背景知识：
再不懂西方历史，您也知道，“圣诞节”是为纪念耶稣的诞辰。不过，如何简洁明了地介绍圣诞节的渊源，如何解析圣诞节对现代西方人的意义？本文会给您一个满意的答案。甚至是，阅读完如下文字，您完全可以向友人炫耀您的“圣诞知识”，比如，关于圣诞树与维多利亚女王的爱情，关于圣诞老人、圣诞袜与施恩互助的传说…… |
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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", meaning the mass
of Christ（基督弥撒）
. 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.
Christmas
celebrations
Cultural celebrations of Christmas
include glittering light displays, the ever-present
jolly oldSanta Claus（圣诞老人）
, group celebrations and singing called
carolling（圣诞颂歌）,
baked holiday cookies and cakes, decorations of
mistletoe（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 turkey
dinner, 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, a
brunch （常用构词法： breakfast+lunch）with
family is the norm, followed by some light sporting
events, such as a country walk, to digest the heavy
food.
Dec 26 is called Boxing
Day（节礼日，往往在这一日大家互赠礼物）
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 desert. Dec 25, the Christmas Day is
normally the day all the presents are opened.
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 gold Albert Statues
that 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.
Santa
Claus
As for Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the story goes
back to the third century.
Legend has it, Saint Nicholas
dedicated all his life to helping mankind, especially
children. He died on December 6, which marks the
Saint Nicholas Day in many European countries
and that was when gifts were given to children. St.
Nicholas bears many different names, such as
Father Christmas in the UK, San Nicolass in the
Netherlands, Le Pere Noel in France, and Kriss Kringle
in Germany.
He also arrives on different
dates to deliver presents to children in different
countries, typically from chimneys. The chimney story
was this: Santa flew over house tops in a sleigh, he
dropped coins by accident and they landed in some
stockings hanging next to the fireplace to dry. From
then on, red stockings were hung by the chimney in hopes
Santa would fill them with gifts.
Most countries use fabric stocking
while in others, wood shoes are also placed on earth for
Santa's gift-dropping. In America, the image of Santa
Claus was conceived by the famous poem "The Night Before
Christmas", written by Clement Moor. Moor transformed
the Santa character from a saint in a long robe to a
chubby, rosy-cheeked elderly man in a red suit, riding
on a sleigh pulled by a team of reindeer.
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.
Jewish
Chanukah
The Jewish community celebrates
Chanukah（光明节，为纪念公元前165年犹太人战胜希腊的叙利亚侵略者并夺回圣殿）
instead of Christmas in December. Chanukah (Hanukkah) is
celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev, the third month of
the Jewish calendar, usually falling somewhere in
December on the Gregorian calendar.
Chanukah commemorates the
cleansing of the Temple after the Jews defeated their
occupation by the Syrian Greeks and is observed by
lighting the candles of the menorah for eight days, one
on the first, two the second and so on so forth.
圣诞节祝福用语
 圣诞节了。互赠礼物、卡片是俗了些
。给你一些信手拈来的圣诞祝福常用语，也算是圣诞祝福！
Wishing you peace, joy and happiness
throughout Christmas and the coming year.
在圣诞和新年来临之际，祝福你平安、快乐、幸福！
Warm greetings and best wishes for Christmas
and the New Year!
致以热烈的祝贺和良好的祝福，圣诞快乐，新年快乐。
It seems that Christmas time is here once
again, and it is time again to bring in the New
Year. We wish the merriest of Christmases to you
and your loved ones, and we wish you happiness
and prosperity in the year ahead.
圣诞节转眼又到，又该迎接新的一年了。我们向你及你的亲人们致以最美好的圣诞祝福，愿你在新的一年里事业兴旺，幸福美满！
May Christmas and the New Year be filled with
happiness for you.
愿你圣诞和新年幸福无尽。
With good wishes for a brilliant and happy
Christmas season. Hope things are going all
right with you.
在这辉煌快乐的圣诞佳节，献上一切美好的祝福！祝一切顺心如意！
Christmas comes but once a year. But when it
comes it brings good cheer.
圣诞节一年只有一次，但每次来临都带来喜悦。
May you have the best Christmas ever.
愿你度过最美好的圣诞节！
Wishing you much joy in the coming year. May
the warmest wishes, happiest thoughts and
friendliest greetings come at Christmas and stay
with you all the year through.
让温馨的祝愿、幸福的思念和友好的祝福，在圣诞佳节来到你身边，伴你左右。
A Christmas greeting to cheer you up, from
your daughters.
愿女儿的圣诞祝福带给你快乐。
At Christmas and always, may peace and love
fill your heart, beauty fill your world, and
contentment and joy fill your days.
圣诞的祝福，平日的希冀，愿你心境祥和、充满爱意，愿你的世界全是美满，愿你一切称心如意，快乐无比。
Wishing you peace and love in this Christmas
season, from all your students.
祝老师圣诞节充满平安和爱。
I hope all your Christmas dreams come true!
愿你所有的圣诞梦想都成真！
Hope you enjoy the happiness of Christmas and
all the trimmings.
