[originaltext] In England, Christmas is the most important of all the "Bank

In England, Christmas is the most important of all the "Bank Holidays" in the year. (26)Two important things, apart from its religious significance, help to set this holiday apart from all the others: the custom of giving gifts and the habit of spending it with the family.
    (27)The custom of giving presents to one’s family and friends is a very pleasant one so long as one remembers that it is the spirit behind the gift which matters most and not the gift itself. How good it is at Christmas to return to the family and meet parents, grandparents and as many aunts, uncles and cousins as can be accommodated. Without twentieth-century means of transport, many families would be denied the Christmas reunion.
    On Christmas Eve, the traditional game of hanging up a stocking at the foot of the bed is performed by millions of excited children. During the day the Christmas tree will have been dressed. All is now ready for the great morning, which comes round soon enough, in spite of the efforts of many of the young children to stay awake until Father Christmas steals in to deliver the presents they have asked him for.
    Christmas Day is spent quietly at home. The excitement of all the presents is hardly over before it is time for the traditional Christmas dinner: turkey, duck or chicken with fresh fruit afterwards. The evening is spent in games, merriment and more eating and drinking. (28)There is always Boxing Day, the Bank Holiday after Christmas Day, on which to recover, if all the excitement and food have proved a little too much.