Hiya Millie we love you welcome to North America ya'll are a sweet kind fascinating British couple via the UK come to Dallas we can check out Texas and see how Ya'll feel about it all Monica and Lee Ann cheers again via Dallas xx
"Tundra" is the flatland in the north of Canada and Alaska beyond the treeline; often where the ground is permanently frozen ("permafrost"); but Lawrence like many others is using the term in derision, comparing the bitter cold of the Great Lakes/northern Plains regions with the frozen landscape of the Arctic Circle...and as far as temperature is concerned, it's not that much of an exaggeration (without a protective mountain range in between, that cold air blows in directly from Hudson Bay and other subzero points north).
They wouldn't celebrate the day we became independent from them tho. Not cause for celebration for the Monarchy. 😁However the two day Thanksgiving holiday is like our boxing day.
@@helgar791 Well, actually you said "the 4th of July". Specifically, our battle with them. I don't feel sad for them for that lack of a holiday since they probably have many more holidays we don't have.... like Boxing day. lol
@@helgar791 Haha I see that you're the type of person that can't admit an honest mistake. Therefore, going to such lengths as to change the parameters of an argument or changing the subject all together. Holy Wiki Batman!! 😆It's all good, not mad at ya!... wish we had boxing day & all those bank holidays. 😉
So just as British people call the last letter of the alphabet "zed" while we Yanks call it "zee", the pronunciation of "z" changes between continental Spanish (Castellano) and Latin American Spanish. You guys and Laurence pronunced the Spanish word for happy "feliz" as "feh-leeth" like someone from Madrid might do. But the composer and singer of the song, Jose Feliciano is from Puerto Rico, and most Spanish speakers here in the States are from Latin America. So they would say "feh-leece/feh-lees" with a soft "s" instead of the lisped "th".
Being a "melting pot" of many cultures, our language and traditions have evolved differently from the UK's, but we still have many similarities. On both sides of the pond, we all love to have fun and celebrate the Christmas season. Merry Christmas to you both! And best wishes in the new year!
Most of the differences are due to stagnation in some places in combination with changes. Sometimes we just don't follow the British change, like the H in herb. And in other cases, we use different suffixes than the UK, to differentiate the language origins of a word.
true that..being from Houston originally and having family via Louisiana and many European and UK friends and family friends this was quite lovely thanks it's very kind and heart warming yes xx
@@Coonazz791 Agreed, one of more recent being the story of Klaus. There's a lot of stories and there will always be new stories which is why we'll always have a Santa/Father Christmas/etc. :)
Growing up in the 90s I never heard about Krampus, but he's become a popular horror figure over the last 20 years. Also, White Elephant exchanges are about giving awful, funny, or embarrassing gifts. The exchange rules can get a little detailed. In my family when it's your turn you can either pick an unwrapped gift or steal from someone. The person stolen from can then choose to get an unwrapped gift or steal, and so on. Each gift can only be stolen twice before it's considered out of the game, so the last person to steal it keeps it.
I am doing a White Elephant exchange this year with my family. I was torn between going with a gag gift or a practical gift. I decided to go with a practical gift that pretty much anyone would enjoy.
The thing is, is that we have a huge Thanksgiving holiday...that is longer than your boxing day, so it really all evens out in the end. Coupled with New Year's holiday, it really isn't like we're missing much for time off. (Those of us in the frozen tundra (states with harsh winters, also sometimes call Snowmobiles/Snow Machines, 'Sleds'.)
Back in 1978 we had an usually very cold spell that lasted almost a month. I affectionately referred to my treks across the campus as "trudging across the tundra".
Hey y'all, there is a US Christmas program called Santa Claus Is Coming To Town on RU-vid, and I would guess it's available to watch in the UK, that is the American version of who Kris Kringle is, at least to us Gen Xer's. Nothing in the historical context, just a kids story that's cute to watch.
Absolutely, if you both can watch this Christmas program, you see exactly what those of us in our 50s and under have grown up with believing about Santa aka Kris Kringle
My family does the saran wrap game every year. I bet I spend more money on it each year than all the other gifts, but we always have so much fun. Seeing these big guys trying to unravel a huge ball of gifts wrapped in saran wrap with oven mitts on is hysterical. (Wow what a sentence) 66 years old and native Texan, but I’ve Never heard if Krampus.
yeah hmm me too "Krampus"? means "cramps @ Christmas time"? being from Houston and now in Dallas no never heard of "KRAMPUS"???/ a real head scratcher :)
You guys are a lot of fun! I’ve been in New England most of my 51 years, and I never heard of Krampus until recently, thank goodness! It would’ve given me nightmares!!!!
