作者：158文章网日期：
返回目录：故事分享
1)The story for the Christmas season
Most people know that the simple meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God in the Christian religion. The word Christmas originated from an old English phrase, "Cristes Masse", meaningthe mass of Christ（基督弥撒）e79fa5e98193e4b893e5b19e333. The date, December 25, was established by Bishop Liberius of Rome in 354 AD. He selected the date to mark the official time for celebrating Christ's birth. Before then, the birth of Jesus was observed on different days and even to this day no one is certain the exact date of Christ's birth.
(2)Christmas celebrations
Cultural celebrations of Christmas include glittering light displays, the ever-present jolly oldSanta Claus（圣诞老人）, group celebrations and singing calledcarolling（圣诞颂歌）, baked holiday cookies and cakes, decorations ofmistletoe（槲寄生，装饰性植物）and pine wreaths, lighted, ornamented Christmas trees with wrapped presents displayed underneath. The spirit of Christmas at its heart is a festival to celebrate family, love, gratitude to others and giving presents to show appreciation to friends and loved ones.
In Europe, typically, family and friends gather together on Christmas Eve, on Dec 24, for a big turkeydinner, completed with Christmas pudding (a rich cake with brandy source). Everyone shares their stories of the year or brings a newsletter to read out for what has happened during the past year. Games are played after the dinner. On Christmas day, Dec 25, abrunch with family is the norm, followed by some light sporting events, such as a countrywalk, to digest the heavy food.
Dec 26 is called Boxing Day in the UK, which means everyone opens their box of presents - the most joyful day for the children. In the US, having just celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, Christmas Eve dinner is more likely to have ham on the menu with a heavy dessert. Dec 25, the Christmas Day is normally the day all the presents are opened.
(3)Christmas trees & cards
The tradition of having a pine tree as a Christmas Tree is believed to come from Germany. Since the medieval time, lighting a candle on a tree is common to welcome guests. Such practice has evolved into the Christmas celebration.The formal Christmas Tree was introduced to England about 100 years ago when Queen Victoria married German Albert. The evidence of Victoria's love for Albert is not only expressed through inheriting the German tradition of having a Christmas Tree but also through the goldAlbert Statuesthat Victoria had ordered built for Albert, standing in many places in London. In America, the Christmas Tree idea was brought by German immigrants too.
The custom of sending Christmas cards was initiated in England around 1850. The first cards were decorated with elaborate designs of flowers, birds and landscapes.
(4)Christmas carols
The tradition of carol singing originated from the carolling practised by the Waits in the fourteenth century. Waits were royal singers who were sent by the court to perform. in selected homes for treats, pennies and/or fun. "Carol" means a circle dance accompanied by a song. Most Christmas carols we sing now were composed around 1400-1600's.
圣诞节三个小故事
1.圣诞老人为奥丁神后裔，也传说圣诞老人由圣·尼古拉而来，所以圣诞老人也称ST.Nicholas。据说他原是小亚细亚每拉城的主教，名叫圣尼古拉，死后被尊为圣徒，是一位身穿红袍、头戴红帽的白胡子老头。每年圣诞节他驾着鹿拉的雪橇从北方而来，由烟囱进入各家，把圣诞礼物装在袜子里挂在孩子们的床头上或火炉前。所以，西方人过圣诞节时，父母把给孩子的圣诞礼物装在袜子里，圣诞夜时挂在孩子们的床头上。第二天，孩子们醒来后的第一件事就是在床头上寻找圣诞老人送来的礼物。
2.传说有个心地善良的没落贵族，生活非常艰难。三个女儿快要出嫁了，他为没有钱给她们买嫁妆而难过。喜庆的圣诞夜，三个姑娘早早地蜷在炕上睡觉了，剩下父亲在长吁短叹。圣诞老人决定帮助他们。他在他们家的烟囱里撒下了许多金子，落进姑娘们烤在火炉旁的长统丝袜里。从此，他们过上了幸福而快乐的生活。
3.据说有一位农民在一个风雪交加的圣诞夜里接待了一个饥寒交迫的小孩，让他吃了一顿e79fa5e98193e78988e69d83362丰盛的圣诞晚餐，这个孩子告别时折了一根杉树枝插在地上并祝福说：“年年此日，礼物满枝，留此美丽的杉村，报答你的好意。”小孩走后，农民发现那树枝竟变成了一棵小树，他才明白自己接待的原来是一位上帝的使者。这个故事就成为圣诞树的来源。在西方，不论是否基督徒，过圣诞节时都要准备一棵圣诞树，以增加节日的欢乐气氛。圣诞树一般是用杉柏之类的常绿树做成象征生命长存。树上装饰着各种灯烛、彩花、玩具、星星，挂上各种圣诞礼物。圣诞之夜，人们围着圣诞树唱歌跳舞，尽情欢乐。