Rayoheatchristmascountdown

12 reasons the UK is better at Christmas than the US

They may do it bigger, but we do it better

Christmas tree
Published 17th Dec 2015
Last updated 25th Dec 2017

Americans like to do things big, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year's, but in our opinion they certainly don’t do Christmas as good as we do.

Here are 12 reasons why the UK is best when it comes to Christmas.

1. Panto season

“Oh no it isn’t! … Oh Yes it is!” Pantomime season comes along every year here around mid-November until the beginning of January. No matter which part of the country you live in, you can guarantee your local theatre will be showing a version of a well-known children’s fairy tale.

2. Pigs in blankets

Say the words ‘pigs in blankets’ to an American and they will think you have gone crazy. Put it on a British plate and you know it must be Christmas. These festive little sausages wrapped in delicious greasy bacon are one of the UK’s favourite festive foods.

Pigs in blankets

3. Christmas lights switch on

Every UK town has them, and they seem to get more over the top every Christmas. There's also the seemingly British tradition to get a celebrity who has nothing to do with the town to switch on the festive lights.

4. Festive TV adverts

John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and the infamous Coca-Cola advert. The excitement you feel when you see these amazing Christmas adverts is unreal. For some ‘it’s officially Christmas’ when one of the nation’s most loved adverts first appear on our screens.

5. Office parties

We all have them and yes they normally end in embarrassment, however the office Christmas party is a must in the festive season! Getting merry with your workmates on a free bar tab usually ends with telling your boss how you really feel about them.

Christmas party

6. Nativity plays

If you have children there’s no doubt you would have attended a nativity play at some point in your life. Young, cute children acting out the birth of baby Jesus is something every parent cherishes around Christmas time.

Nativity plays

7. Christmas TV specials

Whether it’s EastEnders, Downton Abbey, or repeats of the The Royle Family, without a doubt every one of your favourite programmes shows an explosive special episode with lots of drama or laughs. Perfect TV for when you’re slouched on the sofa eating the leftovers.

Watching a film at Christmas

8. Mince pies

They are the taste of Christmas, filled with hundreds of calories, you know it's not good, but it's Christmas; the time to splurge.

Mince pies

9. Decorations up early

As soon as Halloween is over, you always see the overly eager Christmas lover with decorations covering the house from top to bottom. Imagine their electricity bill!

10. Christmas jumpers

The British high streets stock them around four months before the big day, with everyone thinking ‘it’s a bit early’. Then it suddenly hits you and it’s December! With Christmas jumpers becoming more popular thanks to charity days such as #ChristmasJumperFriday, designs are becoming more eccentric and oddly brilliant.

Numskull Christmas jumpers

11. Boxing Day sales

After the big celebration of Christmas Day, we like to get up and get out to the seasonal Boxing Day sales! The perfect opportunity to buy even more to add to your Christmas pile. America’s equivalent; ‘Black Friday’ is slightly more chaotic and basically just not as good.

Shopping

12. The Queen's speech

What’s more British than sitting down as a family on Christmas Day to watch the Queen’s speech? Dressed up in front of the 20ft Christmas trees inside Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth tells us about the year’s major events. The tradition has been going since 1932, and certainly isn’t like anything the Americans have.

Check out the biggest music, TV and showbiz stories from 2017 in our gallery below:

Cheryl and Liam Payne welcomed their first child

After months of speculation regarding her pregnancy, Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne welcomed their first child into the world, a baby boy called Bear Grey.

12 reasons the UK is better at Christmas than the US
2 of 55

Coleen Nolan won Celebrity Big Brother

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan won Celebrity Big Brother's winter edition.