A History of Christmas [圣誕節(jié)的歷史]
Christmas is the most cheerful and holy of holidays in the Christian world, which boasts of an estimated 1.8 billion people. Although the origin of this holiday was purely religious, it has evolved into a highly secular(長期的,世俗的) celebration each year. However, strong religious components are still conveyed in various ways each year. The two are intrinsically(本質(zhì)上的,完全的) mixed in the midst of modern commercialism(商業(yè)主義) and attached to.
圣誕節(jié)是號(hào)稱有大約18億教徒里的基督教世界里最愉快、最神圣的節(jié)日。盡管這個(gè)節(jié)日的起因純粹是宗教性的，但它已演變成了每年的非常世俗化的慶?；顒?dòng)。不守，純粹宗教性的部分每年還是在以各種方式進(jìn)行著。二者在現(xiàn)代重商主義中，很自然地融合在一起。
Christmas day fall on December 25th each year, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of a carpenter living over two thousand years ago. Christianity(基督教), the movement following the teachings of Christ, roused the world over the next many centuries. It is said that the first celebration of Christmas took place in 336 A.D. in Ancient Rome. No one seems to know for sure if December 25th was actually the date of Christ’s birth, but it is possible that Christian leaders in Ancient Rome wanted to replace pagan(異教的) religious holidays that occurred around the same time.
圣誕節(jié)時(shí)值每年的12月25日，是耶穌基督的誕生慶典，他是兩千多年前的一個(gè)木匠的兒子?；浇蹋@場追隨基督教義的運(yùn)動(dòng)，在接下來的幾個(gè)世紀(jì)里影響了全世界。據(jù)說，圣誕節(jié)的第一次慶祝活動(dòng)是在公元336年的古羅馬舉行的。好像沒有人能肯定12月25日就是基督的實(shí)際誕生日，而更有可能的是，古羅馬的基督教領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人想要以此取代幾乎同時(shí)舉行的異教徒的宗教節(jié)日。
Many secular symbols of Christmas have emerged over several centuries. Santa Claus, in his present form, is a fairly recent development whereas his origin, in part, goes back to Roman times.
St. Nicholas was an early Christian Bishop (主教) of Patara of the Lycian seaport (in present-day Turkey) in the 4th century A.D. The Roman Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians, imprisoned(監(jiān)禁,關(guān)押) him because the practice of Christianity was illegal. The first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, later released him. Nicholas’ reputation for generosity(慷慨,大方), kindness and miracles earned him a widespread reputation and eventually sainthood(圣徒). He is said to have brought back life to the children who had been chopped into pieces by their butcher father. He is reputed to have placed some gold coins in stockings, hung by a fire to dry by three poor girls. He had hoped that the girls would be able to use the money to marry to avoid living on prostitution(賣淫), the common destiny(命運(yùn)) of such girls at that time. From this gesture came the tradition of empty oversize(特大的) stockings hanging on fireplaces at Christmas time for Santa to fill with little gifts. From these roots, the present-day Santa Claus seems to have emerged.
圣誕節(jié)的很多世俗象征已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)好幾個(gè)世紀(jì)了?，F(xiàn)在這種形象的圣誕老人，可以說是最近才出現(xiàn)的。然而，他的起源卻可以部分追溯到古羅馬時(shí)代。圣·尼古拉斯是公元4世紀(jì)時(shí)利西亞海港的帕塔拉(在現(xiàn)今的土耳其)的一個(gè)早期的基督教主教。迫害基督教徒的羅馬皇帝戴克里以非法宣揚(yáng)基督教的罪名把他關(guān)進(jìn)了監(jiān)獄。后來，羅馬的第一位信仰基督教的皇帝康士坦丁釋放了他。尼古拉斯的慷慨、仁慈和圣跡為他贏得了廣泛的聲譽(yù)，最終被尊為圣徒。據(jù)說，他恢復(fù)了被他們那屠夫父親砍成碎片的孩子們的生命。還說他在三個(gè)可憐女孩掛起來用火烘烤的長襪子里放了一些金幣，希望這些女孩能用這些錢結(jié)婚，以免淪為妓女，而在那個(gè)時(shí)代，這種女孩的命運(yùn)大多就是這樣。在圣誕節(jié)，把特大號(hào)的空長襪掛在壁爐上面讓圣誕老人放一些小禮物的傳統(tǒng)，就來自這個(gè)故事。根據(jù)這些傳說，現(xiàn)代的圣誕老人的形象似乎顯現(xiàn)出來。
In some European countries, the image of Father Christmas is identified more closely with Saint Nicholas than with Santa Claus. The red and white suit, that Santa wears, is said to have come from the traditional color of early Christian Bishops’ robes. Santa, flying in a sleigh(雪橇) pulled by reindeer(馴鹿), and going down chimneys, originated(起源) from an American poem written in the 1820’s, another American made an engraving(雕刻術(shù)) called “Santa’s Workshop” in which Santa, is portrayed(描繪,描寫) in a lovely sunset, scratching his chin, reading letters and checking a list activities which was revived(復(fù)蘇,蘇醒) every year in music and stories told to children during the yuletide(圣誕季節(jié)) (Christmas) season. Every year children write letters to Santa Claus before Christmas, asking him to bring favorite toys.
