Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Easy English Podcast.
I'm Oliver and it's almost Christmas time.
And today's episode I want to do a Christmas theme.
And I want to look at Christmas traditions around the world.
So even if you don't celebrate Christmas, this could be quite interesting just to hear about what many people do around the world.
Of course, Christmas is a huge holiday here in the UK where I live.
So I'm going to talk about Christmas in the UK and read some bits and ideas from an article I read about different Christmas traditions in different countries around the world.
So if you're from these countries, you can let me know if it's correct or if it's incorrect, and maybe some extras.
And please tell me how you celebrate Christmas or this time of year.
Maybe you have a different holiday too.
So Christmas in the UK it's probably my favorite holiday, just because as I grew up it was always a big time for family and for having like a nice big meal, lots of food, sweets and just a nice warm, friendly family time in probably the darkest time of the year, winter.
So In the UK in general Christmas is a big celebration.
Families exchange gifts.
They give gifts to one another, to each other.
We eat a big meal and then we pull something called Christmas crackers.
A Christmas cracker is a small cardboard tube and it makes a popping sound like pop when it's pulled apart.
And inside you always find a paper hat, a joke that you read on a piece of paper, and a little toy.
But that's not all we do.
So people also love singing Christmas carols.
A Christmas carol is a traditional Christmas song.
So, for example, like Silent Night or Hark the Herald, Angels Sing.
Those are just a few traditional Christmas carols.
And of course, everywhere at this time of year, you can hear Christmas music playing.
Lots of pop music, maybe even some Christmas rock music.
And for some people, they get a little bit sick of this.
You hear it in the shops, on the radio, on TV, with advertisements.
It's a little bit much sometimes.
And after Christmas, I'm like, phew, I don't have to listen to this anymore.
But okay, sometimes it's nice to feel a little bit festive and hear some Christmas songs.
Another big part of Christmas Day tradition in the UK is the Queen's or now, I suppose, the King's speech, his Christmas speech.
And this is always a televised message, so a recording or a video on the TV which reflects on the previous year.
It maybe talks about some of the difficult parts of the year for the country and some of the positive things as well, and reminds us to be thankful for what we have and for family and for maybe, our health as well.
So people usually watch this after they have their Christmas dinner.
And it's a tradition, I would say here.
But there are many, many other countries that also celebrate Christmas.
And I'm going to look at just a few of these, with a couple of little points about each, because some of the traditions we also use in other countries too.
So the first is Germany.
I love Germany and some of my very good friends and one of my best friends are from Germany.
I had a friend that I lived with in Russia who was from Germany too, and he has been a great friend in my life and even came to my wedding.
So Germany is very famous for its Christmas markets, and these are outdoor markets with stalls selling food, gifts and mulled wine.
So, we have this in the UK too and it definitely came from this German tradition.
And I think all over Europe, to be honest, they now have these markets.
But they originated from Germany.
So I think it's a big part of their Christmas traditions.
And I read online as well that Germans have a tradition of putting shoes out for St.
Nicholas Day on December the 6th.
And if you've been good, you get treats, and if not, you get a lump of coal.
So if you're German and you're listening to this, please tell me, is this true?
Do children or people do this on December the 6th?
I'm very curious.
It sounds like an interesting tradition.
Okay, so the next country I wanted to look at was the Philippines.
And I read that Christmas celebrations in the Philippines start early in September.
So I guess that means they have the world's longest Christmas season.
And families often display colorful star-shaped lanterns, called paroles, which symbolize the star of Bethlehem.
So in the story about the birth of Jesus.
So this is interesting, a very interesting tradition.
And now a country that I have traveled to, and I really enjoyed my time there, Iceland.
And Iceland seems to have a quirky tradition.
So an interesting different tradition involving the Yule Lads.
So 13 mischievous, strange characters who visit children during the 13 days leading up to Christmas.
