brandy.

4. After dinner people pull AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey, which look like big coloured paper sweets or tubes, twisted at both ends. Inside them, you can find paper hats or crowns, funny toys and jokes or wise AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey written on a piece of paper.
People also sing AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey, traditional songs about the time when Jesus was born.
Children and adults are happy to find their Christmas AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey hidden in stockings, hung by the AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey, or under the Christmas tree.

5. December 26 is called Boxing Day. The name comes from the time when on that day people used to give gifts in boxes to their servants. Today it is another day off work and school, so it is a AdventbirthBrusselscardscarolscrackersdinnerEvefireplaceornamentspresentspublicpuddingsayingsturkey holiday. Most of people spend it visiting their friends and relatives, watching TV or playing some board games.