圣誕節來歷介紹英文版ChristmasisaChristianholidaythatcelebratesthebirthofJesusChrist.NooneknowstheexactdateofChristsbirth,butmostChristiansobserveChristmasonDecember25.Onthisday,manygotochurch,wheretheytakepartinspecialreligiousservices.DuringtheChristmasseason,theyalsoexchangegiftsanddecoratetheirhomeswithholly,mistletoe,andChristmastrees.ThewordChristmascomesfromCristesmaesse,anearlyEnglishphrasethatmeansMassofChrist.ThestoryofChristmascomeschieflyfromtheGospelsofSaintLukeandSaintMatthewintheNewTestament.

ThehistoryofChristmasdatesbackover4000years.ManyofourChristmastraditionswerecelebratedcenturiesbeforetheChristchildwasborn.The12daysofChristmas,thebrightfires,theyulelog,thegivingofgifts,carnivals(parades)withfloats,carolerswhosingwhilegoingfromhousetohouse,theholidayfeasts,andthechurchprocessionscanallbetracedbacktotheearlyMesopotamians.

ManyofthesetraditionsbeganwiththeMesopotamiancelebrationofNewYears.TheMesopotamiansbelievedinmanygods,andastheirchiefgod-Marduk.EachyearaswinterarriveditwasbelievedthatMardukwoulddobattlewiththemonstersofchaos.ToassistMardukinhisstruggletheMesopotamiansheldafestivalfortheNewYear.ThiswasZagmuk,theNewYearsfestivalthatlastedfor12days.

ThePersiansandtheBabylonianscelebratedasimilarfestivalcalledtheSacaea.Partofthatcelebrationincludedtheexchangingofplaces,theslaveswouldbecomethemastersandthemastersweretoobey.TheancientGreeksheldafestivalsimilartothatoftheZagmuk/SacaeafestivalstoassisttheirgodKronoswhowouldbattlethegodZeusandhisTitans.

TheRomanscelebratedtheirgodSaturn.TheirfestivalwascalledSaturnaliawhichbeganthemiddleofDecemberandendedJanuary1st.WithcriesofJoSaturnalia!thecelebrationwouldincludemasqueradesinthestreets,bigfestivemeals,visitingfriends,andtheexchangeofgood-luckgiftscalledStrenae(luckyfruits).TheRomansdeckedtheirhallswithgarlandsoflaurelandgreentreeslitwithcandles.Againthemastersandslaveswouldexchangeplaces.

JoSaturnalia!wasafunandfestivetimefortheRomans,buttheChristiansthoughtitanabominationtohonorthepagangod.TheearlyChristianswantedtokeepthebirthdayoftheirChristchildasolemnandreligiousholiday,notoneofcheerandmerrimentaswasthepaganSaturnalia.

SomelegendsclaimthattheChristianChristmascelebrationwasinventedtocompeteagainstthepagancelebrationsofDecember.The25thwasnotonlysacredtotheRomansbutalsothePersianswhosereligionMithraismwasoneofChristianitysmainrivalsatthattime.TheChurcheventuallywassuccessfulintakingthemerriment,lights,andgiftsfromtheSaturaniliafestivalandbringingthemtothecelebrationofChristmas.

TheexactdayoftheChristchildsbirthhasneverbeenpinpointed.Traditionssaythatithasbeencelebratedsincetheyear98AD.In137ADtheBishopofRomeorderedthebirthdayoftheChristChildcelebratedasasolemnfeast.In350ADanotherBishopofRome,JuliusI,chooseDecember25thastheobservanceofChristmas.

ThebirthofJesushadastory:InNazareth,acityofGalilee.ThevirginsnamewasMarywasbetrothedtoJoseph.Beforetheycametogether,shewasfoundwithchildoftheHolySpirit.Josephherhusbandwasmindedtoputherawaysecretly.Whilehethoughtaboutthesethings,Gabriel,anangeloftheLordappearedtohiminadreamandtoldhimdidnotbeafraidtotakeMaryaswife.AndMarywillbringforthaSon,andheshallcallhisname,Jesus,forhewillsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.

