In America, Christmas officially begins on December the 12th: small, inexpensive gifts are given to all members of the family on this day. The Christmas tree is bought into the house, usually when the children are asleep, and decorated, as is the house, inside and out, by Mum and Dad as a surprise for the children in the morning.

As in our own country, Christmas cards start to arrive and these are displayed on the mantelpiece and sellotaped to doors.  One of the cards is selected each day to be read out aloud and the family remember and talk about the person who sent the card. 

The main celebrations are centred on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: children hang up their stockings by the fire place and Santa fills them with presents, and more presents for all the family are put under the Christmas tree.

Christmas dinner, in America, is the same as ours: turkey with all the trimmings and Christmas pudding.