Having a 'British Christmas'

[tempstamos]

We have family over from America in December and we have having a ‘Christmas Day’ with them on the 15th.
But they have requested a British/English Christmas day experience.
Anyone know of any traditions that are specific to a British Christmas? (Foods, presents, activities etc)

Turkey dinner

Is American........

Dates stuffed with marzipan

Middle-eastern

some posh chocolate,

Swiss/Belgian - unlikely to be British in origin.

I'm not sure there's such a thing as a British Xmas. The majority of our traditions have been copied/stolen from other places and brought back.

Quality Street chocolates.

Quality Street chocolates.

Unless you're a Nestle boycotter.

I think you've missed the point...
It's isn't the origin of individual traditions that makes them British- it's the combination + weather

Leave a mince pie out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph on Christmas Eve.

Mull wine, minced pies (I didn't realise these were a thing before moving to Britain), real Christmas trees, midnight mass CofE style, Yorkshire puddings with your roast, actual boiled puddings with brandy butter, decorative dried fruit garlands, Christmas jumpers, Brussels sprouts, a general excess of spices and things that aren't supposed to be warm being warm to compensate for the cold.

Some posh British chocolate such as Elizabeth Shaw or Bendicks would be a taste revelation to many Americans.

Dates are part of the long British culinary tradition of using dried / preserved fruits during the winter.

Definitely pigs in blankets.

I remember a [guzzle] thread on here by a US poster in the first throes of p-i-b consumption.

(In the US, "pigs in blankets" refers to inferior sausage rolls, so the UK version is New Thing for them.)

And yy to traditional British Christmas deriving from many origins - even the tree's German. It's the combination which is British.

We're a country whose national drink is tea! Doesn't grow here!

Titty you are right that turkey is American but it’s not what they for for Christmas dinner.

We live in the USA, the things we can’t get easily here are:

Christmas cake
Christmas pudding (hide coins in it and light it -go the whole hog)
Mince pies
chipolatas wrapped in bacon
Stuffing (the American version of stuffing is different)

Why not take them to a Chrisyingle service on Christmas Eve? They don’t seem to have that (in our State at least)

Most suggestions that I would make have been mentioned (you to starting the day with Buck’s Fizz, and cheese with Christmas cake). If you have a “proper” pub nearby take them for a swift one while the Turkey is cooking. I remember visiting my aunt one Christmas and members of a local brass band would visit the local pubs doing carols - it was fab!

@BriechonCheese

Yes good idea! definately need to watch the snowman.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

Definately Panto and crackers but i've never done the christmas pudding thing and can imagine a 999 call following if I attempted!

@DontCallMeCharlotte

I think we may go to a carol service or something, but none of us are religious or have ever gone to church.

@midnightflowers @Unicorn81

Yes, I'm sure there will be plenty of arguements!

Christmas pudding lighting is very simple. I warm my booze and then pour it over and light with a cooks natch. It burns out fairly quickly.

@AdaColeman

All good ideas, thanks! Will add to my list.

@TittyGolightly

The point isnt necessarily where the traditions originated from, just giving them a typical christmas day in britain.

@HidingBehindTheWallpaper @TittyGolightly

Thanks! and we have actually be trying to since DS did a school project on nestle, so maybe we will go for hereos or celebrations (which are actually much nicer)

@AppleKatie

Thankyou! That is what I meant.

@kalinkafoxtrot45

Thanks, but they are leaving on the 20th so are not actually here for christmas eve and I'm not sure how the kids would feel about us pretending santa can come on the 14th as well as the 24th!

Charades!
Ghost story in the evening.
Paper hats.
Christmas jumpers.
Nuts in shells.

@Ttbb

Thankyou, amazing ideas!

@AdaColeman

Thankyou! They loved british chocolate when they came over last and will get some dates.

@PerkingFaintly

Definately need pigs in blankets then! And yes thankyou that is what I meant, the question was a bit difficult to word.

@Cavender

Thankyou! Will make sure i get all those things then and they are not actually here for christmas eve but maybe we could make some anyway with the kids.

@DozyDoates

Thankyou! Will think about pubs.

@FridgeCut

Okay thankyou! Maybe I will try and brave it then.

Have a fab day tempstamos I'm sure your guests will love every moment of it!

They do have Bucks Fizz but called Mamosas we discovered when we were there Easter weekend.

Everything I would have said it's already on here. I love ou r Christmas in the USA but next time I'd bring some of the UK things to show them. I did make Yorkshire puddings though.

Although cauliflower cheese isn't a Christmas thing - it's not something I noticed there which would be something I'd do.

Mimosas. ;)

Definitely serve snowballs! I always have one as I wrap presents 🍹

To me british christmas that isn't American style is:

Christmas Crackers
Mince Pies
Christmas pudding
Christmas fruitcake
Carol service either in church or a community one?
Christmas jumpers
Pigs in blankets and yorkshire puddings
Turkey Dinner (my american friends say our christmas turkey dinner is what they eat on thanksgiving?)
Panto
The Queen's speech

Smoked salmon with your full English breakfast, lunch is picky bits/chocolates/mince pies/weird flavoured crisps etc as and when then an early dinner.

TV specials, Christmas film will work. You can go posh chocs but you prob need a tub of quality streets or such.

And lots of booze.