Christmas is a big event in the UK.
People enjoy “Christmas dinner” on December 25th late afternoon with family. Christmas dinner is normally roast turkey, roast or mashed potatoes, and boiled brussels sprouts, carrots, and broccoli.

Christmas turkey is a very special food that includes a stuffing. The stuffing is made with herbs (for example : sage, parsley), onions, breadcrumbs, and chestnuts that are cooked inside the stomach of the turkey. It is then cooked in the oven for a long time. The stuffing gives the turkey a very special taste. People also add gravy sauce or cranberry sauce to add further flavour. The turkey becomes a gorgeous Christmas taste. The Christmas dinner is enjoyed after opening the presents.

After dinner, people often play board games, and watch TV and DVDs with family.
Because Christmas Day is the one day in the UK when shops don’t open and there is no public transport – even in London. It means families spend quality time with each other.

The TV shows Christmas films and popular comedies enjoyed by everyone. Also every year a famous animation called “The Snowman” is shown, as is “The Muppet Christmas Carol”. At 3pm, the Queen speaks about the year in her annual message. (The reigning monarch has been making this broadcast each Christmas since 1932).

The day after Christmas Day is called “Boxing Day” which started because the church gave Christmas presents to poor people. That day also signals the start of the “Christmas sale” which is like a Japanese “hatsuuri”. So Boxing Day is the day when people come out to town again.

Next, I am going to talk about New Year in the UK.

Basically, in the UK the twelve days of Christmas last until 6th January. People then put away the Christmas tree and other decorations on this day.
Japan is very different, where people put away the Christmas decorations on 25th night time or 26th. And then they put up the new year decorations up as soon as possible.

In the UK, New Year’s Eve is more special than New Year’s Day. On the evening of 31st December, people have a party with family or friends and enjoy a huge fireworks display by the River Thames.

Here I can see Christmas Day means a lot and I really like it. But also I like “oshogatsu” in Japan, which I can’t feel so much in the UK. But I can say UK’s Christmas and Japanese New Year are very similar in how much they mean to people.