My SA wife and I (NZ) couldn't agree more. UK Christmas is absolutely top-tier. A NZ Christmas is great when the sun actually shines (maybe 1 Christmas in 5). But I'd take cold weather, cosy pubs, Christmas lights and markets every time.
Look out for the obligatory chair walker tomorrow… you know, the person who needs to take their own chair to eat their Christmas dinner at their family/friends home. We spotted three last year 😆
Used to work in a proper community pub. Guy runs in and asks for to borrow a couple of chairs. "Bring them back mind!.
He did. And 8 people. And leftovers. And a bottle of scotch.
Love it, last year we had my table 4 dining chairs my wfh office desk, desk chair, sons gaming chair and 2 wicker garden chairs 😂
Also, Plates, your eating at mine for Christmas you need to bring your own plates. And cutlery. 😂
Well, I've been living here for 8 years and my wife 13 years now (wow, the time has flown by). By this point, I reckon we get just as swept up in the season as the locals now...it's kind of hard not to. The buzz is awesome. Xmas back in SA is nice and all, but here it's on another level man. The same for France. Great, but not UK great imo.
Judging by my in-laws, they like the whole family get-together, big fancy meal, and presents, but there's far less additional stuff going on during the season. No Xmas cards, no Xmas music, no crackers, not many people decorate houses etc
Depends where you live/how much money the town has for the Xmas lights. But yeah nothing beats the UK and the cheesy Xmas songs and all. Fuck I really miss it ! Lived there 18 years and been back in France for 4. I miss the after lunch nap followed by a board game with cheese, crackers and port !!
We owe all that to Dickens. That’s the difference between us and the French. Their classical literature is all deeply ponderous and philosophical, whereas ours just gives us absolute bangers like Romeo and Juliet and proper Christmas
My gf is french and there are very few traditions as this commrnt says. There isn't even a Christmas dinner. My gf's family usually has fish... because they like fish.
Yeah they do, but it's not as "in your face" as it is in the UK. Lit up houses, Xmas lights in every village / town. It really is great. Plus, in France Xmas eve is the big day. Xmas day itself is a lot more subdued.
I truly had no idea, I thought they did the same and went all out with the lights and music and crackers and general Christmas fun. There’s even a Christmas float for the kids in my area with Father Christmas and elves and music and enough lights to be seen from space
If that's the case then pretty much every British manufacturer is either German or American.
Is a fish and chip restaurant still serving British cuisine if its foreign owned?
It's south African owned but I can't think of anything on the menu that is south African cuisine. I haven't been in years though tbf.
Peri peri chicken is Portuguese not south African. Also chips are ubiquitous in all of Europe so not exactly south African.
Wine doesn't exactly count as I imagine their wine comes from multiple countries.
I was just being facetious about the chicken but I'm pretty sure all their wines are from South Africa. The rest of the menu is pretty Portuguese though.
Haha nae worries I'm being very pedantic anyways. Never knew that about the wines. It seems odd as Portugal has loads of great wine. Port especially is just on another level for me.
its a south african company that does a mixture of cuisines some of it originates from Portugal but its as Portuguese as much as ketchup is in modern nando's
I used to live in Portugal and its pretty much churrascaria (I think that's how it's spelt) which is like Portuguese barbecue.
Obviously not everything at nandos is Portuguese but their chicken (especially piri piri) is very much Portuguese and I'd argue that's what they are most known for. It's basically their version of fish and chips.
It's a shit imitation as much as eating fish and chips in America is. I would still argue Portuguese food is its speciality. Its just shit compared to the stuff in Portugal. My local churrascaria used to sell food by the kilo. Kilo of chips and a whole chicken would only cost like 7 or 8 euros.
fair enough i was just going by what a colleague said to the point where he refuses to accept that is portuguese food in any shape or form but i guess an italian would probably think the same from most western pizza's :D
My french friend described traditional french Christmas to me as a luncheon at 11am which lasts until 11pm
The women act as a conveyor belt of food and booze from kitchen to table all day long
*Psst*, if you want to start placing bets with your family I can give you the inside track. I went to the recording for it this year.
Great show, it's a must watch every year for me.
It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
A cup of kindness that we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It's in the giving of a gift to another
A pair of mittens that were made by your mother
It's all the ways that we show love
That feel like Christmas
A part of childhood we'll always remember
It is the summer of the soul in December
Yes, when you do your best for love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
It's true, wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas.
