How is celebrated Xmas in England?
Here in England, Christmas is a time when families get together, just as it is in Italy. The Christmas tree is important, and lots of people really go overboard with light displays on the eaves and rooves of their houses and in their front gardens. That is an innovation though, not a tradition. Most town and parish councils put up Christmas trees and light displays in public places, too. One English tradition is the sixpence (una moneta d’argento da sei centesimi di sterlina) in the Christmas pudding. This is one of several pagan traditions that Christmas has absorbed. Originally, whoever found the sixpence in his serving of the pudding would personify the god Pan (Cernunnos). Another pagan tradition which is practised at Christmas and especially at New Year is kissing under the mistletoe!