This is why we don't do Boxing Day: "Boxing Day is held every December 26th in many countries associated with the British empire. It started as a day to give gifts to the household staff of Britain’s upper classes"
The only reason that Boxing Day is a thing at all in the US is because we all take our gifts that we didn't want back to the store for cash or credit. We return the BOX as it were. 2nd biggest retail day of the year.
The only reason that Boxing Day is a thing at all in the US is because we all take our gifts that we didn't want back to the store for cash or credit. We return the BOX as it were. 2nd biggest retail day of the year.
Yeah, as for a two day holiday. We kinda get that with Thanksgiving. The 4th Thursday of November is Thanksgiving & Fri after is a second day off for most people.
The whole gift swap thing has many variations - we never did it in my family growing up, but my wife's family does a version - but while the gifts are inexpensive, they are not intended to be "gag" gifts.
Scientifically speaking the "Tundra" is the land areas near the polar Icecap, where trees no longer grow - because the ground remains frozen so much of the year. Colloquially, the "Frozen Tundra" is often used to describe areas that have long, (very) cold winters. In sports, the playing surface of the Home Field of the Green Bay Packers - Lambeau Field, is referred to as "The Frozen Tundra". It is an outdoor stadium, which can get bitterly cold, especially late in the season, or during the play offs.
Definition of Tundra - a major zone of treeless level or rolling ground found in cold regions, mostly north of the Arctic Circle (Arctic tundra) or above the timberline on high mountains (alpine tundra). It's a term used in geology... that you probably should have heard in school at some point? Here, he just meant out into the snow, but it's a real thing.
The original image of Santa Clause, at least in America, was created by Coca Cola to give people someone to identify with during the Holiday season. It was an advertising thing to sell more Coke also. This was between the 20's and 40's
Not to be pedantic, but a "sledge" in the US is actually a very big hammer. I have a ten-pound one that will break concrete quite effectively (assuming a much younger man than me is swinging it!)
We do two Christmas days - but it is Xmas Eve and Christmas. Boxing Day was always on our paper calendars as "Boxing Day (Canada)" Always wondered why the usually polite canucks were fighting the day after Christmas.
hahahahaha exactly right? what IS going on up in CANADA wow one day a year they all beat the crap out of on another up in the "PROVINCES" or well NOT? right :)
White elephant is fun and he didn't mention it but when your number comes up you can pick a present from the pile, which is random no names, OR you can steal a present from someone who picked before you and once it's been stolen twice it can't be stolen again. My family also does a lot of gag gifts for it but the best gift I ever got from the game was a dart board I stole off my cousin.
Whenever I've heard Boxing Day in some old British movie I thought it must have something to do with the Boxer Rebellion where thousands of Christians were killed by.. the Boxers. Edit: Love your channel !!
"White Elephant" is more like a party game, than a true gift exchange. The gifts range from gag gifts to inexpensive, but nice. Usually people with larger numbers can choose a wrapped gift or one in someone's hand. Therefore, it is always better to get a higher number. This also encourages at least someone to get something relatively nice. It's fun to watch one gift be stolen over & over. It's also funny to watch people's reaction when something goofy is opened, but they common courtesy still says they have to be nice. The last time I was at a party with a white elephant exchange I stole a coffee mug painted with one of Edgar Degas paintings. He's a famous French painter & I like pretty things. Plus, who doesn't need a coffee mug.
White elephant and dirty Santa are slightly different, depending on the group. White elephant is where you wrap up an odd or unique gift that isn't necessarily bad, and you can agree to trade with others so everyone gets something they like. Dirty Santa is more of a gag gift game. Most of the gifts are pranks and you steal other people's gifts so you aren't stuck with a worse one. Both are fun, but Dirty Santa is my favorite. Zero pressure, all funny and relaxed. (I learned the difference the hard way when I was told white elephant was the same as dirty santa, and was the only one who brought a gag gift. 😶)
Tundra is land near the Arctic that is permanently frozen underneath, but thaws for brief periods on the upper layer, allowing for the growth of grass and other shallow root plants, but not trees. He is using the term here to exaggerate how cold it is there.
For a white elephant gift example one time my Dad bought a box of chocolates. Removed the chocolates and placed a mirror inside. He painted a pig nose and ears on the mirror so that when you looked in the box it lined up with your face ( obviously) . He altered the box top of chocolates to have our family surname instead of the company name. White Elephant gifts are typically joke gifts ( or useless gifts if you aren’t creative… )
White Elephant parties are fun. You don’t even have to buy anything, you can just wrap up something at your house that you never use or are sick of having. Have you ever heard of a toboggan? It’s an old timey sled that you can kind of steer.
