How do the Britons and Americans differ in their Christmas celebrations?
As the Americans inherited much of today’s Christmas celebrations from the British, there are many similarities; the stockings are hung by the chimney with care on Christmas Eve, and in the morning, children discover full stockings and finally may open their gifts underneath the tree. There are many subtle differences, however. In the United States, the patron saint of Christmas is Santa Claus, a rotund fellow from the North Pole with a red fur-trimmed suit and big black boots, while in England, Father Christmas takes on a more Victorian air, with a long green or red robe and holly and ivy decorating his clothes and long white hair. In the U.S., children leave milk and cookies for Santa, while British children leave a carrot for the reindeer and mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas. Boxing Day is another tradition unique to Great Britain and its colonies (including Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The name probably came from the practice of opening the alms boxes in churches to
