過好聖誕節前要了解的十件事

歲末，白雪皚皚的聖誕又要到了，雖然在國內現在也有很多人過聖誕，但對這個血統正派的西洋節日你真正瞭解嗎？快通過我們的十個問題來測一測你對聖誕節知多少吧！

In Christianity, Christmas is the festival celebrating the Nativity of Jesus, the Christian belief that the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament's Messianic prophecies was born to the Virgin Mary。

在基督教的傳統中，聖誕節是爲慶祝基督耶穌降生的節日。基督教徒相信，彌賽亞告知聖母瑪利亞孕育了上帝的兒子耶穌。

2. 傳統的聖誕習俗有哪些？

Even in countries where there is a strong Christian tradition,Christmas celebrations can vary markedly from country to any Christians, a religious service plays an important part in therecognition of the season. Secular processions,featuring Santa Claus and other seasonal figures are often held. Familyreunions and the exchange of gifts are a widespread feature of theseason。

聖誕習俗國與國之間非常不同。對基督教徒來說，在聖誕節舉行相應的宗教儀式必不可少。世俗的傳統，通常包含聖誕老人和其他節日特徵。家庭會在這一天團聚、互換禮物。

3. 各國的聖誕大餐都吃些啥？

A special Christmas family meal is an important part of the celebrationfor many, but what is actually served can vary greatly from country tocountry. In England, and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard

Christmas meal would include turkey, potatoes, vegetables, sausages andgravy, followed by Christmas pudding or mince pies. In Poland and otherparts of eastern Europe and Scandinavia, fish often provides thetraditional main course, but richer meat such as lamb is increasinglyserved. Ham is the main meal in the Philippines, while in Germany,France and Austria, goose and pork are favored. Beef, ham and chickenin various recipes are popular throughout the world。

和習俗一樣，各國的聖誕大餐也有差別。在英國，和英語文化圈，標準的聖誕大餐通常包括火雞、土豆、蔬菜、香腸和肉汁，以聖誕布丁或碎肉派結尾；在波蘭等東歐國家、包括斯堪的納維亞半島，魚是聖誕餐的主菜，不過近年來類似羊肉的紅肉也越來越盛行；火腿是菲律賓的主菜；在德國、法國和澳洲，鵝和豬肉是人們喜愛的菜餚；另外的，牛肉、火腿和雞肉的菜餚在全球的聖誕菜單上都很流行。

4. 聖誕的傳統裝飾都有哪些？

Since the 19th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico,has been associated with Christmas. Other popular holiday plantsinclude holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with garlands andevergreen Australia, North and South America, and Europe, itis traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights andsometimes with illuminated sleighs,snowmen, and other Christmas figures. The traditional colors ofChristmas are pine green (evergreen)， snow white, and heart red。

自19世紀開始，一品紅，一種原產於墨西哥的植物就和聖誕節聯繫起來。其他流行的聖誕裝飾植物還包括冬青樹、懈寄生(拜痞子蔡所賜相信大家都知道了那個著名的關於親吻的故事)、紅色宮人草和蟹爪蘭。它們和聖誕樹、花環、綠葉一起用以裝飾房間。在澳洲、南北美和歐洲，還有用燈泡、發光的雪橇、雪人和其他聖誕人物裝飾屋子外部的傳統。聖誕節最傳統的裝飾顏色是青色、雪白和大紅。

5. 聖誕讚歌有什麼來源嗎？

In the thirteenth century, in France, Germany, and particularly, Italy,a strong tradition of popular Christmas songs in the native languagedeveloped.[30] Christmas carols in English first appear in 1426. Thesongs we know specifically as carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas。

13世紀，法國德國、特別是在意大利，用當地語言寫成的聖誕歌開始流行起來。第一首英語的聖誕讚歌寫於1426年。現在爲我們所熟知的那些聖誕讚歌應該是和豐收節的傳統一併起源的。

6. 聖誕節一定要寄卡片嗎？

Christmas cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding

Christmas Day on December 25 by many people (including non-Christians)in Western society and in Asia. The traditional greeting reads "wishingyou a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", much like the firstcommercial Christmas card, produced by Sir Henry Cole in London 1843.

沒有規定吧，但在聖誕節互寄卡片的確是這個節日的傳統，西方社會和亞洲都是。歷史上的第一張商業聖誕卡片起源於1843年的倫敦。(爲保護環境還是建議大家寄電子卡片喲！)

7. 有聖誕卡片就要有聖誕郵票嗎？

A number of nations have issued commemorative stamps at Christmastime. Postal customers will often use these stamps to mail Christmas cards, and they are popular with philatelists. Thesestamps are usually printed in considerable quantities。

沒錯啊，很多國家在聖誕的時候都會發行紀念郵票。人們也經常用這些聖誕郵票來寄他們的聖誕卡片，這些郵票通常質量都很好，常被收藏做集郵。

8. 聖誕老人原名“聖塔尼古拉斯”！？

The most famous and pervasive of these figures in modern celebration worldwide is Santa Claus, a mythical giftbringer, dressed in red, whose origins have disputed sources. SantaClaus is a corruption of the Dutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra (in modern day Turkey) inthe fourth century. Among other saintly attributes, he was noted forthe care of Children, generosity, and the giving of gifts。

全球最知名的聖誕人物恐怕就是聖誕老人了，他老人家帶禮物、穿紅衫，廣受小盆友歡迎。他的英文名SantaClaus是德語Sinterklaas的誤傳，而Sinterklaas的直譯就是“聖塔尼古拉斯”了。尼古拉斯先生是14世紀瑪拉國(今土耳其)的主教，他非常關心孩子，慷慨大方、樂施禮物。後成爲聖誕老人的原型。

9. 小聖誕(Little Christmas)是怎麼回事？

Little Christmas is one of the traditional names in Ireland forJanuary 6, more commonly known in the rest of the world as theCelebration of the is so called because it was the day on which Christmas Day wascelebrated under the Roman calendar, before the adoption of theGregorian calendar. It is the traditional end of the Christmas seasonand the last day of the Christmas holidays for both primary andsecondary schools in Ireland。

愛爾蘭人把每年的1月6日稱爲“小聖誕”——其他國家把這一天稱爲“主顯日”。在喬治亞歷通用以前，這一天是以羅馬歷計算的聖誕節。在愛爾蘭，小聖誕被視爲是聖誕季的最後一天，過了這一天，小學和中學就開學啦。(很像咱們的“過大年”啊！)

10. 女人的聖誕節(Women's Christmas)又是怎麼回事兒？

Little Christmas is also called Women's Christmas, and sometimesWomen's Little Christmas. It is so called because of the tradition ofIrish men taking on all the household duties for the day and givingtheir wives a day women hold parties or go out to celebrate

the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, aunts, etc. Bars andrestaurants usually serve mostly women and girls on this dren often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers。

小聖誕節在愛爾蘭同時也叫“女人的聖誕節”，或“女人的小聖誕”。因爲這一天，愛爾蘭的男人通常會接過家裏的所有家務，讓他們的妻子休一天假。很多女人在這一天開派對、和朋友、姐妹、母親、阿姨們一起外出慶祝。酒吧和餐館在這一天通常也會接待很多女賓，而孩子們則會爲他們的母親和祖母們準備禮物。