I grew up in upstate NY in the 70s. My southern Polish family truly believed in Krampus. Pretty popular around Polish families in Buffalo area back then.
A "White Elephant" gift is a prank or joke gift. It may be given to a specific person or be a random draw or as a part of a "Secret Santa" exchange. A "Secret Santa" is when you buy a small gift for someone specific, but the person you buy it for is a person whose name you've drawn randomly. There's usually a limit on how much money you can spend (usually $10 or $20). It's common at workplaces.
I live in New York State up near Lake Ontario, and we don't do a White Elephant gift exchange.....as a matter of fact, i never even heard of that phrase !!!.....some years, we exchange gifts, but not all. We pick names out of a hat though. And there is no Krampus where we live. We only call him Santa Claus, not Kris Kringle, even though some of the animated Christmas tv shows use that. And, oh yeah, We have always gone down hills on sleds !!.....or toboggans, or inner tubes !!.....or even a large piece of cardboard !!.....LOL
I had German ancestors, so I'd heard of him. He's kind of like a cross between Santa and the evil elf-king (erlking). But he went out of style a long time ago. It's only the recent movie that has resurrected him in a way.
In North Carolina we call White Elephant 'Greed' - due to the fact that others can steal your gift and potentially leave you with something subjectively worse. And it's best to have quite a lot of people 15+ cause it makes it more like.. probable that you'll have more than one item you'll enjoy.
There is no "trade" in White Elephant. You can steal a gift instead of picking from under the tree. A gift can only be stolen twice - who ever steals the gift the second time gets to keep the gift- and you can not steal the gift back. The person who gets their gift stolen gets to pick another present from under the tree. Then the game resumes. The person who drew number 1 is extra lucky because when all of the presents are opened they get one more turn and, number one can steal any gift and give them the gift that they currently had.
How to play "White Elephant". You buy either a nice generic gift or a joke one at a set price maximum. Everyone puts their gifts in the middle and draws a number. The first person takes and opens a gift. The next person can either steal the gift from the first or open a new one. If the gift is stolen, then that person who got theirs stolen then picks a new gift from the middle. The next person, likewise can either choose to steal from #1 or #2 or go pick a new gift and open it. This continues till everyone in the party has some sort of gift. We played this at all our office Christmas parties and had a blast! There was always one gift that everyone always stole.....and it was not uncommon for people to try and hide it from view of others......in this game it paid to get the last draw of the night!
There is Secret Santa where you know who you are buying for at a certain price like $20. Or New England Swap or White Elephant as he has described here.
Seems you left out something about "Boxing Day" being a bank holiday, as well as Christmas day. When they fall on the weekend, the day off is on Monday. This year both land on the weekend, so you will have Saturday-Tuesday off. December 26th is just another day in the US. The 26th, the stores are also extremely busy with deep discounts on remaining holiday items as well as long lines of people making returns or exchanges. Sometimes worse than Black Friday. JOY JOY! 😊
I never did the secret santa till i started a corporate jib. Growing up me and my sister would give my parents a christmas list and they would say santa was going to get the list and you would recieve gifts based off of the list but we know now that it was our parents buying the gifts just as it is in todays times. We di not use numbers to pick some random gift. My sister and i would be allowed to open a present that we knew our parents bought on christmas eve.
Kris Kringle was the name that a family of toy makers gave him when they found him as a baby in a basket on their door stoop. His eyes where blue as crystals (Kris) and their last name was Kringle. Well that is how it is told in the children's cartoon "Santa Claus is coming to Town".
Only "White elephant" I have ever heard of was a hobby shop of that name that had originally opened in the early forties and permanently closed in early 2021 because of the pandemic. Also hadn't heard of Krampus until after I moved to China, to teach English, in 2018. Only evil Santas I've had ever heard of were Killer Clause in Futurama and Bad Santa.
Boxing Day is a specific holiday for the UK and countries under the British Empire. It is a Civil holiday which started out to offer boxes as a thank you to Civil service workers. I n the US , 26 December is a day you take off by choice if you have the ability to to do so. As far as offering gifts to Civil service workers in the US, this is something people do as a thank you to people who provide a service to you during the year (the receiver can be anyone) such as the postal worker, your apartment building doorman, delivery workers, your barber or salon worker, etc. The gifts are usually cash, except for postal workers who legally cannot accept cash gifts since the are employed by the US Government.
If you watch the movie “Miracle on 34th street” with Natalie Wood as a 7 or 8 year old child you will become familiar with Kris’s Kringle who is supposed to be the real Santa Claus. It is a beautiful movie from 1943 I think. It is played religiously in the states during the Holiday season just like “It’s a wonderful life” with James Steward and Donna Reed among other classics.