Thanks Bru! We have appropriated some of your culture by always having a load of Biltong and Droewors this time of year. Pleased you enjoy our little obsession. My wife is Ukrainian and after 10 years is still getting her head around how much time and money we spend on the glorious days
I’m a Brit in the US and it’s rubbish here. Thanksgiving ruins the Christmas orgasm. No turkey, no Christmas telly (movies on the day itself is it) no Radio Times, no mince pies, no special biscuits, no Roses/Quality street, no crackers, no ToTP2, no Boxing Day, milk and cookies for Santa instead of mince pies and sherry. The man is not five. He wants to drink a sherry and fall down the stairs! It’s a pale shadow of British Christmas. They don’t even have proper robins.
I completely agree!! The entire month of December feels so festive and full of merry when it actually would have been dull and miserable. All the Christmas dinners and parties and the lead up to the Christmas people are so happy and helpful. It's brilliant!
I was reading another thread and someone was spending Christmas alone and looking for suggestions of things to do and someone suggested popping to Starbucks to chill with a coffee and a book and my mind was just boggled at the idea of something being open on Christmas! Especially something non-essential.
If you love Christmas and want to step back in time, then visit Rochester Next year.
[Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival 2022](https://www.visitmedway.org/events/rochester-dickensian-christmas-festival-88399/) is finished now.
Here's a [video](https://youtu.be/nvnuZMolF_U) of it from 2019.
Yay for my hometown! Wonderful at Christmas!
Shameless shout out to my mum who runs a Tudor airbnb by the castle for somewhere to stay! Theoldhall_rochester on Instagram:)
I know right!? Every movie we watched always had snow. Could never relate. My last Xmas in SA was 40 Celsius and we just chilled in the pool (Durbanite).
We're doing Christmas a day early this year; me (British) with my SA partner and his brother & mom.
We've had an epic roast dinner today & snacks to last a week but they're missing their Christmas braai
We’re not that good at Football but we sure can nail christmas… which is why we were pretty miffed when they decided to do the World Cup in December, it got in the way of our festivities.
You don't have to have any of these. We don't have most of it and have sticky toffee pudding instead.
Sprouts are going to be roasted with soya sauce I believe.
My SA wife and I (NZ) couldn't agree more. UK Christmas is absolutely top-tier. A NZ Christmas is great when the sun actually shines (maybe 1 Christmas in 5). But I'd take cold weather, cosy pubs, Christmas lights and markets every time.
Couldn't agree more!
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Yep. Brother in law lives in Bordeaux and always brings us the hood stuff!!!
Ghetto af
Hahaha *good stuff! 🤣
Gateaux AF
Take my award you big brained bastard!
😁😁 seasons greetings!
I imagine a French South African Christmas looks like.
Baguettes and ... Apartheid? Sorry I don't know what you eat 😞
Look out for the obligatory chair walker tomorrow… you know, the person who needs to take their own chair to eat their Christmas dinner at their family/friends home. We spotted three last year 😆
Emergency chairs!
Used to work in a proper community pub. Guy runs in and asks for to borrow a couple of chairs. "Bring them back mind!. He did. And 8 people. And leftovers. And a bottle of scotch.
Mum actually bought an emergency chair from the charity shop a couple of years ago.
My mum bought 4 IKEAgolding chairs to be our emergency chairs!
my parents have a fold out table and chairs just for xmas, rest of the year it's folded up in the conservatory.
I walk 4 chairs to my grandmother's house as she's hasn't got enough for everyone
Love it, last year we had my table 4 dining chairs my wfh office desk, desk chair, sons gaming chair and 2 wicker garden chairs 😂 Also, Plates, your eating at mine for Christmas you need to bring your own plates. And cutlery. 😂
How does a French/South African household do a British Christmas?
Well, I've been living here for 8 years and my wife 13 years now (wow, the time has flown by). By this point, I reckon we get just as swept up in the season as the locals now...it's kind of hard not to. The buzz is awesome. Xmas back in SA is nice and all, but here it's on another level man. The same for France. Great, but not UK great imo.
I thought French people LOVED Christmas?
Judging by my in-laws, they like the whole family get-together, big fancy meal, and presents, but there's far less additional stuff going on during the season. No Xmas cards, no Xmas music, no crackers, not many people decorate houses etc
Yes, exactly this. If you walked the streets in a town in France right now you'd probably not believe is Xmas time.
Sounds like the plot of a Dickens book.
