Our Christmas Traditions

Oxford Street’s famous Christmas windows, Trafalgar Square decorated with a tree from Norway and Winter Wonderland hailing millions of people to Hyde Park to get into the festive spirit. We asked our Carers what some of their Christmas Traditions are, some included 12 dishes on Christmas Eve, while others were simply a game of Monopoly with the whole family on Christmas Day.

Twelve dishes should be simple as well without meat and expensive fish. Usually, during Christmas Eve, the fruits like Lithuanian apples are served, then nuts, honey, potatoes with various types of fish, mushrooms, vegetables. The traditional drink is called Kisielius, a thick drink made from cranberries, sugar and potato starch (to add the thickness). The most important dish of the evening - is the Kūčiukai. The name of Lithuanian Christmas Eve - Kūčios came from these small traditional pastries made from leavened dough and poppy seeds.

The Trafalgar Tree

There was a lot of chat about this year’s tree, but it is part of a long-standing tradition with Norway, an annual gift from Oslo as recognition of the help Britain gave to Norway in World War Two. In 1940, King Haakon had to flee Norway and he set up shop in London, with the help of the BBC his speeches were still heard in Norway. Whilst British forces trained and supported Norwegian commandos. The tree symbolises the long running Thank you.

Mary reminisced about her traditions as a child, decorating the house and Christmas tree with paper decorations, they had made earlier, and holly, they gathered from the forest, as a family.

Christmas is what brightens up the world and brings places alive with the twinkling lights, shop window decorations and traditions that can last a lifetime. Will you make a new Christmas tradition this year?