Christmas in England is a really special and fun filled time of year. And whilst the main celebration lasts just a few days, the weeks leading up to it are just as much part of it too. So you’ll have plenty of opportunity to get into the festive spirit and practice your Christmas lingo.
Common Christmas Words and Phrases in English
Lots of English vocabulary about Christmas is not widely used in everyday life. So there are likely quite a few phrases and words that you may not be so familiar with when learning English as a second language.
Festive Greetings
Around Christmas time in England it is usual to use seasonal greetings when meeting or saying goodbye to someone. The most common examples are ‘Merry Christmas’, ‘Happy Holidays’ or simply ‘Seasons Greetings’.
These phrases are also ordinarily written in Christmas cards, which is a popular Christmas tradition of sending written well-wishes to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.
Seasonal Vocabulary
One reason English vocabulary about Christmas isn’t used year round is because many of the objects being referred to are only around at Christmas time. For instance ‘tinsel’ and ‘baubles’ are decorations specifically put on Christmas trees.
And things like filling Christmas stockings with presents from Santa Claus, singing Christmas carols, and kissing under the mistletoe are all only things that you would do at Christmas.
You may also hear the words Scrooge or Grinch when referring to someone in a negative context at Christmas. They mean someone who is selfish or mean spirited towards others around this time of year.
Typical Foods
There are also plenty of types of traditional British food that is only eaten at this time of year at Christmas in England. So there may be things you haven't tried before, such as Christmas pudding, mince pies, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, gingerbread houses and English trifle.
The main celebratory meal that is eaten is roast turkey “with all the trimmings”. It is also tradition for each person around the table to pull a cracker, tell a joke and put a hat on before tucking in.
Fun English Idioms and Expressions Related to Christmas
There are lots of amusing sayings used around the time of Christmas in England. Some are rather self explanatory like “the more, the merrier” or “good things come in small packages.” But some, such as, “be there with bells on” and “bah humbug” are slightly more obscure.
How to Get Better at Talking the Talk this Festive Season
There are lots of fun ways to practice using your English Christmas vocabulary throughout the festive season. You can look up the lyrics and sing along to Christmas songs, write out some festive greeting cards or simply just chat about your holiday plans.
Of course the most effective way to learn Christmas words in English is through immersion. And even though it’s very cold in England over Christmas, it really is a magical time to visit.
So why not grab a christmas jumper, pour yourself a mug of hot chocolate and start planning a winter language trip with an English host family in England.