In the Czech Republic Christmas is celebrated because of Christianity, celebrating the birth of Jesus. I think that in the USA Christmas turned into a commercial matter. Christmas begins on November 24 as Chritmas Eve in all countries. But people celebrate this day in different ways.
In the Czech Republic all families are together, we watch television and after a good lunch we usually go for a walk. Somebody goes to cemetery. Christmas is a time of good food. The most important is dinner. Traditional czech christmas dinner consists of fish soup (chowder) and carp with potato salad. But many people eat also different foods as sausages, steaks, mushrooms, cakes and so on. After dinner Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) comes. In some families he rings. Afer this, all family meets at Chrismas tree. It´s a time for unwrapping the presents.
In Great Britain on December 24 has never been a holiday but on the other hand it is the only day of the year reserved for the „office party“. A lot of people spend the day shopping. Before children go to bed, they hang up Christmas stockings.Next morning they find small presents and sweetness in this stockings. Under Christmas tree they have bigger gifts. They believe that Santa Claus brings this gifts. On the 25th of December they lunch their traditional roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes and Christmas pudding.
On December 26 they celebrate Boxing day from the custom in earlier times of giving postmen,dustmen,milkmen, newspaper boys and the like small sums of money, which they collected in their Christmas boxes. A pantomime is a traditional Cristmas-time entertainment, pantomime is a theatre show based on fairy tale or traditional story with music. Americans of British origin follow the same traditions as their ancestors. Christmas in the USA is not family holiday, families invite friends to join them Christmas dinner and often have parties at Christmas-time. Americans also decorate their houses with garlands and electric coloured lights.
