Boxing Day

In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26th of December. However, strictly speaking, Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas (see definition in the Oxford English Dictionary).

Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it is typically a non working day in the whole of Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday the following Monday is the public holiday.

Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor. And what is a Christmas Box? The Christmas box was a wooden or clay container where people placed gifts.

Boxing Day origins; Christmas Boxes were used in different ways:

-To protect ships: Exploration ship during the Age of Exploration, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, A Christmas Box was used as a good luck device. It was a small container placed on each ship while it was still in port. It was put there by a priest, and those crewmen who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was then sealed up and kept on board for the entire voyage. If the ship came home safely, the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks for the success of the voyage. The Priest would keep the box sealed until Christmas when he would open it to share the contents with the poor.

-Church To help the poor: An 'Alms Box' was placed in every church on Christmas Day, into which worshippers placed a gift for the poor of the parish. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day became know as Boxing Day.

-A present for the workers: Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.
During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, or sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.

And the tradition still continues today ......
The tradition of giving money to workers still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees.

Schools across the country gather together gifts to be put in Christmas Boxes that are sent to poorer countries.

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has been a seasonal symbol in London since 1947. It takes pride of place in the square until January, when it is taken down for recycling. The tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion, using vertical strings of energy-efficient bulbs. Carols are performed beside the tree by a wide variety of London groups each evening from December 7 to 22, 5-9pm. The tree is a gift from the Norwegians to the British and there's a remarkable story behind this traditional present-giving. During World War II, German troops besieged Norway and in 1940 the neutral country was forced to surrender to the Nazis. Its royal family, government and defence chiefs fled to London, where they established a government-in-exile. For almost five years they were given refuge here while Norwegian soldiers fought alongside the Allies. London came to represent hope and freedom for the millions in occupied Norway, who listened to British radio broadcasts which provided news and information vital to the resistance movement. That's why the people of Oslo now give London the tree. Fondly described by the woodsmen who care for it as 'the queen of the forest', it can reach up to 25m in height and is between 50 and 100 years old. It's felled in November in a special ceremony in the midst of a snowy forest, with local schoolchildren singing. Once it's been shipped across the North Sea and installed, its official illumination takes place in early December.

English Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea (because it was usually taken in the late afternoon) is also called "low tea" because it was usually taken in a sitting room or withdrawing room where low tables (like a coffee table) were placed near sofas or chairs generally in a large withdrawing room. There are three basic types of Afternoon, or Low Tea:

Cream Tea - Tea, scones, jam and cream

Light Tea - Tea, scones and sweets

Full Tea - Tea, savories, scones, sweets and dessert

In England, the traditional time for tea was four or five o'clock and no one stayed after seven o'clock. Most tea rooms today serve tea from three to five o'clock. The menu has also changed from tea, bread, butter and cakes, to include three particular courses served specifically in this order:

Savories - Tiny sandwiches or appetizers

Scones - Served with jam and Devonshire or clotted cream

Pastries - Cakes, cookies, shortbread and sweets.

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread, and beef. During the middle of the eighteenth century, dinner for the upper and middle classes had shifted from noontime to an evening meal that was served at a fashionable late hour. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day.

Tea Etiquette

In order for one not to spill the hot liquid onto oneself, the proper way to hold the vessel of a cup with no handle is to place one’s thumb at the six o'clock position and one’s index and middle fingers at the twelve o'clock position, while gently raising one’s pinkie up for balance.

Tea cups with a handle are held by placing one’s fingers to the front and back of the handle with one’s pinkie up again allows balance. Pinkie up does mean straight up in the air, but slightly tilted. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills. Never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the vessel bowl with the palm of your hand.

Do not stir your tea, with your tea spoon, in sweeping circular motions. Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times. Never leave your tea spoon in your tea cup. When not in use, place your tea spoon on the right side of the tea saucer. Never wave or hold your tea cup in the air. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer. If you are at a buffet tea hold the tea saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the tea cup in your right hand. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer and hold in your lap. The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is when one is at a standing reception.

Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount.

When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or have the tea server can neatly place a slice in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Be sure never to add lemon with milk since the lemon's citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle.

14th November --- Lord Mayor's

The Lord Mayors Show London celebrates an 800 year London tradition in grand, historic style. Take to the streets on Saturday 13th November to enjoy parades, festivities, fireworks and more in a truly historic London event.

Historic event
The fireworks spectacle and parade first took place in 1215, during which the Lord Mayor was presented to the Sovereign for approval. The procession's traditional journey from the City to Westminster has over the years grown in size and the event now includes a full parade and show, in which officials, workers and Londoners of all ages and all walks of life come together to celebrate London’s heritage.
Around 6,000 people will be involved in the event alongside carriages, marching bands, floats and other vehicles. The procession itself is around three miles long, and promises to be a memorable sight as it makes its way from The City to St Paul’s Cathedral. Starting out from Mansion House the beginning of the procession will be marked by aircraft fly-past.

Pomp and circumstance
The Lord Mayors Show London is a traditional affair combining eight centuries of London history. The first event to ever be broadcast live on TV, it has survived the Black Death and The Blitz and this year’s event is expected to attract 500,000 people to the capital's streets whilst millions more watch the event at home on TV.

