- Hi we're Joel and Lia

- And welcome back to vlog-mas.

So today's video is things Brits don't understand

about American Christmases.

- So, you know, there's lots of cultural differences

across the pond guys. - Yeah.

- We're gonna discuss a few of them today

and just let you know the things that we really

just don't understand about,

about American Christmas. - Yeah.

Okay so let's kick it off with the first one.

- Yep. - So the first one

is Brits just don't know what the holidays means.

- The holidays. - The phrase the holidays.

- The holidays, it's like,

what if you're not going on holiday.

- Yeah, holiday to us is what vacation means to you.

So when people say happy holidays,

we're like, we're not going on holiday.

- Yeah, I mean we don't really get, we don't really

have that said to us, - No.

- but we see it and hear it on film, TV,

- Yeah. - Happy holidays

and we're like, what?

- So am I right in thinking that for Americans,

the holiday season is Thanksgiving and Christmas?

- Yeah, I think so.

- It's just a bit weird, we don't,

we don't use that phrase.

We just say happy Christmas

but also, - Or merry Christmas.

- That's the thing, American's find it weird

'cause they don't say happy Christmas,

they say merry Christmas.

- So right. - And we say both.

We say merry Christmas

or happy Christmas - and happy Christmas.

What, it's the same thing isn't it?

- It's the same thing. - Same thing.

- Yeah I just don't - Merry Christmas.

- Understand why it's not a thing

But yeah, on one of the articles that we said,

'cause obviously we're discussing an article there,

that was written by BBC America.

What? - I thought that was a rat!

- Why? - It was your foot

playing footsie with mine and I was like we've got a rodent.

- Oh my gosh. - In a five star location.

- You've had too much prosecco.

- No, Joel, it's when I'm overtired.

Guys before this I used to live with mice, so like.

- Oh my gosh. - You know,

- She's triggered. - it's not unusual

that that I feel something land on my foot.

- Okay.

- Okay. - Okay.

(laughing)

- You just did that.

- Mkay. - Mkay.

(laughing)

You're such a little sh...

Okay.

- There's some BBC America were discussing it,

but I read somewhere that Americans

tend to not say happy Christmas.

- Yeah they say merry - Yeah.

- Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

- Or a happy holidays. - and a happy, yeah.

And a happy New Year.

- Happy New Year. - New Year.

Yeah like, that was good.

That was quite New York.

- New York.

- New York.

'Kay so the next one is to do with Christmas lights.

So, what we don't understand is how you guys

go so extra with the lights.

Like, honestly, the electricity bill must be

through the roof - Yeah.

How does everyone afford it.

- I don't know, maybe they go into debt for it.

But like, - Yeah.

- Do you remember that scene in the Grinch,

where I know that's, I know it's not real life,

it's the Grinch, but everyone in the Grinch

speaks with an American accent and all of their houses

are lit up like incredibly.

- Which means that all of you must do the same

- Same, because you're all like the people in the Grinch.

- Well they're called Whos,

the Whos in Whoville. - The Whos, yes!

The Whos in Whoville - Yeah.

- Nice memory Joel.

- So that's you guys - I love that.

And the UK is like the Grinch at the top of the, top of the

hill that doesn't light up. - Yeah like we're content

with a single dreary string of lights.

- Oh yeah, that's like some pushing the boat out.

- Yeah and we're like wow, that looks nice.

- Yeah and then they're like it's costing a bomb

on that one there. - Yeah.

- Like, you know what am I doing.

- But American's go all out, just like

the National Lampoon Christmas thing.

- What's that?

- You've never watched the National Lampoons?

- Is that like the festival of lights?

- No, it's a, it's a film.

An American film with the families are the Lampoons.

- No, I've never see that. - And their whole house

is covered in lights, it's amazing.

- Just about one family or like a neighborhood.

- It's not a documentary.

- Oh it's a film. - It's film.

- Okay, I've not seen the Lampoons.

- Lampoons.

- You'd like it. - Sorry, I'm, yeah,

should we put the Lampoons on,

- Yeah Lampoons on. - sack off this video.

- Why's it so funny when you say it?

- Put Lampoons on. - Put Lampoons (laughing)

Put Lampoons on.

- Guys, whatcha wanna watch?

Lampoons!

- Lampoons, I wanna watch Lampoons!

- Mom can we watch Lampoons please?

- We've had too much prosecco.

- Or not enough.

- The third one is, movie time.

- Right. - So apparently,

and I'm gonna read this, it says traditionally,

Christmas is a big day for new film releases in the U.S.

