If you are from the UK Christmas time in England it is attractive for another reason it does not get that cold there. The average temperature in London in December hovering around 40 degrees. It's not so bad when you're used to living in the tundra! Although it is generally not a white Christmas there is a lot of Christmas spirit to be in England.
One of the most beloved Christmas traditions is christmas Party Poppers. Essentially these are cardboard tubes wrapped in colored paper and a small toy inside it. At dinner time guests sitting next to each other each take one end of the Christmas cracker and pull. There's a wink stronger than the pipe breaks in two. Whoever stands with the greatest half gets the toy. It's like snapping the wishbone for luck.
Another great English Christmas time tradition is taming. Nothing reminds Victorian Christmas as images of men and women gathered in their finery singing Christmas carols. Like many holiday traditions, taming comes from a pagan tradition. In ancient times, people sang in their orchards hoping to encourage a bountiful harvest!
The fun dinner time does not stop there. Dinner always ends with the obligatory Christmas pudding. In England, "pudding" can mean almost any kind of dessert. In this case, it is a small black cake. It is highly spiced and often contains fruit and nuts. Essential to the Christmas pudding experience is the small room inside. One person will play their part and which gives them a good chance until next Christmas!
