I watched a YouTube video of British Christmas traditions that are not familiar with Americans. They were mostly ones I was expecting - think Christmas crackers, the Queen's Christmas speech (I say Queen's, because that's the only one I've ever watched) and Boxing Day - but there was one that was totally alien to me. One I'd never heard of before and certainly not one I've ever participated in. Apparently, instead of posting their letters to "Father Christmas" (note, a nomenclature that Americans do NOT use) British children supposedly burn their letters in the fire so that the ashes can make their way to Santa. What? Really? That is bizarre. Is this a Northern thing? Or just an old tradition? Perhaps this was just because I grew up in a house without a real fireplace. But still, I would have expected to have some familiarity with this tradition or have encountered it in some way before. Nope. Weird.
