Long Read: Christmas In The UK
This text is broken up into smaller parts for ease of reading.
このテキストは読みやすくするために小さな部分に分割されています。
I would like to tell you about some of the common traditions we have in the UK. Christmas in the UK is a wonderful time. It is very different to Christmas in Japan. Although the weather gets worse in December (cold), the mood gets better!
November
Chrismas advertisements start. People start to talk about plans for Christmas. Some people and stores might put up Christmas decorations, but it is too early.
Early December
Christmas parties will be planned. Children will write lists to send to Father Christmas (Santa) and people will start to buy Christmas presents. You might start to hear Christmas songs in shops or on the radio, but it is too early! The weather gets pretty cold but it doesn't snow usually. Maybe it will snow in January, but not every year. Most people put up Christmas decorations in their homes now.
If it snows on Christmas day, it is called a "white Christmas". It rarely happens in most parts of the UK but if it happens, people get super excited. We love snow at Christmas because most people don't want or need to travel anywhere. We can stay home and enjoy the snow from inside our homes or play outside for a short time.
common: 一般的
tradition(s): 伝統
wonderful: 素晴らしい
different: 違う
get worse: 悪化する
mood: 気分
advirtisement(s): 広告
plans for Christmas: クリスマスの計画
too early: 早すぎる
early December: 12月上旬
be planned: 計画する
Father Christmas: サンタクロース
lists to send to Father Christmas: サンタクロースに送るリスト
you might start to hear ～: ～が聞こえ始めるかもしれない
usually: 通常
maybe it will snow in January: 1月に雪が降るかもしれない
not every year: 毎年ではない
Christmas decorations: クリスマスの飾り
to rarely happen: めったに起こらない
most parts of the UK: イギリスのほとんどの地域
don't need to travel anywhere: どこにも旅行する必要がない
Late December
You definitely hear Christmas songs in the stores and on the radio. "The Mariah Game" is played between friends. The last person to hear "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is the winner (Ha! You just lost!). Most stores will put up decorations. Christmas shopping days are counted down. Some radio and TV presenters might say "Only 6 more shopping days until Christmas!" or things like that.
People begin to get stressed about getting everything in time.
definitely: 絶対
between friends: 友達同士
the last person: 最後の人
winner: 勝者
shopping days are counted down: 買い物日がカウントダウン
TV presenters: テレビ司会者
only 6 more days: あと6日
until Christmas: クリスマスまで
to get stressed about ～: ～のことでストレスを感じる
get ～ in time: ～を間に合うように手に入れる
Christmas Eve (24th December)
People do their last-minute Christmas shopping. The shops are mega busy. So busy that walking around is difficult and queues are long and slow. Many people travel home to their family. Most companies and businesses close for Christmas/New Year. But the shops and supermarkets stay open except for Christmas Day. Friends might meet for a drink. People wrap the last presents. Many people prepare food for Christmas Day. Usually families have their own traditional meal on Christmas Eve. In my family, it was a big meat and vegetable pie because it's easy to cook (and delicious)!
Children put up stockings. In my family we put our stockings on our bed. Then we leave a drink and snack for Father Christmas too. Sometimes a carrot or something for the reindeer too. In the USA it is common to leave milk and cookies but in the UK we usually leave alcohol and a mince pie.
last-minute: 土壇場
mega: 大規模
so busy that ～: とても混雑しているので～
walking around: 歩き回る
queue(s): 列に並ぶ
to travel home: 家に帰る
most businesses: ほとんどの店
to close for Christmas: クリスマス休業
to stay open: 営業を続ける
except for Christmas Day: クリスマス当日以外
to wrap presents: プレゼントを包む
prepare food: 食事の準備
traditional: 伝統的
stocking(s): 靴下
common: 一般的
Christmas Day (25th December)
On Christmas Day, children frequently wake up super early. It was common for us to wake up at 3 or 4am and go to our parents room. We wanted to open our presents but our parents always said "It's too early! Go back to bed!" or "Come back at 6am!".
When parents finally woke, children usually open the presents in their stockings first. In my family we had our stockings on our bed. So, we knew that Father Christmas had been as we had a sock full of presents on our bed. Stockings hold small and cheap presents.
Then we go downstairs and open the bigger presents under the tree. Breakfast is different for everyone. In my house my dad made a big pile of toast.