Lord Mayors Show London 2010
Londoners of all ages can join in the fun at a landmark London event which is guaranteed to be something special for 2010. Expect plenty to see and do throughout the show, with 2,000 servicemen and women taking part in the processions alongside 220 vehicles, 71 floats, 13 marching bands and 21 carriages, including the lavish State Coach.

Showstopping fireworks
It is traditional for the Lord Mayors Show London event to finish spectacularly with a gigantic fireworks display launched from a barge on the River Thames, located between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. The fireworks display marks the end of the show and the beginning of a new mayoral year and it is widely expected to be one of the most stunning fireworks displays of 2010. Crowds of Londoners will head to the river to watch the fireworks which start at 5pm.

The Lord Mayors Show London takes place on Saturday 13th November 2010, with the procession beginning at 11am. Arrive early anywhere along the route to ensure a good spot. The event is free to attend. Fireworks are due to begin at 5pm.

Why Big Ben?

Today, if you ask someone about what image comes to his/her mind when you pronounce the word `London´ automatically 99 per cent will say Big Ben.

The title Big Ben is commonly used for the clock-tower placed at the north-west corner of the Houses of Parliament, but that is a bit inexact because the name belongs solely to the big bell inside the tower.

Two possibilities are taken into account about the name `Ben´. Some say it's in its first builder honour, Mr.Benjamin Hall. Others claim that was in Ben Caunt's honour, a very famous boxer at that time.

The present tower was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new palace, after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on the night of 16 October 1834. The new Parliament was built in a Neo-gothic style. Although Barry was the chief architect of the Palace, he turned to Augustus Pugin for the design of the clock tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs, including one for Scarisbrick Hall. The design for the Clock Tower was Pugin's last design before his final descent into madness and death, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all the designs for finishing his bell tower & it is beautiful." The tower is designed in Pugin's celebrated Gothic Revival style, and is 96.3 metres high.

There are six shields above each of the four clock faces, twenty-four in total, all depicting the arms of St George, representing the Flag of England, London as the Capital City of England, and St. George as the Patron Saint of England. This symbolism is also repeated in the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament, directly opposite the House of Commons, in an enormous mosaic created by Sir Edward John Poynter in 1869, depicting St George and the Dragon with these arms, entitled “St George for England.”

The bottom 61 metres of the Clock Tower's structure consists of brickwork with sand coloured Anston limestone cladding. The remainder of the tower's height is a framed spire of cast iron. The tower is founded on a 15-metre square raft, made of 3-metre thick concrete, at a depth of 4 metres below ground level. The four clock dials are 55 metres above ground. The interior volume of the tower is 4,650 cubic metres.

Despite being one of the world's most famous tourist attractions, the interior of the tower is not open to overseas visitors, though United Kingdom residents are able to arrange tours (well in advance) through their Member of Parliament.However, the tower has no elevator, so those escorted must climb the 334 limestone stairs to the top.

Because of changes in ground conditions since construction (notably tunnelling for the Jubilee Line extension), the tower leans slightly to the north-west, by roughly 220 millimetres at the clock dials, giving an inclination of approximately 1/250. Due to thermal effects it oscillates annually by a few millimetres east and west.

Tasty Cuisine? Curry...

Contrary to popular belief, the modern British now consume more garlic per head than the French or the Spaniards, in spite of the fact that Vicky Beckham says ``Spain smells like garlic´´.

Joking apart, at least in my opinion it's quite clear than British cuisine has been unfairly vilified, and it is absolutely clear that has absorbed the cultural influence of those that have settled in the UK, producing a very rich wide range of hybrid dishes from very different origins.

Probably the most notorious influence comes from India, so I would like to write an Indian recipe that a friend of mine (from London) gave me years ago when I was in London, and I prepare it now and then. It has nothing, it's really easy and tastes nice.

Curried Rice with Prawns:

* Time: 25 min
* Difficulty: minimum (even I can do it myself)
* nº people: 4

Ingredients:
- a bit of butter/ or olive oil
- 500 g rice
- 1/2 L of stock
- 2 little onions
- 1 tea spoon of curry powder
- 300 g of frozen prawns
- 2 golden apples
- 250 ml liquid cream
- salt

How to prepare it:
Chop the little onions up and fry them lightly; peel the apples and cut them into little cubes about one centimetre. After that, add them to the lightly fried onions, let it cook two minutes and add the tea spoon of curry powder. Put the stock in the pan and when the mixture strats boiling and the rice, the prawns and salt at taste (not too much, you can always adjust the seasonig if necessary). If you fancy can add some peas, they fit well in this dish. Let it boil for four minutes and then add the cream.
Finishing: After the cream let it boiling some minutes, try the salt again, and put a bit of chopped parsley. It's OK, serve in soup dishes.

Tea Party?

Nowadays we relate the words ``Tea Party´´ with the ultra-conservative right wing of the Republican party in the US. But, What's that? Why that name?

As many of you probably now, the Tea party was a revolutionary movement in the pre-American Revolution against the British Tea act wich had been passed by the British Parliament in 1773.
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea coming into the colonies. On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. The incident remains an iconic event of American history, and other political protests often refer to it.
The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire in 1773: the financial problems of the British East India Company, and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament's authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representation. The North ministry's attempt to resolve these issues produced a showdown that would eventually result in revolution.