OFF: Re: Christmas in Britain...

[Paul Mather]

On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, StevenTice wrote:

> Okay, so what ARE the most noticeable differences between American and British
> Christmas?  This sort of stuff always fascinates me...

In the four Yuletides I've spent in the USA, the main differences in the
USA that I've noticed are as follows:

- The neutral word "Holidays" is used in preference to Christmas.
  (I still remember how odd it seemed to get a Christmas that said
  "Happy Holidays" on it.);

- Outdoor decorations!!! (particularly lights and lawn ornaments);

- Christmas has an "official" start date (day after Thanksgiving);

- Commercialisation appears at a more advanced state.

Of course, for all I know, ol' Blighty might be like this now, but it's
hard to imagine the outside decorations I saw in St. Petersburg in the
UK.  (Likewise, to see palm trees festooned with Christmas lights...:)

Cheers,

Paul.

obCD: Jimi Hendrix, _South Saturn Delta_

e-mail: paul at gromit.cs.vt.edu

"I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time"
        --- James Marshall Hendrix