Christmas in English speaking countries

Christmas is celebrated differently in every country, in Anglo-Saxon countries most of the people celebrate Christmas differently, sometimes it depends on the weather like in Australia because DownUnder celebrate it during summertime with family gatherings around a barbecues and having a dip in the beach or swimming-pool when it is hot, they also receive the Swag Man from the sea replacing Santa Claus, Australians are a mixture of different races, cultures, etc. still seventy per cent are Christians so for them Christmas is eagerly prepared and felt as the time of Jesus´s birth which begins with the Midnight Mass at Christmas´Eve. Kiwis or New Zelanders are the first to celebrate it with the interchange of gifts with the dear ones, indoor and outdoor decoration and Christmas break-parties and singing carols. In England the custom of Christmas tree became popular after Prince Albert placed it in Windsor castle for his wife Queen Victoria in 1841 after a German tradition, the custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from ancient Druid rites. Children write letters to Father Christmas and leave stockings by the fireplace to receive their gifts on Christmas day (formerly they were giving during the New Year´s Eve or Twelfth Night), they sing carols which dates from the Middle Ages when groups of serenades called waits were singing in the streets Nativity theme´s songs in front of houses wishing good cheer to all (the meaning of carol is “song of joy”, they also gather around Christmas dinner eating the goose, roast turkey (two persons pull from the end of the Y-shaped bone and the one with largest bone makes a wish), ginger bread stuffing, Brussel sprouts, bread and Cranberry sauce, parsnip, roasted gammon, gravy and fruity puddings with brandy flambé to scare away evil spirits. Ireland shares many customs in common in England such as the Christmas dinner with the same recipes, the kiss under a mistletoe, carol singing, etc though there are many traditions rooted on the Roman Catholic Irish families such as attending Midnight Mass, families give tips and gifts to all those who provide services throught the year, they clean and whitewashing their houses before Christmas meaning purification, they bake a seed cake for each member of the house, three puddings for Christmas, New Year´s Day and Twelfth Night, they decorate houses with hollies, flowers, Christmas trees decorated with tinsel, a star or angel, colurful lights and lighted candles placed in windows to mean welcome to Saint Joseph and Virgin Mary, the celebration of “Little Christmas” on the feast of the Epiphany and kids receive also an Advent calendar with slots full of chocolate bars and treat for each day. Irish people wish one another "Nollaig Shona Dhuit" which means"Merry Christmas" in Irish-Gaelic language.