This year's Christmas in the British Royal Family: Unconventional and overseas

2020: A rather unconventional Christmas

This year's Christmas will be specific not only for ordinary people who don't have blue blood, but also for the British Royal Family. There are many reasons why: First one is, unfortunately, the global pandemic, which is still ongoing despite everyones hopes, and it affects relationships across the whole world. In the United Kingdom, groups of more than 6 people haven't been allowed to gather in one room for the past 3 months.

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Who, where, why?

It has long been questioned, with whom Queen Elisabeth II will meet under these measures, and if the traditional Christmas celebration will be held in the royal residence Sandringham in Norfolk county, which lies approx. 180 km from London. Rumor had it the guests would be her son Charles with his wife Camilla, her grandson, Prince William with his wife Kate and of course, her husband Phillip.

However, the official announcement from Buckingham Palace said that the Queen would spend the holidays with her husband in Windsor.

"Having considered all the appropriate advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor. The Queen and the duke are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year. They understand that their family will have competing demands over the Christmas period and are content to have a quiet festive season this year,"

said the official statement.

That doesn't necessarily mean that the Queen and her husband will be alone. Both of them plan to see their family members during December, in compliance with all the coronavirus measures currently in place. Prince Charles will spend Christmas with his wife Camilla in their country mansion Highgrove in Gloucestershire. The Queen's grandson, Prince William, has not yet decided regarding Christmas and will think it through with his wife Kate.

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The royal menu

Despite the current situation, Darren McGrady, a former chef for the Royal Family, had once revealed how the Christmas menu usually looks like in the palace. Similar to the rest of the country, a Christmas pudding is a must. The pudding is poured into bowls and it's decorated with a piece of holly on top. As a bonus, this royal dessert is poured over with alcohol (for adults only) and lit on fire when served. Of course, the traditional turkey is a must, too - it's usually roasted with a variety of stuffing. The turkey is served with potatoes of different kinds.

A toilet seat and a pair of socks under the Christmas tree

The Royal Family employees can see behind the scenes, thus being aware of what is happening behind the closed Royal door. There is a rumor going on that the whole family likes to get each other crazy, yet practical presents - think a toilet seat, a swimming cap or a pair of socks.

How will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate Christmas?

That is still unclear, but given the situation it's expected that the pair will spend the holiday with their son Archie in sunny California, where they moved last August. Let's take a peek at some traditions that the couple might experience over Christmas.

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The bigger the better!

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You won't be surprised that the traditional character of the American Christmas is the well-known Santa Claus, who brings presents to all children who've been good on the night of December 25. But what about some other traditions? Regarding the Christmas tree, it is a tradition to compete with your neighbors whose tree will be the tallest and the most beautiful. Another tradition is to compete with the amount of lights and decorations you can put on your house, and to see which house is the brightest in the neighborhood.

The food variety is endless

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As for the classic Christmas dishes, the most traditional one is probably a stuffed roasted turkey, served with cranberry sauce.

There is usually a choice of ham, pudding and roast beef on the table. But do not confuse the traditional Czech pudding with the American one! In their version, you can find ginger, nuts, plums, raisins and cloves. However, it is important to mention that the authentic American Christmas dish differs not only according to their ethnic origins, but also from state to state. A good dining in America is often finished with eggnog, apple cider or delicious hot chocolate. Yum!

Christmas in California

Specifically in California, many people spend the Christmas afternoon walking along the beach and building sand castles. You wouldn't find any children sledding here. Instead, you can see them cycling or skateboarding. The well-known image of a traditional Christmas in Europe full of snow and snowmen can be found in Disneyland, though, where special Christmas decorations are set up every year.

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Before we finish, we have two fun facts for you. We are curious to see which one we can find at Harry and Meghan's. So have a very Merry Christmas on the other side of the ocean!

Fun fact 1:

American children usually write a letter to Santa Claus - just like Czech children write a letter to baby Jesus. What's interesting about it is that all letters that the American children write, get delivered to a city in Indiana, where you can find the Santa Claus Museum.

Fun fact 2:

Did you know that Americans decorate their houses not only with holly and well-known sugar canes, but with popcorn garlands as well?

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