在一些歐洲國家，圣誕老人的形象更多的是與圣?尼古拉斯聯(lián)系在一起，而不是與Santa Claus聯(lián)系在一起。圣誕老人穿的紅白相間的服裝，據(jù)說是來自早期基督教主教的長袍的傳統(tǒng)顏色。在馴鹿拉的雪橇上飛翔、從煙囪里下來的圣誕老人，源自19世紀(jì)20年代克萊門特·摩爾寫的一首美國詩“圣誕節(jié)的前夜”。19世紀(jì)60年代，另一個(gè)美國人制作了一幅版畫，叫做“圣誕老人的作坊”，上面的圣誕老人被描繪成在美麗的落日余暉下，撓著下巴，讀著信，檢查一份清單(每年在圣誕節(jié)以音樂和故事的形式反復(fù)告訴孩子們的各種活動(dòng)都列在這份清單上)。每年，孩子們在圣誕節(jié)之前給圣誕老人寫信，請他帶來他們最喜歡的玩具。
Santa traditionally navigates(航海) the frosty night skies December 24th without using a compass or a chart to plot his course. He, in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer, usually lands on slippery sloped roofs. Clumsily(笨拙的), with his big bag heaped with toys and slung(用帶吊掛) over his shoulder, he jumps down chimney and dumps toys under Christmas trees. Gifts often include a doll for a little girl or a train for a little boy. He does all of this without disturbing the inhabitants. Santa then crawls vertically back up the chimneys and, without a trace, flies off, exclaiming the resounding phrase, “Merry Christmas to all, good night”. He is back at his home at the North Pole before dawn on Christmas morning, tired but very happy after his very speedy sweep around the world. After a big yawn, Santa falls asleep.
根據(jù)傳說，圣誕老人在12月24日深夜，在寒冷的夜空飛翔，不用使用指南針或者地圖來計(jì)劃他的路線。他坐在由九頭馴鹿拉著的雪橇上，在通常很滑的斜屋頂上降落。他笨拙地扛著一個(gè)裝滿玩具的大口袋，從煙囪里跳下來，把玩具倒在圣誕樹下。禮品中常常有送給小女孩的一個(gè)洋娃娃，或送給小男孩的一輛小火車。他無聲無息地做著這一切，然后垂直向上從煙囪里爬回去，不留一點(diǎn)痕跡，飛走時(shí)大聲地說著那句人們熟知的話：“祝大家圣誕快樂，晚安”。在圣誕節(jié)清晨破曉之前，他回到在北極的家里。在全世界快速飛奔了一夜，很疲倦?yún)s非常愉快。打了一個(gè)大呵欠后，圣誕老人就睡著了。
Christmas carols(圣誕頌歌), or Christmas religious songs, began in the middle Ages when people danced and sang religious songs on village greens (central gathering areas in small towns and villages) in Anglo-Saxon England. A Christmas carol today is a religious tune without the dance associated with it.
