The idea of Christmas with the royal family may conjure images of all the royals gathered around the tree with mountains of presents on the morning of Dec. 25, but it turns out that their holiday is structured in a different way than you might expect.

According to their official website, the royal family holds their gift-giving festivities on Dec. 24 by laying their gifts out on trestle tables and opening them over teatime. This typically takes place in Sandringham Estate, the queen’s private home in Norfolk, the United Kingdom.

According to the Mirror, the white, linen-covered tables are in the estate’s red drawing room and feature name tags designating each member of the family’s pile.

The royal family’s former chef Darren McGrady told Express that the tradition is a nod to their German heritage.

“The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations,” he said. “After afternoon tea, they open gifts on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition.”

Exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve frees up the family’s Christmas morning to attend the annual church service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham Estate.

McGrady told Cosmopolitan that the service is followed by a big lunch consisting of roast chicken, salads, and traditional sides such as parsnips and Brussels sprouts. They then regroup later for afternoon tea and fruitcake, followed by a buffet-style dinner later in the evening.

The queen also has a few special traditions of her own to ensure the holiday spirit reaches everyone around her.

Each year she personally hands out gifts to members of the royal household in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. She also purchases about 1,500 Christmas puddings for staff throughout the palaces, which she pairs with a greeting card from herself and Prince Philip.

So gift-giving certainly seems to be a huge part of the royal family’s holiday celebrations, just not necessarily on Christmas Day.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【唤起】huànqǐ conjure bring to mind

【自助餐】zìzhùcān buffet a meal at which guests serve themselves from various dishes displayed on a table or sideboard

提起英国王室过圣诞，人们的脑海里可能会浮现出这样一个画面：所有的王室成员都在12月25日这天早上聚在堆满了礼物的圣诞树周围，但事实上，英国王室过圣诞节的方式和你想象的可能不一样。

据王室官网称，英国王室成员在12月24日互送礼物，他们把礼物放在搁板桌上，喝着下午茶就把礼物拆了。送礼物环节通常在女王位于英国诺福克郡的私宅桑德林汉姆庄园进行。

据《镜报》报道，礼物会摆在庄园内红色客厅中的一张张盖着亚麻桌布的白色桌子上，每张桌子上摆着写有指定礼物归属的王室成员名字标牌。

英国王室的前御厨达伦·麦格雷迪告诉

《每日快报》说，这一传统是向王室的德国血统致敬。

《每日快报》援引他的话说：“英国王室是德国人的后代，所以他们在圣诞庆祝活动中会加入一些德国传统。在喝完下午茶后，他们会遵循德国传统，在圣诞前夜拆开礼物。”

在圣诞前夜互换了礼物，这样圣诞节早上一家人就有时间去桑德林汉姆庄园的圣马利亚·玛德琳教堂参加一年一度的圣诞礼拜。

当地时间2017年12月25日，英国金斯林，英国王室在圣马利亚·玛德琳教堂参加圣诞礼拜活动。

麦格雷迪告诉《大都市》杂志说，做完圣诞礼拜后，王室成员们会享用一顿丰盛的午餐，有烤鸡、沙拉，还有防风草、球芽甘蓝这些传统配菜。稍后他们又会聚到一起喝下午茶、吃水果蛋糕，晚上他们还会举行一场自助餐式的晚宴。

女王还有几个自己的特别传统，确保身边的每个人都感受到节日气氛。

每年她都会亲自把礼物分发给白金汉宫和温莎堡的每一个王室家族成员。她还会购买约1500个圣诞布丁分给王宫上下的所有员工，送上每一份布丁的同时还会附上来自她自己和菲利普亲王的一张贺卡。

因此，送礼物看起来是英国王室庆祝圣诞的一个很重要的部分，只不过不是在圣诞节当天拆礼物罢了。(Chinadaily.com.cn)