CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

People in the UK usually greet people in a particular way during the Christmas period and many send Christmas greetings to people they know.

People often wish each other Merry Christmas. In the days leading up to Christmas they say it to each other when they meet or when they part. It’s usually the first thing people say to each other on Christmas Day. It’s the message on many Christmas cards and is displayed on signs in shops and businesses.

Happy Christmas is an alternative to ‘Merry Christmas’.

People often send Christmas cards to friends, family and colleagues to wish them Merry Christmas. Cards usually have a picture on the front. Many Christmas card pictures show snowy scenes, although it’s unusual in most parts of the UK for there to be snow at Christmas. Many show scenes from the story of Jesus’s birth. Often they show illustrations from songs or stories. Some cards are humorous. People use the cards they receive to decorate their houses or places of work. Nowadays some people send e-cards but others stick with the traditional physical cards because they can be displayed.

This is one of a series of posts about Christmas traditions in the UK. You will find the first post in the series here.

_{Posted by Graham}