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1、What is Christmas? Christmas is a Christian holiday. It commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. Christian churches hold religious services to celebrate Christmas. At midnight on Christmas Eve, most churches hold special candlelight services. But Christmas is also a social a
2、nd family holiday. It is a festival of goodwill, a time for family, friends, food, and gift-giving. Many Americans share Christmas cookies, decorate their homes, and place presents under the family Christmas tree. Children often hang up stockings for Santa Claus to fill with small gifts. According t
3、o tradition, Santa arrives on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Presents are usually opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. 圣诞树的来源Legend suggests that, in the late 16th century, Martin Luther (the founder of the Protestant religion) was the first to decorate an indoor tree with candles when he attempt
4、ed to recreate the stars shining over a forest of evergreens. The first mention of decorated trees being taken indoors came in 1605 in Germany - a country with a long Christmas tree history! The trees were initially decorated with fruit and sweets together with hand made objects such as quilled snow
5、flakes and stars. German Christmas Markets began to sell shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments which people bought as souvenirs of the fair and took home to hang on their tree. veduchinaTinsel was also invented in Germany in about 1610. Up until fairly recently real silver was used, which was pulled
6、 into wafer thin strips by special machines. This was durable but tarnished quickly and many experiments took place to try and find an alternative - including a mix of lead and tin, which was too heavy and kept breaking. It was only in the mid 20th century that a viable alternative was found. veduch
7、inaArtificial trees were invented in the 1880s in a bid to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees due to people lopping the tip off large trees, thus preventing the trees from growing any further. It got so bad in Germany that laws had to be brought in to prevent people having mo
8、re than one tree. veduchina圣诞树一直是庆祝圣诞节不可少的装饰物，如果家中没有圣诞树，就大大减少了过节气氛。关于圣诞树的来源有多种不同的传说。 其中一个是说：大约在十六世纪，圣诞树最先出现在德国，德国人把长青的松柏枝拿到屋中去摆设，将之成为圣诞树。后来，由德国人马丁路德把蜡烛放在树林中的枞树枝上，然后点燃蜡烛，使它看起来像是引导人们到伯利恒去。而近今日，人们已经改用粉色的小灯泡了。 另 一个传说记载。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
9、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。 圣 诞树真正出现在圣诞节时，首先见于德国，之后又传入欧洲和美国，并以其优美的姿态，成为圣诞节不可缺少的装饰。圣诞树的种类繁多，有天然松柏圣诞树、也有 人造圣诞树及白色圣诞树。每棵圣诞树上都挂满琳琅满目的装饰品，但每棵树的顶端必定有个特
10、大的星星，象征三博士跟随该星而找到耶稣，而且也只有该家庭的一 家之主可以把这棵希望之星挂上。圣诞植物Holly 常青树The bright red and green of holly symbolizes rebirth. There are several legends regarding holly. According to one of these legends, holly branches were woven into Christs crown of thorns. Therefore, the once white berries were stained red by
11、 the blood of Christ. Holly also represents joy and peace.参考译文冬青的红绿相间象征着重生。与冬青有关的有许多传说。根据其中的一个传说，冬青的枝被编成了耶酥的花冠。因此，本来是白色的果实被耶酥的血染成了红色。冬青同时也代表了欢乐与和平。Mistletoe 槲寄生Mistletoe, a woody plant with leathery green leaves and white berries, is hung above doorways during the Christmas season. Tradition says th
12、at a person caught standing underneath the hanging mistletoe can not refuse to give a kiss to anyone who might ask. Needless to say this has resulted in many a kiss being given both in friendship and in passion. You may well be wondering where this warm Christmastime tradition came from and I think
13、you will be surprised to learn that this custom was actually inspired by a very ancient Norse legend. This legend tells of Balder， the god of peace， who was killed by the evil god Loki with an arrow made of mistletoe - mistletoe was the only thing that could hurt Balder. When Balders mother， Frigga
14、- the goddess of love， found out about her sons death she was grief-stricken. She and the other gods worked desperately to restore Balders life and when they had at last succeeded Frigga was so grateful that she promised to bestow a kiss upon anyone who stood beneath the mistletoe. Thus， this ancien
15、t legend not only created the kissing tradition that we know today but also enshrined forever the mistletoe as a symbol of love， peace and forgiveness - three qualities which are an essential part of the Christmas spirit檞 寄生叶子绿而坚韧，结白色小浆果，人们在圣诞佳节时分将其悬挂在门口。有个习俗是若你站在檞寄生下方时，有人要求亲吻你，你可不能拒绝对方喔。不消说很多 时候人们会
16、因友情、爱慕之情而要求亲吻。你或许会纳闷这个温馨的圣诞习俗打哪儿来的？你可能会惊讶它的由来是古挪威民间传说。传说和平之神伯德，被邪恶之 神罗其以世上唯一可致其死地的武器，也就是檞寄生所制的箭刺死。伯德的母亲-爱神费迦得知此事时悲痛万分，于是和众神拼命地挽救伯德的生命，最后终于成功地将他救活。费迦实在太感激了，便允诺只要有谁站在檞寄生下，便赐给那人一个亲吻。因此这个传说不但造就了一个至今我们所熟悉的亲 吻习俗，也永远将檞寄生象征的含意，也就是爱、和平、宽恕保存下来，而这三者也正是圣诞节重要的精神所在。Rosemary 迷迭香Rosemary is yet another Christmas green. Though now it is used to mainly season foods, during the Middle Ages it was spread on the floor at Christmas