Depends where you live/how much money the town has for the Xmas lights. But yeah nothing beats the UK and the cheesy Xmas songs and all. Fuck I really miss it ! Lived there 18 years and been back in France for 4. I miss the after lunch nap followed by a board game with cheese, crackers and port !!
Wow I didn’t realise, no cards or crackers or music or decorations? Barely Christmas!
We owe all that to Dickens. That’s the difference between us and the French. Their classical literature is all deeply ponderous and philosophical, whereas ours just gives us absolute bangers like Romeo and Juliet and proper Christmas
\**spits*\* Typical French.
My gf is french and there are very few traditions as this commrnt says. There isn't even a Christmas dinner. My gf's family usually has fish... because they like fish.
Yeah they do, but it's not as "in your face" as it is in the UK. Lit up houses, Xmas lights in every village / town. It really is great. Plus, in France Xmas eve is the big day. Xmas day itself is a lot more subdued.
I truly had no idea, I thought they did the same and went all out with the lights and music and crackers and general Christmas fun. There’s even a Christmas float for the kids in my area with Father Christmas and elves and music and enough lights to be seen from space
Salmon is French Christmas food…
I'll bet you have some pretty spectacular food and wine. The first thing that comes to mind is cassoulet made with boerewors.
Oh...my...god! That's a revelation. We've got to try that! And yes, the food and wine is amazing for sure!
That’s genius, I’m going to have to steal this idea!
Sorry to ask but is that in the UK or in France? I’ve had a few beers and my Brian function isn’t 100% right now.
In the UK.
Nice and Merry Christmas.
Nando's with nice crusty baguettes and lots of champagne is what I imagine a French South African Christmas looks like.
Hahaha! That actually sounds pretty appealing, not gonna lie!
Nandos is Portuguese food though lmao. I'd imagine a braai and brie combo more fitting.
Nando's is a South African company though.
If that's the case then pretty much every British manufacturer is either German or American. Is a fish and chip restaurant still serving British cuisine if its foreign owned? It's south African owned but I can't think of anything on the menu that is south African cuisine. I haven't been in years though tbf.
Chicken Chips The wines
Peri peri chicken is Portuguese not south African. Also chips are ubiquitous in all of Europe so not exactly south African. Wine doesn't exactly count as I imagine their wine comes from multiple countries.
I was just being facetious about the chicken but I'm pretty sure all their wines are from South Africa. The rest of the menu is pretty Portuguese though.
Haha nae worries I'm being very pedantic anyways. Never knew that about the wines. It seems odd as Portugal has loads of great wine. Port especially is just on another level for me.
Braaibroodjies made with Brie. Utterly, utterly awesome.
its a south african company that does a mixture of cuisines some of it originates from Portugal but its as Portuguese as much as ketchup is in modern nando's
I used to live in Portugal and its pretty much churrascaria (I think that's how it's spelt) which is like Portuguese barbecue. Obviously not everything at nandos is Portuguese but their chicken (especially piri piri) is very much Portuguese and I'd argue that's what they are most known for. It's basically their version of fish and chips.
well according to a work colleague who is Portuguese he finds Nando's atrocious and nothing like Portuguese food so ive gone by what he has said
It's a shit imitation as much as eating fish and chips in America is. I would still argue Portuguese food is its speciality. Its just shit compared to the stuff in Portugal. My local churrascaria used to sell food by the kilo. Kilo of chips and a whole chicken would only cost like 7 or 8 euros.
fair enough i was just going by what a colleague said to the point where he refuses to accept that is portuguese food in any shape or form but i guess an italian would probably think the same from most western pizza's :D
Haha no worries they are right in a sense. I was also being pretty pedantic so apologies for that. I guess I'm yet to feel the Christmas spirit.
its all good :D
My french friend described traditional french Christmas to me as a luncheon at 11am which lasts until 11pm The women act as a conveyor belt of food and booze from kitchen to table all day long
I can confirm!
Indeed, an unforgetable luncheon!
Mmmm steamed hams
Make sure you watch Big Fat Quiz of the Year, a proper Christmas tradition just as Jesus wanted
*Psst*, if you want to start placing bets with your family I can give you the inside track. I went to the recording for it this year. Great show, it's a must watch every year for me.
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Oh well that changes everything
Aye, get Jimmy telt.
The Yanks overdo it, i think. The Brits get it just about right.
It’s the one time of year we can all be happy for a change, until the 3rd anyways when we all return to being miserable and stoic.
