Hey, guys, welcome back to the Girl Gone London channel.
Today is a very British Christmas, if you're new here.
My name is Kalyn. I'm an American expat in the U.K. And
today we are talking all about British Christmas words and phrases.
So if you see my British Christmas
traditions video, you'll recognize some of the words that I'm using,
but I've come up with a list of very specific words and phrases associated
with Christmas in the U.K. or associated with things that they might do around
Christmas in the U.K. because believe it or not, things are different than what you
might expect, whether you're coming from the U.S. or Canada or Australia.
We all have different words when it comes to Christmas.
And these are the ones I've had to learn in the U.K. first word bubble.
A bubble is around Christmas decoration.
So if they're talking about another type of ornament on a Christmas tree,
they would call it a Christmas decoration or a Christmas tree decoration.
But if you hear the word barbel,
they're specifically talking about the rounded type of Christmas ornaments.
Next, fun, Father Christmas.
So Father Christmas historically was
actually a different concept or a different person than Santa Claus.
However, in recent times, they've become the same person.
So Father Christmas is what the Brits
march traditionally refer to Santa Claus as again, today.
He's the same.
He is Santa, he's Father Christmas,
and he comes to deliver presents on Christmas Day.
Next one, Lapland.
Now, the Brits think it's odd
that the Americans are so sure that Santa Claus lives and is from the North Pole.
They use the term Lapland,
which is in the north of Finland, and that is where Santa Claus,
or what they would refer to as Father Christmas
comes from and does his present making and sets off on Christmas Eve from now.
I did ask my British husband whether he thinks that the North Pole and Lapland are
culturally referred to as the same kind of place.
And he did say that North Pole is used here, but Lapland is much more common.
So it is an actual geographic place that you can go to.
But it has kind of turned into a more
mystical idea similar to the North Pole, which is where the Brits say
that Father Christmas is from next one Christmas jumper.
So Jumper is a sweater.
If you are used to the American phrase
and this is what I'm wearing right now, is it Christmas jumper?
So they would have Christmas jumper parties.
You would wear your Christmas jumper on Christmas Day to Christmas dinner.
So if you ever hear the phrase jumper or
Christmas jumper, they're referring to a Christmas sweater.
Next up is Boxing Day.
So Boxing Day is not a mystical or made-up phrase.
It is the name for the holiday the day after Christmas Day.
So the 26th of December is Boxing Day.
I will have a video all about Boxing Day,
talking about the origins and what is actually done.
Hint there is no actual boxing, but I did want to mention it as a word
around the holiday season in the UK to be aware of.
So Boxing Day is the holiday the day after Christmas.
Next up is a nickname for Christmas,
which is crem, though I find this phrase really cringing.
But Crem Bow is definitely used across the UK as sort of a slang term for Christmas.
So if you ever hear somebody mentioning
Chromeo or Happy Grambow, they are referring to Christmas.
Next up is Chris Dingel Services.
So I will have a whole video again,
all about Chris Dingel services and what in the world a Chris Stingel is
a Chris Dingle is actually an orange with red ribbon around it and a candle
that's meant to help people who go to the Chris Dingle service.
Think about Jesus in the meaning of Christmas.
I will talk way more about the origins
of this and where it comes from, because Chris Stingel is definitely not
something common across a lot of the US, but it definitely is a popular
British Christmas tradition in churches that would have a Chris Stingel service.
And Chris Stingel refers to the actual orange with the candle in it.
So stay tuned for more videos or we will make a Christmas single together.
But if you've never heard the term before
now, you know, Chris Stingel service refers to a specific holiday service
that involves an orange, a candle and some red ribbon.
Another phrase that you'll probably get, but I wanted to mention is Sprout's.
So Brussels sprouts are really common, part of a lot of Christmas dinners here.
And often I'll just refer to them as sprouts.
So if you hear sprouts, they're probably not talking about bean sprouts.
They're talking about Brussels sprouts,
which are a really common thing to eat on Christmas Day.
Next up is the term Dickensian Christmas.
So if you go back in history,
the word Dickensian actually refers to related to the poverty of Victoria times
that Charles Dickens would have written about.
However, when we pair it with the.
Christmas, and we talk about Dickensian Christmas markets or having
a Dickensian Christmas, it's kind of taken on more of a meaning
of traditional classic Victorian, little bit magical, old fashioned, old timey.
So it does refer to kind of the Charles Dickens era of Christmas.
But of course, when we talk about going
to a Dickensian Christmas market, we're not referring to poverty.
We're referring to something that is
Victorian and classic and old fashioned in the best way possible.
Along those same lines, you might hear the word Christmas fete.
Now, a Christmas fete is like a Christmas fare.
The word fete would be more commonly used.
But if you picture an indoor, usually indoor Christmas fair,
if you had a summer fete, it would probably be an outdoor event.
But again, at Christmas, the weather's not very nice.
So people tend to hang out inside.
But like the local school might have a Christmas fete where you go
into the school and they have tons of stalls set up with people selling
things or food offerings or different charities or events for the kids.
So the term fete or Christmas fete is similar to a Christmas fair.
And last up is something that is
traditionally done at Christmas fetes or fairs.
And that's what's known as a tombola.
So a tombola is basically an activity
where you have a bunch of numbers in a cylindrical container and there are
prizes on a table that relate to the numbers that are in the container.
So somebody comes by, they pay a small fee to go to the school
or charity or whatever, and they pick a number.
And if they get a number that matches
something, then they get to take that prize away.
So if you hear the phrase tombola, that is what is traditionally happening.
And again, they're very popular at a Christmas fete or fair.
OK, so that was a whistle stop tour
of some of the most popular British Christmas phrases and words
which might be unfamiliar to you if you've never spent a Christmas in the UK.
If you're interested in more videos about living in, traveling to or experiencing
a very British Christmas, definitely make sure to subscribe to that.
You get notified of my future videos.
We've got lots more coming up for the holiday season and beyond.
So if you enjoyed again, give it a like subscribe and I'll see you next time.