19 Things About The Festive Season That Are Distinctly British

    Being overly competitive about pulling Christmas crackers.

    Ivy Richardson
    by Ivy Richardson

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. Buying countless chocolate variety boxes and avoiding certain flavours at all costs.

    capri-son 🇮🇹 @xthfczach

    When you look in the celebrations box on Christmas morning and it’s only bounty’s left

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    Twitter: @xthfczach

    There is no pain greater than opening a box of Celebrations to find a dozen Bounties staring back at you, or making a beeline for the Quality Streets and discovering that there’s only orange creams and strawberry delights left. It’s devastating.


    2. Waiting for every retail Christmas advert to drop so you can decide which one is the best.

    John Lewis

    And basing that decision on which one makes you bawl your eyes out. 


    3. Donning an ugly Christmas jumper at every event.

    ABC Network

    Heading to Primark at the start of the festive season to find the tackiest Christmas jumper in existence is one of my all-time favourite traditions. And if it doesn’t have fairy lights, tinsel, and/or a cringey slogan, it’s probably not tacky enough. 


    4. Venturing out to watch the Christmas lights get switched on in your local area.

    Hulu

    Which usually involves a B-list celebrity dramatically pressing a button, followed by some “oohs” and “ahhs”, and a long journey home. 


    5. And rating all the Christmas trees around town.

    News For All @NewsForAllUK

    🚨| NEW: The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree this year

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    Twitter: @NewsForAllUK

    What is your least favourite Christmas tree and why is it always Trafalgar Square’s?


    6. Heading to an outrageously cheesy panto.

    Joshua Crossroads Pantomimes Fan @JoshXRoadsPanto

    Panto News - @stephywebber and @DenquarMusic are heading to @New_Theatre with @PaulChuckle2, @Gareth_Gates, @gareththomas14 and @MikeDoyleComedy

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    Twitter: @JoshXRoadsPanto

    It’s not officially Christmas until you’ve gone to a panto and yelled “he’s behind you” at a bunch of celebs you recognise but can't quite place.


    7. Going to the pub on Christmas Eve with your old school friends.

    E4 @E4Tweets

    Me walking home from the pub on Christmas Eve: @CourtneyAct @ComeDineWithMe #CDWM

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    Twitter: @E4Tweets

    Because nothing screams Christmas like getting completely shitfaced in the pub with your nearest and dearest. And by nearest and dearest, I mean old school mates that you spend the majority of the year avoiding…


    8. And waking up on Christmas Day with a hangover.

    HBO

    Are you really British if you’re not nursing a hangover on Christmas Day? Waking up on the 25th with a pounding headache is the sign of a successful Christmas Eve and although it may be a rough start to the day, it’s nothing some good food and drinks can’t fix!


    9. Becoming uncharacteristically competitive as soon as the Christmas crackers make an appearance.

    Lidl

    Christmas is all about giving – that is, until the Christmas crackers appear on the dinner table. Suddenly, everyone’s fighting over who gets to keep the mini spoon set and demanding a rematch. 


    10. And genuinely dying of laughter at the jokes inside.

    SgtDangerCow @SgtDangerCow

    Legit xmas cracker joke 😂😂

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    Twitter: @SgtDangerCow

    Christmas cracker jokes are elite and that is a hill I’m willing to die on.


    11. Fighting over the best dish on the table – pigs in blankets.

    Sgaphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    All I want for Christmas is a lifetime supply of pigs in blankets – is that so much to ask?! 


    12. And eating mince pies (even though you probably hate them).

    Donald Iain Smith / Getty Images

    Mince pies have us all in a chokehold and to be honest, I’m ready to be released from these festive shackles. 


    13. Being more excited about lighting the Christmas pudding on fire than actually eating it.

    Linh Moran Photography / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    I am yet to find one person that actually enjoys this fruit-filled monstrosity but at least it looks pretty. 


    14. Watching the Queen deliver her annual festive speech.

    BBC

    And I use the term ‘watching’ very loosely. Some people can’t wait for Queen Lizzie’s speech to start and others can’t wait for it to be over – it’s me, I am others. 


    15. Then tuning in to all the Christmas TV specials.

    BBC

    Soap operas always understand the assignment when it comes to Christmas specials. Even if you don’t watch them 364 days of the year, chances are you’ll tune in on Christmas Day to find out who’s had an affair and who’s inevitably getting murdered. 


    16. Watching Love Actually for the hundredth time.

    Universal Pictures

    They say it’s impossible for a Brit to make it through the festive season without watching Love Actually and they are absolutely correct. 


    17. Drinking at every opportunity on Christmas day.

    BBC

    I think we can all agree that alcohol is the official sponsor of Christmas. Drinking from morning till night, adding copious amounts of alcohol to your cooking, and leaving a bevvy (or two) out for Father Christmas himself is what Christmas is really all about.  


    18. And eating your bodyweight in leftovers on Boxing Day.

    NBC

    I’m sure Boxing Day was initially meant for greater things but nowadays, it’s reserved for stuffing your face, watching your favourite festive films, and being glued to the sofa. 


    19. Or braving the cold to find some Boxing Day bargains.

    Hulu

    Dragging yourself out of the house after Christmas is a tall order but the Boxing Day sales make it a whole lot easier – even if you do have to claw your way through crowds and hang onto your bargains for dear life.