Comments | brits_americans: Have yourself a merry british christmas...

cass_rising in brits_americans

Have yourself a merry british christmas...

Oct 27, 2009 10:09

I'm a recent American ex-pat, so this will be my first british christmas. I thought I'd make british christmas care packages for all my american family back home, and I'm looking for suggestions of what to put in. So far on the list I've got tea and sugar lumps (with instructions for proper tea making), mini mince pies, biscuits, and christmas ( Read more... )

postage, shipping, food

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rosathome October 27 2009, 10:21:01 UTC

Be careful with the mince pies - you'll need to get vegetarian ones to get them through customs, I think. Normal mince pies have suet in them, which is decidedly not vegetarian. Also, I'm not sure how customs feel about the gunpowder in crackers.

englishmann October 27 2009, 10:24:19 UTC

Oh, bollocks, you're right. ...how the hell am I going to get them back to America in December, now?!

rosathome October 27 2009, 10:25:30 UTC

If you mean the crackers, I did find some for sale in Macy's a couple of years ago, and made all my American friends pull them and wear the paper hats.

englishmann October 27 2009, 10:29:26 UTC

Just not as authentic, is it? I think I have seen some in Target, but I couldn't be sure.

They'll certainly have an issue with it in hand luggage, but perhaps I should stop myself from thinking it might be okay to press my luck with them in a checked bag. Stop thinking illegal thoughts, stop thinking illegal thoughts.

porterkid October 27 2009, 14:23:48 UTC

I dont' know how strict the British postal service works, but as a US postal worker- if you want to send christmas crackers, send them and just not specifically say you have them. No one but a postal inspector can open and check your packages/mail. Just like liquids and perfumes...alcohol... aren't supposed to be mailed. I mail them all the time. We know they are mailed all the time... the only time it's a problem if it breaks- we just can't continue the dilivery and send back a notice etc. I don't think Christmas crackers have enough gunpowder to do big damage.... unless maybe they are shipped with other highly explosives and flamiable items etc.

wylde_chylde99 October 27 2009, 16:32:59 UTC

i once sent a few bottles of wine back home from france. sadly, one of them broke en route. but they still delivered my package, and it arrived purple and slightly damp still.

tisiphone October 27 2009, 10:32:39 UTC

I've taken mince pies through customs before. They didn't care.

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