Have you ever wondered just how different the Christmas traditions in England are in comparison to the traditions you have experienced? Learning about different Christmas traditions in other countries can be a fascinating endeavor. Christmas in England began in AD 59, when St Augustine brought Christianity to the Anglo Saxon. The English gift giver is called Father Christmas, he leaves presents in stockings on Christmas Eve. A traditional Christmas Dinner is roast turkey with vegetables and sauces and dessert is a rich, fruity Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and mince pies. Browse through the links on this page for a look at the history and origins of Christmas in England.

Going to see a pantomime show ("panto") is a popular Christmas tradition.Kaboose: Christmas in England

Christmas crackers, which are small tubes filled with sweets and trinkets, originated in England. They were created by a man named Thomas Smith in 1846.Woodlands Junior School: Christmas Crackers

Father Christmas became associated with Santa Claus in England in the 1950s, but his origins are steeped in Norse and Saxon legend. The Saxons welcomed King Frost, Father Time and King Winter to their firesides in the hope that the winter weather would treat them kindly.The Christmas Archives: Christmas Customs of England

The Norse god Odin had twelve incarnations. His winter incarnation was known as Jul, which is where the term Yuletide originated. During the month of December, Odin came to earth disguised in a blue cloak and riding an eight-legged horse. He would sit around the fire and listen to the people, and occasionally he left behind a loaf of bread for an impoverished household.The Christmas Archives: Christmas Customs of England

English Catholics were victims of repression during the Elizabethan era, and subject to violent retribution should they practice their faith. A scholar by the name of Father Harold Stockert claimed to have found hidden references to Catholicism in the song the "Twelve Days of Christmas," tying the symbolism expressed in the song to Catholic beliefs and rituals.On Religion: A Christmas Mystery However, others have refuted this claim. The website Snopes.com states that "[t]here is no substantive evidence" to support the theory, and suggests that the idea may have originated with people conflating the secular tune with the religious song "In Those Twelve Days."Snopes.com: The Twelve Days of Christmas