BeforeJesusbirths,JosephandMarycametoQuirniuswasgoverningSyria.Soallwenttoberegistered,everyonetohisowncity.JosephalsowentupoutofGalilee,outofthecityofNazareth,intoJudea,tothecityofDavid,whichiscalledBethlehem,becausehewasofthehouseandofthelineageofDavid,toberegisteredwithMary,hisbetrothedwife,whowaswithchild.Soitwasthatwhiletheywerethere,thedayswerecompletedforhertobedelivered.AndshebroughtforthherfirstbornSon,andwrappedhiminswaddlingcloths,andlaidhiminamanger,becausetherewasnoroomforthemintheinn.

Andthat,ChristmasisthefeastofthenativityofJesus,ison25th,Decembereveryyear.ButnobodyknowstheactualbirthdayofJesus.AndtheChristmashasbecomepopularwhenChristmascardsappearedin1846andtheconceptofajollySantaClauswasfirstmadepopularinnineteenthCentury.

ThecustomofgivinggiftstorelativesandfriendsonaspecialdayinwinterprobablybeganinancientRomeandnorthernEurope.Intheseregions,peoplegaveeachothersmallpresentsaspartoftheiryear-endcelebrations.

Inthe1800s,twomoreChristmascustomsbecamepopular--decoratingChristmastreesandsendingChristmascardstorelativesandfriends.Manywell-knownChristmascarols,including``SilentNightand``Hark!TheHeraldAngelsSing,werecomposedduringthisperiod.IntheUnitedStatesandothercountries,SantaClausreplacedSaintNicholasasthesymbolofgiftgiving.

ThewordXmasissometimesusedinsteadofChristmas.ThistraditionbeganintheearlyChristianchurch.InGreek,XisthefirstletterofChristsname.Itwasfrequentlyusedasaholysymbol.

拓展：關于圣誕節英文來歷及習俗

圣誕節的英文介紹

ChristmasisalsoknownasChristmas,translatedasChristmass,westerntraditionalfestival,everyyearinDecember25th.Massisakindofchurchservice.Christmasisareligiousfestival,becauseregarditastocelebratethebirthofJesus,namedchristmas.

MostoftheCatholicChurchwillbefirstinthe24,ChristmasEve,i.e.,theearlymorningofDecember25atmidnightmass,andsomeChristianwillbeheldcarolingandonDecember25tocelebrateChristmas;ChristiananotherbranchofOrthodoxChristmascelebrationintheannualJanuary7.

Christmasisapublicholidayinthewesternworldandinmanyotherregions,suchasHongkong,Macao,Malaysia,andSingaporeinAsia.TheBibleactuallydidnotrecordthedateofbirthofJesus,Christmasisapublic.

Christmasisoneofthemostbeautifulholidaysofalltime.ItisthedaywhenGodssonwasbornonearth.Hence,thisdayissacredforallChristiansaroundtheworld.TheChristmasseasongivesrisetoanumberofChristmastraditionsthatcomealong.Hereareafewofthemthatarecelebratedwithzestandenthusiasmworldwideforcenturies.

Onthisday,manygotochurch,wheretheytakepartinspecialreligiousservices.DuringtheChristmasseason,theyalsoexchangegiftsanddecoratetheirhomeswithholly,mistletoe,andChristmastrees.

圣誕節的來源英文介紹

ChristmasDay-December25-whichcelebratesthebirthofJesusChrist，thefounderoftheChristianreligion，isthebiggestandbest-lovedholidayintheUnitedStates.

AccordingtotheBible，theholybookofChristians，Goddecidedtoallowhisonlyson，JesusChrist，tobeborntoahumanmotherandliveonearthsothatpeoplecouldunderstandGodbetterandlearntoloveGodandeachothermore.Christmas-meaningcelebrationofChrist-honorsthetimewhenJesuswasborntoayoungJewishwomanMary.