Children get various presents. Usually, they get one big present and many other smaller ones. Then they get presents from grandparents, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters. Children receive on average about £175 (￥36,363) worth of presents and around 12 gifts. Many children receive money from relatives too. On average they get about £109 (￥22,653).
frequently: よく
super early: とても早い時間
our parent's room: 両親の部屋
go back to bed: ベッドに戻る
to wake, woke: 起きる、起きた
Father Christmas has been: サンタクロースはいました
a sock, socks: 靴下
downstairs: 階下
a big pile of toast: 山盛りのトースト
various presents: 色々なプレゼント
usually: たいてい
grandparent(s): 祖父母
uncle(s): 叔父
aunt(s): 叔母
on average: 平均
about £175 worth of presents: 約175ポンド相当のプレゼント
gift(s): 贈り物
relative(s): 親戚
Christmas Dinner
For Christmas dinner, traditionally most people in the UK eat turkey. But many people don't like turkey so eat something different. Other common meats are roast beef, roast pork, cooked salmon or roast chicken.
Different countries eat different things. In Scandanavia it is common to eat seafood; Germany, goose; Italy, seafood; France, roast bird (goose, pidgeon, turkey); Brazil, turkey or bbq meats; South Africa, roast lamb; and Australia and New Zealand, cold or glazed hams.
Christmas dinner is eaten at different times depending on the family. In my family, it is a late lunch at around 2 or 3pm. But some families eat at 1pm and some families eat at 8pm. It is still called Christmas dinner, even if it is at lunchtime.
Desserts vary by family. In my family we usually get lots of chocolate, so we eat that. But common desserts are Christmas pudding, trifle, cookies, Yule log (or bûche de Noël), bakewell tart, baked Alaska, apple strudel and stollen. There are many more and each family will have different things.
traditionally: 伝統的に
most (people): ほとんどの（人）
turkey: 七面鳥
something different: ちょっと変わったもの
roast beef: ローストビーフ
roast pork: ローストポーク
salmon: サーモン
Scandanavia: スカンジナビア
seafood: シーフード
Germany: ドイツ
goose: ガチョウ
pidgeon: ハト
Brazil: ブラジル
South Africa: 南アフリカ
roast lamb: ローストラム
family, families: 家族
even if ～: たとえ～であっても
vary by family: 家族によって異なる
After Christmas dinner, people generally relax and enjoy their presents. Some families play games like word-guessing games or board games together. Others watch movies together or go for walks.
On Christmas Day the shops are almost all closed. Some small local shops may open, but most won't. Because of this, and no one working or travelling, the roads are super quiet on Christmas Day. I have fond memories of looking out of the window and seeing only 1 or 2 cars go past in 5 minutes. I lived on a busy road, so usually 20+ cars would be visible at any time of day.
after: 後
generally: 一般的に
to relax: リラックスする
word-guessing games: 言葉当てゲーム
board games: ボードゲーム
almost all: ほぼすべて
may open: 開くかもしれない
most won't (most will not): ほとんど開かない
fond memory (-ies): 懐かしい思い出
a busy road: 交通量の多い道路
would be visible at any time of day: 一日中見える
Boxing Day (26th December)
Boxing Day was historically a day for shopping sales. The Black Friday sales have increased in recent years and so Boxing Day sales have declined.
Many professional sports are played on Boxing Day. Football is the major one with all the top leagues having games. Most people are not working and it is mostly a day for relaxing, but many different families have Boxing Day traditions. For example, my wife's family go for a walk on the beach on Boxing Day! Brrrrrr!
Boxing Day gets its name from tradesmen who would get small gifts from customers or bosses as thanks for the year. These would be in small boxes. Rich households gave servants the day after Christmas off, so they could see their families.
Boxing Day is mostly celebrated in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and some other countries to a lesser extent.
historically: 歴史的に
Black Friday: ブラックフライデー
have increased: 増加された
have declined: 減少された
in recent years: 近年
professional sports: プロスポーツ
major: 重要
for example: 例えば
brrrrr: ぶるぶる（寒い）
get its name from ～: 名前の由来は～です
tradesmen: 職人
customers: 顧客
boss(es): 上司
as thanks: 感謝の気持ちとして
rich household(s): 裕福な家庭
give ～ the day off: ～に休日を与える
Ireland: アイルランド
some other countries: その他の国
to a lesser extent: 程度は低いものの
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