And each night kids leave their shoes out, a little bit like Germany, and they hope for small gifts if they've been good.
But they get rotten potatoes if they've been naughty or bad.
That's an interesting one, and it sounds like a lot of fun.
Now, in Mexico, I've read that one famous tradition is Las Posadas.
I've probably said that very wrong.
And this is a nine-day event reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter before Jesus was born.
And this seems to be a mix of maybe parades, songs and feasting.
So eating lots of food.
So if you're from Mexico, let me know if you celebrate this and you take part in this tradition.
Is it a common thing?
Do lots of people do it?
Okay, so what can all of these traditions teach us?
I would say that, although Christmas is celebrated differently all around the world, and even though some people don't celebrate Christmas and maybe they have different holidays around this time, there's one thing in common.
It's a real time for joy, happiness, family, and giving as well.
So giving gifts and sharing with other people.
And learning about these traditions really helps us to understand different cultures, which I think is really useful when learning a language like English.
So understanding the holidays and the cultural traditions is important for learning language too.
For me it is fascinating, very interesting to learn about different traditions in different countries at this time of year.
And I guess a little bit more about UK traditions.
So we also do, like many countries, have Santa Claus, St.
Nicholas.
And with this tradition, children ask Santa Claus or St.
Nicholas for presents.
And he brings those presents or gifts to them during Christmas morning.
So after Christmas Eve, in the nighttime, the children go to sleep.
And when they wake up in the morning, they find their gifts or presents maybe under the Christmas tree or in a large sock called a stocking, which hangs over the fireplace.
And children often leave out some snacks and maybe a glass of milk for Santa Claus.
And sometimes, if they're extra friendly, they will leave a carrot for Santa's reindeer that pull his sleigh.
And I think it's a nice fun celebration or idea for children.
When I was a kid, I used to be so excited about Santa Claus.
And it adds a little bit of magic into the lives of the children celebrating this holiday.
And I used to always think, hmm, like, is Santa Claus real?
Is he going to bring me my presents?
And I used to imagine him arriving in the nighttime and giving this gift to all of the children around the world.
So I think it's quite a magical idea and something quite special for children too.
And often around this time parents will take their young kids to maybe a forest or a place where there is a Santa Claus and they can visit him and see him and ask him for what they want for Christmas.
And yes, not every parents do this with their children.
Not every child believes in Santa Claus at a young age.
But I do think that it is a good bit of fun during this holiday season.
Do you have Santa Claus in your country as well?
Let me know.
And of course, when Christmas ends, the holiday is not over.
And we actually have a second day in the UK that is always a holiday around Christmas.
And this day is called Boxing Day.
But I'm going to talk about this in a separate episode which will come out on Boxing Day or maybe a little bit after.
So stay tuned for that and keep a lookout and you will see it.
But first, before I finish this episode, I want to wish each and every one of you a very happy Christmas and a Merry Christmas.
And even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I want to wish you during this time happiness, joy and time with family and friends to reflect on the previous year and really to just appreciate what you have and the people around you.
I think that it's so important at this time of year to just be really thankful for what we have.
Although I understand it's probably been a very difficult year for many of you, and that's why it's especially important that we appreciate and think about what we do have and how lucky we are compared to many other people.
And I just want to thank you all for listening and supporting this podcast.
It really means a lot to me.
And I hope that one day I will be able to work on this project full time as a job.
And your support and kindness and lovely comments really help encourage me and push me to keep working on this.
And I hope that even if I can help one person with their English learning with these episodes, then it is all worth it.
It's a worthwhile task.
So have an amazing, amazing Christmas.
And to all of my listeners who are maybe Orthodox as well, or from Eastern Europe Russia Ukraine, I wish you a happy new year too.
I know that New Year is the big holiday for you guys.
So have a fantastic New Year.
So Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
And I will see you very, very soon in a new episode.
And relax over the holiday too, guys.
Have a nice relaxing time.
Goodbye.
