Newcomer compares first Christmas here to Christmas in the U.K

Readers may not know I have moved from the U.K where Christmas traditions are incredibly different in comparison to the U.S.

Undoubtedly, this holiday is commemorate the birth of Christ, the main ideas of having a roast turkey and buying and receiving gifts from hanging up the Christmas tree. During this time of month, in the U.S especially who seem to really love their holidays, with the hanging of christmas tree lights on literally every house you walk past, whereas in the U.K most people choose not to decorate the exterior of their houses at this time of month. Although it is a tradition in the U.K to have a Christmas turkey, roast potatoes, and a yorkshire pudding along with christmas crackers, in the U.S since I’m from the U.K, I’m shocked by the fact that Americans only eat turkey on thanksgiving and not christmas. It was perplexing since growing up in the U.K I assumed that everybody would have a turkey to eat on christmas, many Americans have told me that what they prefer to eat instead is pasta.

These two places differ very much like in the celebration of christ, it had never occured to me than before moving to the U.S how different Christmas really is. A similarity in which I’ve noticed is secret santa, in which you anonymously give a gift to someone and receive one back, however in the U.S it is also common to take part in a white elephant gift exchange, which I have never heard of before. This involves picking a number and numbering a present, the present in which you are meant to give, is meant to be a ‘gag-like’ gift, it’s supposed to be humorous and inexpensive.

Ultimately, Americans really seem to enjoy their christmas, since they seem to enjoy putting up decorations and decorating their houses,in the U.K however I guess it’s taken for a little less seriously, obviously putting up the christmas tree is required but decorating of houses is not necessary, since the U.K’s weather is always incredibly cold, many people enjoy skating in ‘winter wonderland’ and since it was snowing in London,UK this year in November/ December many took part in building snowmen, However here the weather feels warm compared to people in the U.K since the weather seems to never get that cold here. You walk out and Rocklin’s winter weather literally feels like London’s summer weather. The comparison between these two countries differ, but if I’m honest with the weather in the U.K currently at this time of month, it feels a lot more like christmas to me.

By Karina Bedi