London's New Year's Day Parade started in 1987 and has raised or donated nearly a million pounds to a wide range of charities.

More than 10,000 performers representing 20 countries worldwide and more than half a million spectators line the 2 mile route. Around 200 million TV viewers watch The London New Year's Day Parade around the world so it's a very popular event.

• New Year's Day Parade London 2011 Information
• New Year's Day Parade Photos
• New Year's Eve in London

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Every Christmas Day morning, the members of the Serpentine Swimming Club meet for their annual Christmas Day swim and the "Peter Pan Cup".

The 100 yards swimming race started in 1864 with a gold medal as first prize but in 1904 the novelist J.M.Barrie presented the first Peter Pan Cup and the tradition has continued. This was the year Peter Pan first appeared in London theatres and the swimming race is now just as legendary.

I went to see the 'race' this year but we all arrived to find the Serpentine completely frozen! No race could go ahead but the brave swimmers broke a section of the ice so they could still have a swim. See my photos...

More Christmas Photos
• Geffrye Museum's Christmas Past Exhibition Photos
• London Christmas Lights

Image: © Laura Porter | London Travel Blog | Follow AboutLondon on Twitter

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day. It is a UK national holiday so if 26 December falls on a weekend (like it does today), the following Monday becomes a bank holiday.

Find out more about Boxing Day from my colleagues at About.com:

• Boxing Day in Britain (British Food)
• Christmas Customs in the UK - Boxing Day (UK Travel)
• Boxing Day (Australia Travel)
• Boxing Day in Canada (Canada Travel)

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I hope everyone has had a lovely morning opening presents and are tucking into a family feast today. (Well, that's my plan for the day.)

If you need some distraction, take some time looking at the London Christmas Lights Annual Galleries which should make you feel all warm and sparkly.

Christmas in London Resources
• Christmas Day Dining in London
• Top Ten Things to Do at Christmas in London
• South Bank at Christmas
• Christmas 2010 in London
• London Ice Rinks

Image: © Laura Porter | London Travel Blog | Join me on Facebook | Follow me on Twitter