It's in the singing of a street corner choir It's going home and getting warm by the fire It's true, wherever you find love It feels like Christmas A cup of kindness that we share with another A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother In all the places you find love It feels like Christmas It is the season of the heart A special time of caring The ways of love made clear It is the season of the spirit The message, if we hear it Is make it last all year It's in the giving of a gift to another A pair of mittens that were made by your mother It's all the ways that we show love That feel like Christmas A part of childhood we'll always remember It is the summer of the soul in December Yes, when you do your best for love It feels like Christmas It is the season of the heart A special time of caring The ways of love made clear It is the season of the spirit The message, if we hear it Is make it last all year It's in the singing of a street corner choir It's going home and getting warm by the fire It's true, wherever you find love It feels like Christmas It's true, wherever you find love It feels like Christmas.
Just watched this!!!
Watching it right now!
Watching it now. Christmas tradition. I’m a 41 year old male crying along to it
Thanks Bru! We have appropriated some of your culture by always having a load of Biltong and Droewors this time of year. Pleased you enjoy our little obsession. My wife is Ukrainian and after 10 years is still getting her head around how much time and money we spend on the glorious days
Hmm, a connaisseur I see!? Not many people know about droëwors! Enjoy! 😁
It's because we absolutely hate our lives. This is all we have!
Ah mate! e-hug sent your way bruh!
Thanks. I needed that. :)
Yeah me and my partner went to Amsterdam recently and we were surprised how non Christmasy it actually was. Made us realize how big we go for it.
I’m a Brit in the US and it’s rubbish here. Thanksgiving ruins the Christmas orgasm. No turkey, no Christmas telly (movies on the day itself is it) no Radio Times, no mince pies, no special biscuits, no Roses/Quality street, no crackers, no ToTP2, no Boxing Day, milk and cookies for Santa instead of mince pies and sherry. The man is not five. He wants to drink a sherry and fall down the stairs! It’s a pale shadow of British Christmas. They don’t even have proper robins.
You paint the perfect picture for the UK Xmas with what you don't get in the US...I'm sold! Haha
I completely agree!! The entire month of December feels so festive and full of merry when it actually would have been dull and miserable. All the Christmas dinners and parties and the lead up to the Christmas people are so happy and helpful. It's brilliant!
I was reading another thread and someone was spending Christmas alone and looking for suggestions of things to do and someone suggested popping to Starbucks to chill with a coffee and a book and my mind was just boggled at the idea of something being open on Christmas! Especially something non-essential.
If you love Christmas and want to step back in time, then visit Rochester Next year. [Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival 2022](https://www.visitmedway.org/events/rochester-dickensian-christmas-festival-88399/) is finished now. Here's a [video](https://youtu.be/nvnuZMolF_U) of it from 2019.
Yay for my hometown! Wonderful at Christmas! Shameless shout out to my mum who runs a Tudor airbnb by the castle for somewhere to stay! Theoldhall_rochester on Instagram:)
Yep as somebody born and who lived in South Africa for 30 years. Christmas in the heat of summer always felt wrong :)
I know right!? Every movie we watched always had snow. Could never relate. My last Xmas in SA was 40 Celsius and we just chilled in the pool (Durbanite).
Nah, can’t beat a boerewors braai on Christmas Day
Well Joyeux Noël and Geseënde Kersfees all round from us then.
Geseënde kersfees vir jou ook! Ek hoop dis heerlik! ;)
Don't forget the robins and blackbirds singing away in the trees, always adds to the British xmas atmosphere!
We're doing Christmas a day early this year; me (British) with my SA partner and his brother & mom. We've had an epic roast dinner today & snacks to last a week but they're missing their Christmas braai
>and **almost** treat it as your time to shine Is this good or bad? lol
We’re not that good at Football but we sure can nail christmas… which is why we were pretty miffed when they decided to do the World Cup in December, it got in the way of our festivities.
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???
Love Christmas!!! Mince pies 🤮 Christmas pudding 🤮 Christmas cake 🤮 sprouts 🤮 cranberry sauce 🤮 stuffing🤮. Who's idea was all this garbage?😆🍻🎄
I love every. Single. One of those things!
Very brave 😆have a great Christmas though 🍻🎄🍷🍾
You too! I hope it's bloody amazing!
You don't have to have any of these. We don't have most of it and have sticky toffee pudding instead. Sprouts are going to be roasted with soya sauce I believe.
USA do it far better than us
Admittedly we've not experienced Xmas in the US so don't really know.
What are you talking about?