Krampus isn't something I normally hear about this time of year in the states. I know of him, but only barely. I think most folks just focus on the positive aspects of the holidays as much as possible and use lumps of coal in stockings (sometimes literally) to warn kids to be good for next year.
If you have never watched the Christmas cartoon, Santa Clause is coming to town you need to check it out. It explains Kris Kringle is a childish fun way
In addition to the movie Home Alone, the 1930s movie Miracle on 34th Street also used the name Kris Kringle as the name of the man who played Santa Claus at Macy's and believed he really was Santa Claus. Great movie! Never heard of Krampus.
Tundra is actually referred to in Canada as the frozen tundra area in the northern parts of Canada. I play Santa every year. I have been called a lot of names by kids. Some I will not repeat. My beard and belly are real so they can't pull anything off, but they try.
In our family we started playing a new game called saran wrap game. You take saran wrap and everyone brings something to get wrapped. You place an item on the saran wrap and you roll it up and continue to add items and continue to wrap until everything gets rolled up in the wrap. You get a pair of dice and a pair of oven mitts, we roll 1dice highest number goes first next player would be to the left of the player. You put your mitts on and try to unwrap the ball of saran, anything that gets unwrapped is yours. While your doing this the player on your left is rolling the pair of dice. When they get a pair of numbers that match the first player turns the mittens over to him/her. Just wait until they get the gloves on then the next player starts trying g to unwrap and the player on the left starts to try and roll a pair of numbers.
It's on our calendars that it's celebrated in the UK and Canada and I always wished we did because we pretty much cut off Christmas after the 25th...and no day off unless you get approved for vacation time which everyone is trying to get
The story of Krampus originated in Germany, so I'm surprised it wasn't known in the UK before America. Traditionally Americans grew up only knowing about Santa/St. Nicholas/kriss Kringle/ or even Sinterklaas ( depending upon your background/heritage) , where Santa would bring presents to good children or leave a lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children. It's only been in modern times that the story of Krampus made its way over from all the German immigrants. ( and it was generally told that Krampus would eat the naughty children, swat them, or stuff them in a sack and take them to his lair - not leave them coal. Again, the coal was a Samta thing)
I've worked in the banking industry and if I remember correctly one of my old managers said that the banks are not allowed to close two business days in a row so we didn't get two holidays off in a row like that. I'm not sure if they would make an exception if boxing day was federally recognized.
That was an odd Christmas presents tradition, likely unique to his family. Never heard of Crampus or whatever that is, Santa Claus gives naughty kids coal in their stockings and presents for nice kids.
I'm American (Southern region) and to be honest not many ppl know who Krampus is in my area and those that do most likely know who he is only from hearing about him from shows or movies they've watched. Which American shows/movies that do incorporate or mention Krampus in them are very rare.
Beesley, the term "tundra" means the flat, treeless area in the far north and far south where the ground is permanently frozen, i.e., the Arctic and Antarctic. I believe you'll find that the countries which celebrate Boxing Day are all in the Commonwealth. Feliz Navidad works as Merry Christmas, but the literal translation is "Happy Christmas", and is done by Jose Feliciano, a blind singer/guitarist who's been around seemingly forever. It's pronounced fell-LEASE nah-vee-DOD in Anglicized Spanish. In good Spanish, 'fell' would become 'fay'. Hmmm! I'm a lifelong American, and I've never heard the name Krampus. Pennsylvania German/Dutch is an American oddity, as is the French spoken in Louisiana, the former being used in the Amish areas.
Tundra is flat, open, frozen land. During warm days there may be tall grasses and other reducible plants which are flattened by the time cold and snow move in. The ground is hard, and ice covers most water sources. Because of the open nature, like, miles of flatness, wind just gets free rein. This reduces any moisture which may still exist on outdoor surfaces. That includes living creatures. Use of a moisturizer is advisable in tundra environments. Examples in the US are some northern deserts which freeze in winter, and the plains states, consisting mostly of what is better known as the Midwest. During warm seasons, the Midwest is lush with grasses and grains, such as soy beans, corn, oats, barley. Fields are bulging against fences everywhere with stalks of food. After harvest, the land appears ravaged. Streams and ponds seem like stragglers, not quite yet understanding what is about to come. Trees with bare branches seem lonely, and sad. Then, the cold sweeps in and redesigns everything, driving people indoors. Family is all closed in together, and warmth is found in kinship, hot, sticky meals with sauces and gravy steaming, and heated beverages. The magic of tundra life is knowing how to offset the cold, and dead of the outdoors.