So apparently lots of American's,

on what we would call Boxing Day,

so the day after Christmas day, you would go to the cinema.

- Oh no, not on Boxing Day?

- On Boxing Day. - Oh no.

- Not on Boxing Day. - Not on the 26th.

- No the 26th. - Is it the 26th?

- Not on the 26th. - Well it's because

I'm aware that some of you might not know

what Boxing Day is - Yes.

- So that's why I called it the 26th.

- Yes, of course.

- But who goes to cinema on Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is about eating leftovers before falling asleep.

- Yeah and deciding which presents you want to return

and get a refund.

- And getting sale. - Yeah.

- That's like our version of Black Friday.

- Sale shopping starts at like 8 p.m. Christmas day,

into Boxing Day.

- Oh, online?

- Yeah, well it used to start on Boxing Day,

now it starts even early on Christmas.

- Now they're making it available, wow.

- But Boxing Day used to be when sales start.

Like not just, 'cause we have January sales,

but we also have like Boxing Day sales.

- And people you know, have to sort of wake up

and be at work on Boxing Day,

on the shop floor ready for the chaos.

- But everyone else gets Boxing Day off pretty much,

only if you work in retail or in like customer service

would you have to work

Boxing Day. - Boxing Day.

- It's like another national holiday.

So apparently Americans, some, lots of Americans

would go back to work on the 26th.

- Oh right. - Which is shocking.

- What 26th till New Years Eve?

- Probably, I don't know.

- And then you get New Years Eve, New Years day off.

- I don't know the answer to your questions.

- Oh gosh.

- I'm so sorry. - So many.

- But you guys do, so let us know down in the comments

below, let us know down there. - Down there.

Can I just say, if you're enjoying this video

so far guys, don't forget to subscribe for vlogs-mas.

Subscribe for future videos.

Subscribe for the future of Joel and Lia.

- Yes. - Subscribe for this home.

- Yes. - This beautiful home

that we're blessed with we are currently renting.

- Renting. - Renting for one night only.

- And if you would like to rent a home,

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you can get 25 pounds or dollars if you're American,

off your next stay, so if you sign up using our link.

- Yeah, and it was worth it.

- So the next one is that you guys

call Father Christmas Santa Claus.

- And it's trickled over to this side of the pond.

Trickled over like a spot of trickle.

It's basically, it's been Father Christmas up until,

your films made it, made us call him Santa Claus.

Ever since Elf,

Santa, I know him! - No, since the Santa Claus.

- Yeah you're right actually.

- Since way back when.

- But we Brits would call him

Father Christmas - Father Christmas.

Father Christmas.

- Be good or Father Christmas won't come.

- No won't, he won't come down the chimney,

into your room and fill your stocking and touch you.

- Next. - Next.

- Thank you, next.

- So Christmas dinner is the next one.

So, we've got a little bit of difference going on here.

I've heard from Americans on our secret Facebook group

that they might have like, say meat, loads of mashed potato,

and a few random things like thrown on top of that,

bit of casserole, bit of this, bit of that.

We fully go for it.

It's a proper British roast dinner, but Christmas-ified,

so you've got like turkey, and maybe some other meats

as well if your family are into that,

Yorkshire puddings, you've got

- Roast potatoes,

- Always has to be roasted.

- Yeah, it wouldn't be mashed,

we wouldn't mash. - Dripping in fat.

- Dripping in fat. - Dripping in like

- Goose fat. - goose fats.

- And then we'd have - Pigs in-

- Brussels sprouts - Brussels sprouts.

- Pigs in blankets. - Pigs in blankets,

so you've got like little cocktail sausages

wrapped in little crispy bacon.

- So nice.

- I can't wait for it to be Christmas.

- Yeah it's gonna be so nice.

- We get, obviously we do stuffing,

you guys do stuffing, our stuffing is very different.

But yeah, I just the Christmas dinner's like basically

how much of a big deal your Thanksgiving dinner is.

That's how much of a big deal Christmas dinner is for us.

- What time do you have Christmas?

- We have it quite late, we have,

we might have it after three o'clock.

So three p.m. the Queen's speech comes on the TV.

- Oh you don't eat until after that?

- So we might, I can't remember if we eat just before that,

so like two o'clock or if we wait till after that

and we have a big dinner at like 3:15,

3:30 in the afternoon. - Interesting.

So will you have a breakkie? - 'Cause you spend

all day cooking.

Yeah so we'll have like pancakes for breakfast

with bucks fizz, - Okay that's cool,

interesting. - Mimosas.

- Mimosas.

- You guys also don't have Christmas pudding.