Christmas in England

Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas? Certainly shops in England don’t think so. They have been filling their shelves for several months now with christmas decorations, advent calendars, christmas crackers and loads of other christmas goodies.

Christmas Traditions in England
We have written many pages about Christmas in England and have included many photogrpahs of a typical English Christmas. Most of the celebrations are the same for the whole of the UK.

Topics include:

• Father Christmas (our version of Santa)
• Christmas day
• Christmas dinner
• Boxing Day
• Advent Calendars
• Christmas decorations
• Christmas crackers (including the paper crowns)
• Christmas jokes
• Christmas facts

Christmas Traditions around the World
Advent calendars have long helped build excitement and anticipation on the countdown to Christmas, typically revealing a pretty picture or piece of chocolate behind the cardboard door for each December day along the way.

The Woodlands Junior Advent Calendar 2008, on the other hand, is an online interactive advent calendar with fascinating facts on how Christmas is celebrated in different countries around the world.
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/

Our students would love to know how you celebrate Christmas.

Do you celebrate Christmas in the same way as we do? Please tell us by leaving a comment

Advent

Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the period of time during which Christians celebrate the first coming of Christ and anticipate the second coming. Advent is the new year of the Christian Church and is the church season that leads to Christmas Day.
Click here to read more about Advent

Often the first sign of Christmas in a British home is the children’s advent calendar. It starts on the first day of December. The calendars are a fun way to help children to know when Christmas Eve will arrive, an important night for them because Father Christmas will visit them bringing gifts.
Click here to visit our online Advent Calendar (starts 1 Dec.)

Stir Up Sunday

This Sunday, a week before the start of Advent, is known as Stir Up Sunday. It is the traditional time to make the Christmas pudding.

Click on the link below to read more about this special day
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/stirup.htm

Remembrance Day

November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their community and their country. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One.

This year sees the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, which is likely to be the last major anniversary to be witnessed by those who fought so bravely between 1914 and 1918.

Our pages on Remembrance are a tribute to those who gave all for a country they loved. www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Remembrance.html

Remembrance is not about glorifying war. It’s about remembering those who did their very best in frightening and dangerous circumstances for the sake of their community and their country.

We shall always remember them with pride, where ever they lay, for their courage, valour and self sacrifice!

Bonfire Night

Ever wondered why British people everywhere gather round bonfires every 5th November to burn effigies of Guy and watch fireworks? It is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

In November 1605, the infamous Gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics plotted to blow up the English Parliament and King James l, on the day set for the king to open Parliament. The men were angry because the king had treated them badly and they didn’t like it. The story is remembered each 5th November when ‘Guys’ are burned in a celebration known as “Bonfire Night”.

Click on the link to find out more and the answers to the questions below
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Guy.html

Who was Guy Fawkes?
When did he live?
Who was the King of England at that time?
What did he want to do?
What was his punishment?
How do people in Britain celebrate this event?
What is the most usual food that night?

Question set via email
“I would appreciate if you could tell me if the following statement about inheriting the throne is true or false?
A female child can only inherit the throne if there are no male children.
believe the statement is false and think that the oldest child is the one who inherits the throne no matter of the sex.”
Thank you!
Mirta

The statement “A female child can only inherit the throne if there are no male children.” is TRUE

In Britain the crown normally passes from monarch to eldest son. As King George VI had no son, it passed to his elder daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II. If a monarch has sons, they take precedence over daughters: thus, although HR The Princess Royal is older than her brothers HRH The Duke of York and HRH The Earl of Wessex, they (and their children) precede her in the order of succession.

Read more
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/royal/succession.htm

Where was Harry Potter filmed?

Question set via email
“I have a question about film studios in England:Where are the film studios where Harry Potter was filmed? And they are open for visitor, how much money does it cost?”
Thanks, Laura from Austria

Dursley’s house, Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey
It was filmed at an ordinary house – 12 Picket Post Close in Martin’s Heron near Bracknell, Berkshire.

Zoo Scene
The scene early in the film when the Dursleys go to the zoo and Harry talks to the snake, was filmed at London Zoo.
http://www.londonzoo.co.uk/

Steam train Hogwarts Express
Filmed in London on Platform 4 at Kings Cross Station.
There is no platform 9 and 3/4. When the movies were filmed they used the wall between platforms 4 and 5.

The Train Journey
West Highland Railway Line in Scotland, which runs 42 miles from Fort William to Mallaig.
http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/transport.html

Hogsmeade Station
The station for the village of Goathland in the Yorkshire Moors

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The interior and exterior shots of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are filmed at a number of locations around England:

• Gloucester Cathedral
  http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/
• Lacock Abbey in the medieval village of Lacock
  http://www.nationaltrust.co.uk/
• Bodleian Library, is the main research library of Oxford University.
• Christ Church College in Oxford and it’s Great Hall
  http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/
• Alnwick Castle, Northumberland – The castle grounds are used for many of the outdoor flying scenes http://www.alnwickcastle.com/

Diagon Alley
Charing Cross Road in London was used as part of Diagon Alley, as was Leadenhall Market in London.

Film locations in Scotland
www.visithighlands.com/about/culture/onscreen/onscreen/filmfeature/harry/

Remembrance Day

You can visit our Remembrance Day pages at
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Remembrance.html

Can you answer the following questions?
All the answers can be found on our Rememberance pages:

1. What is November 11th called in Britain?
2. Where does the National Remembrance Day ceremony take place in London?
3. Who lays the first wreath?
4. Where do people lay wreaths?
5. Why do people lay wreaths on Remembrance Day?
6. What is the red flower called that people wear? (Answer here).
7. Why is this red flower used on November 11th? (Answer here).

Why do people wear poppies?

Why do people wear poppies at this time of year?

Poppies are are worn to show others that you are remembering those who died for their country.
Find out more on our Remembrance Day pages
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Remembrance.html

Why do Scottish Remembrance Poppies have no green leaf and English Poppies do?
poppyscotland.org.uk answer:”Unlike the English poppy, the Scottish poppy has four petals and no leaf. Apart from being botanically incorrect, to put a leaf on each of our poppies would cost £15,000 each year, money we feel is better spent on supporting veterans and their dependants in Scotland.”
Money raised from the selling of poppies in Scotland goes to the Earl Haig Fund, where as the money raised in the rest of the UK go to the Royal British Legion.