1. Advent is the start of the Christmas season in England, beginning on the Sunday nearest to the 30th November and lasting until 24th December. Children open an Advent calendar which is a poster or card with twenty-four small doors, one to be opened each day from 1st December until Christmas Eve. Each door conceals a picture. Every morning children open one window of the calendar to see a pretty picture or find a chocolate inside.Interactive Advent Calendar

2. Lots of people send Christmas cards to their friends and family at Christmas. At school we have a special Christmas post box so people can post their Christmas cards to one another and the Christmas elves will deliver them. 3. The Christmas tree became popular in England in 1841 when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, brought a Christmas tree over from Germany and put it in Windsor Castle. Nowadays most people have a Christmas tree in their home. Some people have real trees whilst others have artificial trees. 4. The Christingle Service occurs just before Christmas. Children make Christingles which are lit and hymns are sung The orange represents the world The red ribbon indicates the love and blood of Christ The dried fruits and sweets symbols of Gods creations The lit candle symbolises Jesus, the light of the world 5. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December. Children wake up to find their stocking filled with presents (if they have been good!) Families gather around the Christmas tree to open their presents. The family sit down to eat Christmas dinner which traditionally consists of roast turkey with vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding (a rich and fruity pudding). 6. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, the 26th December. It is a national holiday and families spend time together. Often people go for a walk in the countryside. Many of the shops start their sales, heavily discounting items to encourage people to spend money and grab a bargain. 7. The day before New Year is called New Years Eve or Old Years Night. The New Year is welcomed in with fireworks and people singing Auld Lang Syne. London on New Year's Eve