CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK 

Many people in the United States celebrates Christmas day on December 25. The day celebrates Jesus Christ's birth. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. many people erect Christmas trees, decorate their homes, visit family and friends and exchange gifts.

In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day, many people decorate their homes and gardens with lights, Christmas trees and much more. It is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive foods, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. Children, in particular, often receive a lot of gifts from their parents and other relatives and the mythical figure of Santa Claus.

The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.

ROCKEFELLER CHRISTMAS TREE

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed anually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York City. The tree, 69 to 100 feet tall, has been put up every year since 1933. The decorated Christmas Tree remains lit at Rockefeller Center through January 6th , which is the Christian feast of The Epiphany. 

Thousands of onlookers crowded behind barricades on the streets that surrounded the center during the traditional tree-lighting ceremony for the Christmas holiday season. A video screen projected an image of the tree for those who did not have a direct line of sight.

Illuminated by more than 30,000 lights, the tree is topped by a Swarovski star. 

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN UK and US English

1. Toilet

For Americans, this is a piece of porcelain. For the British, it is also a room that contains that particular piece of porcelain. 

2. Quite

Before an adjective, American quite means ‘very’, while British quite means ‘somewhat’. So, if the American is quite tired, direct him to his bed. But if a Brit tells you a restaurant is quite good, you’d be wise to keep looking for somewhere better.

3. Please 

Americans say please – just not always where the British expect to hear it. The British say please when ordering food in restaurants because they view the action as a personal request to the waiter. Americans regard ordering as providing the waiter with the information he needs to do his job, so they say ‘I’ll have the chicken’.

4. Pants

Americans don’t use the word trousers much. Instead, Americans wear pants on their lower halves. But British pants usually refers to underpants.

5. Subway 

Follow signs pointing to a subway in London, and you’ll find yourself either at the ubiquitous American fast-food joint or in an underground tunnel. And there in the tunnel, you’ll find confused Americans looking around for the trains. While the New York subway is a railway under the city’s streets, in London it is a pedestrian way beneath a road.

6. Half  

British time-telling differs from American in several ways, with the 24-hour clock confusing any American who hasn’t served in the military. ‘Half-eight’ to mean ‘8:30’, provides another pitfall – particularly for non-Brits who know German or Swedish, where it would mean ‘half way to 8’, or 7:30. 

7. Ground floor

There is no "ground floor" in American Englih, which means "first floor" is the ground floor itself, and the floor above it is "second floor", while the floor above the ground floor is called "first floor" in British English. 

8. Bill

In American English, "bill" is a banknote, wihle in British English, "bill" in an invoice of products and services offered. 

A LIST WITH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRTITISH ENGALISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH Buildings in General block of flats first floor flat ground floor lift Household Furniture camp bed chest of drawers cot cupboard curtains dresser (for plates, dishes) roller blind standard lamp In the Kitchen baking tray bread bin clothes peg cooker cutlery flex hoover (to hoover) liquidizer / blender napkin / serviette tap tea towel tin opener wash up washing up liquid waste bin worktop Fruits and vegetables aubergine beetroot spring onion courgette marrow runner bean Meat minced meat Snacks biscuits chips crisps sweets sweetshop Automobile / Car accelerator aerial bonnet boot gear level handbrake indicator switch mudguard petrol cap puncture rear light side-light windscreen wing wing mirror Motor Vehicles coach estate car lorry sallon Near Roads car park crossroads cycle path diversion flyover lay by middle lane motorway pavement pedestrian / zebra crossing roundabout sleeping policeman slip road subway underground Driving change up into gear overtake reverse down Shops / Stores bookshop chemist’s chemist fishmonger’s greengrocer’s grocer’s jeweller’s newsagent’s off-licence stationer’s Clothes anorak braces dinner jacket dressing gown polo neck jumper suspenders tights trousers turn-ups vest waistcoat Shoes court shoes thongs football boots plimsolls trainers wellington boots Travel buffet car engine driver hire / rent a car luggage trolley railway carriage railway station return ticket single ticket Telephonee dialing / STD code directory enquiries it’s engaged / busy reverse the charges Miscellaneous autumn bank note candyfloss carrycot fortnight / two weeks high street hire purchase holiday interval nappy petrol petrol / filling station polling day caretaker postbox / letterbox postman postcode queue rubber rubbish secondary school sellotape skipping rope term university wardrobe (TV) aerial dustbin

AMERICAN ENGLISH Buildings in General apartment building second floor apartment first floor elevator Household Furniture cot dresser crib closet drapes hutch shade floor lamp In the Kitchen cookie sheet bread box clothes pin stove silverware electric cord vacuum cleaner (to vacuum) blender napkin faucet dish towel can opener do the dishes dish washing liquid waste basket counter Fruits and vegetables eggplant beet green onion zucchini squash string bean Meat ground meat (hamburger) Snacks cookies French fries chips candies candy store Automobile / Car gas pedal antenna hood trunk gear shift emergency break turn signal / blinker splash guard (mud flaps ) gas cap blow-out (flat) tail-light parking-light windshield fender rearview mirror Motor Vehicles bus station wagon truck sedan Near Roads parking lot intersection bicycle route detour overpass rest area center lane freeway / highway sidewalk crosswalk traffic circle speed bump on ramp underpass subway Driving shift into gear pass back down Shops / Stores bookstore drugstore / pharmacy fishstore fruit and vegetable stand grocery store jewelry store news dealer liquor store stationary / office supply Clothes parka suspenders tuxedo robe turtleneck sweater garters pantyhose pants cuffed pants undershirt vest Shoes pumps flip flops soccer shoes sneakers sneakers / tennis shoes rubber boots Travel café car engineer rent a car (hire a person) baggage cart railroad car railroad station round-trip ticket one way ticket Telephone area code information it’s busy call collect Miscellaneous fall bill cotton candy porta crib two weeks main street installment plan vacation intermission diaper gas gas station election day janitor mailbox mailman zip code line eraser garbage high school Scotch tape jump rope semester university / college closet (TV) antenna garbage / trash can