The 25 th of December is Christmas Day. Christmas is a religious holiday because it is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

People prepare for Christmas weeks before. It a very busy time for families in England.

Christmas is a family holiday.

Everybody tries to come home for Christmas to be with their families.

People buy a Christmas tree.

Most families decorate their houses with holly.

They usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room.

People decorate a tree with toys, coloured balls and coloured lights.

Children hang stockings near the fireplace. They believe that while they are sleeping, Father Christmas comes to visit them.

Father Christmas is a kind old man in red clothes with a big sack of presents.

Father Christmas comes from the North Pole in his sleigh.

Christmas is also the day that Father Christmas visits children and brings a lot of presents. Children often write letters to him with their wishes.

He has presents of whatever kind everyone may wish.

Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of London, in Trafalgar Square.

This is a present from the people of Norway to the people of Great Britain.

They send a Christmas tree to Londoners every year.

Londoners decorate the Christmas tree. In the evening before Christmas people like to come to Trafalgar Square.

On Christmas Eve London is decorated too.

Father Christmas delivers presents on Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas, when everybody is sleeping.

On Christmas Day people open their presents on Christmas morning.

They all are happy with what they get.

They often open their presents together and then they go to church.

For Christmas dinner the family eat turkey, potatoes and green vegetables.

Then they have the Christmas puddings.

At 5 oclock its time for tea and Christmas cake.

After dinner the family gathers in the room to listen to Queen of England on television. The Queen delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day. People usually visit their relatives and friends.