# Christmas in England: panto, crackers with paper crowns and the markets of Bath and York > Christmas in England beyond London: 2026 markets in Bath, York, Winchester and Manchester, panto, crackers, the monarch's 3pm broadcast, pudding, Boxing Day, Chatsworth and the visa. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/rizdvo-v-anhlii-tradytsii/ - Language: en - Published: 2026-11-11 - Categories: Travel, Culture, Historic Sites, England, Events --- On 25 December not a single national rail train runs in England, and in London the Tube and buses stand still. It happens every year, and the English think nothing of it: Christmas is spent at home or with family within walking distance, and the streets empty after lunch. So for a traveller **Christmas in England** comes in two parts: catch the traditions in December by moving between towns, and plan the 25th itself as if you were in a small village with no transport. ## Bath: a market between the Abbey and the Roman Baths Bath's Christmas market runs from 26 November to 13 December 2026, so it finishes early, which is worth remembering. The wooden chalets surround Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths among buildings of honey-coloured Bath stone, and the walk carries on easily to the Royal Crescent. Weekends get very crowded, especially when the coach tours arrive, so a weekday evening is the best choice. For a longer trip, our list of the [most beautiful places in England](https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/31-naikrasyvishe-mistse-dlia-vidviduvannia-v-anhlii/) has plenty more. ## York: the St Nicholas Fair and the Shambles York's market is called the St Nicholas Fair and fills Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. Dates given for 2026 are 12 November to 21 December, and some guides note that the fair closes on Tuesdays, so check with the local tourist office. Afterwards, walk the Shambles, a medieval lane where the upper floors lean towards each other, and then head to York Minster, which holds carol services through December. ## Winchester and Manchester: a cathedral and sheer scale In Winchester the chalets stand right on the lawns by the cathedral where Jane Austen is buried. The market runs from Friday 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026, with free entry and no booking needed. General information and the events programme are on the [Winchester Cathedral website](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/). It is calmer than the big-city markets and quick to reach from London. Manchester plays in another league. From Friday 6 November 2026 the markets open at ten sites across the city centre, with more than two hundred stalls. Most close on 22 December, while Cathedral Gardens and Albert Square are announced to stay open into early January. Come here for mulled wine, street food and noise, not for quiet romance. ## Panto: Oh no it isn't, and a man in a dress If you pick one tradition that exists nowhere else, make it **pantomime**, or panto. From late November to early January, theatres from the West End to the smallest town halls stage fairy tales such as Cinderella or Aladdin, with rules every English child learns early. The comic Dame is played by a man in ever more ridiculous dresses, the hero is often played by a woman, the villain gets booed, and the whole audience shouts He's behind you when a ghost creeps up on the hero. When an actor denies something obvious, the audience fires back Oh yes it is, and the exchange can go on for a full minute. Panto is great for visitors because you barely need English: the jokes are physical, the plot is familiar, and the children around you will tell you when to shout. Weekend tickets at local theatres sell out early, weekdays are cheaper. ## Crackers, paper crowns and the 3pm broadcast **Christmas crackers** were invented in the 1840s by a London confectioner, Tom Smith. A cardboard tube in a twist of paper is pulled by two people, one at each end. It goes off with a bang, and out fall a paper crown, a small trinket and a slip with a joke that makes everyone groan. The crown goes on and stays on for the whole dinner, even on the most dignified grandfather. At 15:00 on 25 December the monarch's Christmas message is broadcast, a tradition George V began on the radio in 1932. In the morning the royal family attends church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and there is always a crowd at the fence waiting to say hello. ## Pudding, mince pies and Boxing Day **Christmas pudding** is made well ahead: traditionally it is mixed on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent, which in 2026 is 22 November, and everyone in the family takes a turn stirring and makes a wish. At the table the pudding is doused in brandy and set alight. Mince pies, small pastries filled with dried fruit and spices, really did contain meat once, but turned sweet a long time ago. At bedtime children leave Father Christmas a mince pie and a glass of sherry, plus a carrot for the reindeer. 26 December, Boxing Day, is also a holiday. Employers once gave their servants boxes of gifts on this day; now it means sales, long walks and a full round of football fixtures. London transport is back on a reduced timetable, but there are few trains between cities. ## Country houses in lights: Chatsworth and others In winter, country houses turn into light shows. Chatsworth in Derbyshire, one of England's best-known stately homes, has chosen The Twelve Days of Christmas as its 2026 theme: rooms are dressed around the carol, and the route ends with a light projection on the facade. The season runs from 7 November 2026 to early January 2027, the Christmas market in the park until 13 December, and tickets must be booked in advance on the [Chatsworth website](https://www.chatsworth.org/christmas). Many National Trust properties also put on illuminated garden trails, which make a good family evening. ## Transport on 25 December and the visa Plan Christmas so that you do not need to travel on 25 December. National Rail trains do not run anywhere in the country, nor do London's Tube, buses or Overground, and taxis exist but are expensive. Choose a hotel that serves Christmas lunch or one near a pub that opens that day, and book a table early. On 26 December the Tube and buses in London run a reduced service, but intercity trains are still very sparse, so save any move to another city for the 27th. Ukrainians need a Standard Visitor visa. Since April 2026 it has cost 135 pounds, allows stays of up to six months, and a decision usually comes about three weeks after you submit documents and biometrics. Applications are made online on the [GOV.UK government portal](https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor), so for a December trip it is best to start in October or early November. We checked prices, dates and visa rules in late October 2026. If your route passes through the capital, see also our guide on [what to see in London](https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/shcho-podyvytysia-v-londoni/). ## Table: Christmas in England 2026/27 Where and whatDatesWhat to doManchester Christmas marketsfrom 6 November, most until 22 Decembermulled wine and street food at ten sitesChatsworth, Derbyshire7 November 2026 to early January 2027rooms themed on The Twelve Days of Christmas, market until 13 DecemberYork, St Nicholas Fair12 November to 21 December (check)market, the Shambles, services at the MinsterWinchester Cathedral market20 November to 22 Decemberchalets on the lawns, free entryBath Christmas market26 November to 13 Decemberchalets by the Abbey and the BathsPantomimelate November to early Januaryshout He's behind youStir-up Sunday22 Novemberstir the pudding and make a wishChristmas Day25 December, Fridaycrackers, crowns, the monarch's message at 15:00, no public transportBoxing Day26 December, Saturdaysales, football, walksThe easiest time to go is the first half of December: Bath is still open, York and Winchester are in full swing, panto has started, and the quiet of the 25th is still some way off. If you want to be there for Christmas itself, book a pub lunch well ahead and treat 25 December as a day for walking around a town where nobody is in a hurry.