MarywasengagedtobemarriedtoJoseph，acarpenter，butbeforetheycametogether，shewasfoundtobewithchild.BecauseJoseph，herhusband，wasarighteousmananddidnotwanttoexposehertopublicdisgrace，hehadinmindtodivorceherquietly.Butafterhehadconsideredthis，anangeloftheLordappearedtohiminadreamandsaid，DonotbeafraidtotakeMaryhomeasyourwife，becausewhatisconceivedinherisfromtheHolySpirit.Shewillgivebirthtoason，andyouaretogivehimthenameJesus，becausehewillsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.

AlthoughtheexactdateofthebirthofJesusnearly2，000yearsagoisnotknown，thecalendaronthesupposeddatedividesalltimeintoB.C.(BeforeChrist)andA.D.(aLatinphrase，AnnoDomini，intheyearofourLord.)Forthefirst300years，Jesus’birthdaywascelebratedondifferentdates.Finally，intheyear354，churchleaderschoseDecember25ashisbirthday.

圣誕節的傳統習俗

1、PreparationoftheChristmascake

烘烤圣誕蛋糕

ThiswasanEnglishtraditionwhichstartedcenturiesago.OnChristmaseve,plumporridgewasservedtothepeople.Asyearspassed,variousotherthingslikedryfruits,honeyandspiceswereused.SoonthisporridgegotreplacedwiththeChristmascake.Christmascakesaremadeusingeggs,butter,confections,fruits,etc.TodayaChristmascakeisanintegralpartofaChristmasmenu.

這項英式傳統早在幾個世紀以前就流傳開了，以前人們在平安夜喝梅花粥。隨著時間漸漸推移，人們還會享用果脯、蜂蜜及香料食物等，隨后圣誕蛋糕便代替梅花粥消失了。圣誕蛋糕由雞蛋、黃油、甜點、水果等烘制而成?，F如今，圣誕蛋糕已成為圣誕菜譜不行或缺的一部分。

2、DecoratingtheChristmastree

裝扮圣誕樹

Thisreferstothetraditionofdecoratingapinetreeusinglights,tinsels,garlands,ornaments,candycanes,etc.Today,aChristmastreeisanindispensablepartofChristmascelebration.

這個傳統指的是用彩燈、金箔、花環、飾品、糖果條等裝扮松樹?，F如今，圣誕樹也是慶祝節日不行或缺的一部分。

3、LightinguptheChristmascandle

點燃圣誕蠟燭

ThisreferstothetraditionofplacingalightedcandleoutsidehousesduringtheChristmasseason.Acandlesignifieshopeasitbringslighteventothedarkestroom.Intheearliertimes,whenChristianswerepersecuted,theywerenotallowedtopracticeprayers.Hence,asinglecandleusedtobeplacedoutsidethehouseasasignthatChristianprayerswerebeingconductedinside.

4、Sendinggiftstolovedones

給親友送禮物

ThistraditioncomesfromthestoryofthethreewisemenwhogotgiftsforbabyJesusonChristmas.EveryChristmas,giftsareexchangedamonglovedones,especiallychildren.ThestoryofSantaClausalsocomesfromthistradition.

這個傳統源自一個傳奇：三位智者在圣誕節給嬰兒耶穌送出了禮物。每年圣誕節，親朋好友尤其是孩子們都會互贈禮物，圣誕老人的故事也源自這個傳統。

5、SingingChristmascarols

唱圣誕頌歌

Itreferstotheage-oldcustomofenchantinganumberoftraditionalChristmassongsduringtheChristmasseason.Itaddstothejoyandfuntotheatmosphere.DifferentChristmashymnsorcarolslikeTheFirstNoel,JingleBells,Joytotheworld,etcaresungeveryChristmasasapartoftheChristmascelebration.

這是一個古老的習俗：圣誕期間總是回蕩著一首又一首圣誕傳統