He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! Fifty years ago, and his father had been dead for thirty years, and yet he waked at four o'clock in the morning. He had trained himself to turn over and go to sleep, but this morning it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep. Why did he feel so awake tonight? He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays...

There are lots of Christmas and New Year traditions in Britain. For example... London's Christmas decorations. Every year the people of Norway give the city of London present… It's a big Christmas tree and it stands in Trafalgar Square...