祝你享尽圣诞佳节的快乐和圣诞的礼品。
I wish you a merry Christmas. Affection and
best wishes to you and yours.
以我所有的爱心与真诚祝你及全家圣诞快乐。
In the season of joy I present my sincerest
wishes and kindest thoughts. May this Christmas
outshine all the rest.
在这欢乐的时节给你我最真的祝福和亲切的思念，愿你今年的圣诞比往年更璀璨。
May Christmas be a time of laughter and real
joy for you. Best wishes.
愿圣诞不仅是你欢笑的时刻，更是你欣喜的日子。祝福你。
May the glow of the Christmas candle fill
your heart with peace and pleasure and make your
New Year's bright. Have a love-filled Christmas
and New Year!
愿圣诞的烛光带给你祥和与喜悦，祝你的圣诞和新年充满爱。
Christmas should be a time of banked-up
fines, the scent of flowers and wine, good talk,
good memories and loyalties renewed. But if all
else is lacking - love will do.
圣诞是这样美好的时光：炉火熊熊，花儿芬芳，醇酒飘香，殷殷祝福，美好回忆，恩爱日新。即便没有一切，只要有爱便足矣。
With the old wish that is ever new, may the
greeting do its share toward making your
Christmas a pleasant one.
老的祝福，却又常新，愿此祝福使你的圣诞更加愉快圆满。
Numerous loving wishes for my wife who will
always be my valuable Christmas gift and
everything to me.
无尽的爱恋与祝福，献给我的爱妻，你永远是我珍贵的圣诞礼物和我的一切！
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圣诞金曲
Billy Gilman |
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Vienna Boys'Choir |
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“平安夜，圣善夜。万暗中，光华射，照着圣母也照着圣婴。圣洁婴儿多么纯真、多么可爱，静享天赐安眠，静享天赐安眠……”
说到圣诞歌曲，大概没有哪首能比这首“Silent Night”（《平安夜》）
更广为人知的了。甚至是，受启于它美丽的意境，我们中国人时常把“圣诞节前夕”称作“平安夜”。
据说，《平安夜》诞生于奥地利一个名叫Oberndorf的村子里，那里居住着许多艺术天才。每年圣诞前夕，村子里就会举行大型的圣诞晚会，在做弥撒时唱许多圣诞歌曲，以此感激耶稣的降临。
1918年圣诞节前一天，牧师Joseph
Mohr（约瑟夫·马赫）发现教堂里的管风琴被可恶的大老鼠咬坏了。夜幕降临，他难过地走在乡间小路上，当看到银色的月光撒满整个湖面，一种平安、祥和以及感激之情霎那间充盈心灵。想到一千多年前，耶稣降临时同样没有管风琴伴奏，天使们却能吟唱出世界上最动听的歌曲……于是，这首如今几乎成为圣诞节官方“节歌”的《平安夜》就这样默无声息地诞生了。后来，它由奥地利传入德国，随即风靡全球。
再现“Silent
Night”的名家不计其数，这里选的两个版本分别由流行乐坛最年轻的歌手Billy
Gilman（比利·基文）和拥有“天籁美音”声誉的Vienna Boys'Choir（维也纳童声合唱团）演绎。
比利·基文的嗓音清澈透明、情感丰沛，让人感受到无法言及的温柔和喜悦。这个孩子与其他童星最大的区别是，他的声音尽管稚嫩却颇具大将风范。这正是他吸引世界的特别之处：成人在他的歌声中既可以得到向往已久的纯真，又可以避免陷入过分稚气、乳臭未干的孩童呓语里。
有别于比利·基文的流行风，维也纳童声合唱团采用正统美声发音，音域宽阔，令人肃然敬穆。这群清一色男孩团体声音柔和，发出一种近似女声，却又比女声更加纯净圣洁的音色。在他们的吟唱中，你既能寻觅到庄严静谧的教堂氛围，又能回到纯真美好的至善时光。
Lyrics
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round
your Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born
(Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing
Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born)
Words & phrases
1．Hallelujah：哈利路亚（赞美上帝用语）
Christmas words concerned
**Where does the
word "Christmas" come from?
Christmas = Christ - Mass = "The Mass of Christ"
Christ = Jesus Christ
"Mass" = Roman Catholic religious Church service of
"mass".
The word "mass" probably comes from the last words of
the service of "mass", which are "you are dismissed" = "missa
est" in Latin. From the Latin word "missa" comes the
English word "mass"
** Why is
December 24th called "Christmas Eve"?
In old times, days started at sunset. So the evening of
the day, the "eve" happened first.
Then we changed to days starting at midnight. Now the
"eve" is evening of the previous day. So "Christmas Eve"
is the day before Christmas.
** What does the
phrase "Boxing Day" mean?
The day after Christmas day when presents are given to
extended family and friends.
Possibly dating from the Middle Ages when the
householder would give presents to the servants and
tradesmen. It is a public holiday in some Commonwealth
countries.
** Why does the
word "Bethlehem" refer to?
A small town in Judea near Jerusalem, where King David
was born and the birthplace of Jesus.
** What are the
Christmas songs called?
Christmas Carols - Carols, song used in celebrations and
dances, written for and sung at Christmas.
