Your first British Christmas – Part 1 • 你嘅第一個英式聖誕: 第一篇

A Christmas tree in a small home

Not many of us will have a normal Christmas this year, especially new arrivals in the UK. For most of us it won’t be possible to get together and celebrate in the normal ways, but here are some things you should expect from your first UK Christmas.

I wrote a little bit too much for this article 😅 because Christmas is actually such a huge topic. For that reason we have split it up into four parts which we will post through the week and cross-link for you.


Get ready

One of the first signs of Christmas coming that when Christmas songs appear on the radio, on TV ads and in shops. They are not predominately carols, but pop music from the UK and the US going back to the 1950s. There are hundreds of Christmas songs and everyone has some they really love, as well as some they really hate. (Like, really, really hate.)

Here is a playlist on Spotify to get you in the mood. Even though it is over 4 hours it only begins to scratch the surface.

My personal favourite is Wonderful Christmastime, by Paul McCartney because it’s light hearted, magical and completely different from all the others. I also love Jingle Bell Rock – both the original Bobby Helms recording and the later Hall & Oates versions are brilliant. 👌

You are going to want a Christmas tree. They were not necessary in Hong Kong, but they are here and you will feel left out if you don’t have one. You can either go for a real tree, which you can buy locally (usually £20-30 cash from a guy in a pub car park) or get an artificial one that will last for many years (anything up to £100 in a variety of stores). Real ones do have a lot more character but beware they are harder to transport, harder to decorate and drop pine needles everywhere. They also need a base to hold them up, which you will have to buy the first time. Most local councils offer a service to collect people’s trees in early January, which makes disposal much easier. Why not start a tradition of buying a nice new decoration every year? If a full-size tree is too much, there are many small options as well suitable for a table-top of windowsill.

Beware the Christmas Jumper. A new tradition in workplaces has been for everyone to wear the most tasteless Christmas themed jumper in a celebration of kitsch. Even though we are not working together in person, you might still be asked to wear one of these monstrosities on a Zoom call. 

That’s it for Part 1 – the early preparation. Later parts this week will cover more preparation for presents and extending the Christmas spirit; what to expect on Christmas Day if you visit a British family; and a guide to seasonal food you might be asked to eat.

Image: Brett Jordan on Unsplash


More in our series on Christmas:
Part 2 – Cards and presents
Part 3 – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Part 4 – Christmas Dinner and other food



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