BBC Christmas Specials

[Kiltedjohn]

British Christmases have their share of excesses. People are often complaining (probably justly) that the season starts earlier and earlier, and more and more material goods are being thrust at us in advertisements. The difference between USA and UK may be one of degree, but I don't think it's as big a contrast as one might think from the TV programmes.

[Jock Scot]

British Christmases have their share of excesses. People are often complaining (probably justly) that the season starts earlier and earlier, and more and more material goods are being thrust at us in advertisements. The difference between USA and UK may be one of degree, but I don't think it's as big a contrast as one might think from the TV programmes.

I try to avoid Christmas as much as I can, for very much the reasons stated above. However that’s pretty much how I understand it in a very general sense.

[John_Carrick]

Christmas TV is regarded as particularly terrible I think. People are generally fairly comatose after their lunch and families are probably happier playing games and eating and drinking unwisely.

The Christmas ghost story is another tradition, as is The Wizard if Oz, Casablanca, James Bond and Charles Dickens movies and series.

Mercifully for the English the shops reopen on 26th and there is football and other holiday activities in normal years.

Do folk in the USA take much time off work? In the UK and Ireland people seem to take 10 days to a fortnight off (not health care, emergency or retail workers).

[Ninehostages]

Christmas TV is regarded as particularly terrible I think. People are generally fairly comatose after their lunch and families are probably happier playing games and eating and drinking unwisely.

The Christmas ghost story is another tradition, as is The Wizard if Oz, Casablanca, James Bond and Charles Dickens movies and series.

Mercifully for the English the shops reopen on 26th and there is football and other holiday activities in normal years.

Do folk in the USA take much time off work? In the UK and Ireland people seem to take 10 days to a fortnight off (not health care, emergency or retail workers).

Americans take the least time off of anyone in the Industrial world. At least, they have four day weekends. We have none of those in Canada (This coming weekend is a three day weekend in Ontario ... used to be referred to as "Bank Holiday" now "Civic Weekend".

[FossilHunter]

Christmas TV is regarded as particularly terrible I think. People are generally fairly comatose after their lunch and families are probably happier playing games and eating and drinking unwisely.

The Christmas ghost story is another tradition, as is The Wizard if Oz, Casablanca, James Bond and Charles Dickens movies and series.

Mercifully for the English the shops reopen on 26th and there is football and other holiday activities in normal years.

Do folk in the USA take much time off work? In the UK and Ireland people seem to take 10 days to a fortnight off (not health care, emergency or retail workers).

It varies a lot by employer. When I was working retail in college I didn't get Christmas off with pay (the stores were just closed that one day).

My current employer gives us two paid days off and we even got two additional days as a bonus one year. I’ve seen construction companies that give their crews the entire two weeks for Christmas and New Years off and others that work through both weeks save the holidays.

So it’s really all over the place.