圣誕節(jié)頌歌，也叫基督教宗教歌曲，始于中世紀(jì)時(shí)期。那時(shí)，在盎格魯撒克遜人的英格蘭，人們在鄉(xiāng)村草地上(小鎮(zhèn)或村莊的聚集中心)跳舞，唱宗教歌曲。今天的圣誕節(jié)頌歌只是一道宗教曲子，沒有與之相配合的舞蹈。
A strong religious tradition today, as in other times, is to go to church at midnight of Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning. A priest may say mass (in a Catholic[天主教的] Church) or preach(宣講教義) a sermon(布道) about the significance of the birth of Christ.
今天的一項(xiàng)強(qiáng)烈的宗教傳統(tǒng)，像其他時(shí)期一樣，是在圣誕節(jié)前夕午夜或圣誕節(jié)早晨去教堂做禮拜。牧師可能作彌撒(在天主教堂)或者布道宣講救世主誕生的重要性。
Another very prominent symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree. There are several explanations for its origin. One story suggests that Martin Luther was walking through a wood on a clear winter night admiring the beauty of the bright stars glowing through the branches of trees. He decided to cut down a small evergreen tree and take it home. He put candles in it to represent the stars he had seen earlier because he wanted to share that beautiful image with his family.
圣誕節(jié)另一個(gè)顯著的象征是圣誕樹。關(guān)于它的起源有好幾種說法。有一個(gè)故事說，在一個(gè)清冷的冬季夜晚，馬丁路德走過一個(gè)樹林，十分驚羨明亮的星光灑過樹枝的美麗。他決定砍下一棵常青樹帶回家。他在樹上放上蠟燭代替他看到過的星星，因?yàn)樗肱c家人一起分享那美麗的景色。
Another story tells of the bringing of an evergreen tree inside the home during winter solstice(至日,至點(diǎn)) (December 21st) symbolizing the renewal(復(fù)活,復(fù)興) of life in the dead of winter. It became associated with Christmas, which occurs only four days later. The Christmas tree was firmly established as a Christmas symbol by the Germans who eventually brought it to America. In Victorian England, people hung cakes and candies on it and later, fruit made of paper adorned(裝飾) the branches. Modern commercial tree decorations appeared in the 1880’s at Woolworth’s Department Store in the United States, and electric Christmas tree lights made their debut(初次登場) in 1882.
另一個(gè)故事講的是，在冬至(12月21日)這一天，把一棵常青樹搬回家，象征著在死寂的冬天生命的復(fù)蘇。把它與圣誕節(jié)聯(lián)系在一起，只因剛好四天之后便是圣誕節(jié)。德國人把圣誕樹確立為一種圣誕節(jié)的象征，后來又將之帶到了美國。在維多利亞女王時(shí)期的英格蘭，人們把蛋糕和糖果掛在樹上，以后，又用紙做的水果裝飾樹枝?，F(xiàn)在商店賣的圣誕樹裝飾品出現(xiàn)在19世紀(jì)80年代美國的伍爾沃斯百貨商店，而圣誕樹上裝彩燈則始于1882年。
The first Christmas cards were sent in the 1840’s in both England and America. Gift giving probably stems from the Bible where it is written that three kings, bearing gifts from the Orient(東方), visited Bethlehem when Jesus was born. We know that St. Nicholas also gave gifts. A later tradition developed, whereby gifts were given on each of the twelve days of Christmas, from December 25th, when Jesus allegedly(據(jù)說,傳說) was born, to January 6th, when Jesus was apparently baptized(洗滌,實(shí)行浸禮) (the Epiphany). There is a popular song called the “Twelve Days of Christmas” that keeps this tradition alive each year. We understand that Macy’s Department Store in New York City introduced the annual Christmas or Santa Claus Parade during the 1880’s. Today, in late November, or early December, a Christmas Parade is held in almost every city and town in Europe and America.
第一批圣誕賀卡是19世紀(jì)40年代在英格蘭和美國寄出的。贈(zèng)送禮物可能源于《圣經(jīng)》，里面寫到，耶穌誕生時(shí)三個(gè)國王帶著禮物從東方來訪問伯利恒。我們知道圣?尼古拉斯也送禮物。后來發(fā)展起來的傳統(tǒng)是在圣誕節(jié)的12天里，從聲稱耶穌誕生的12月25日，到耶穌公開受洗禮的1月6日(主顯節(jié))，每天都送禮。有一首叫做“圣誕節(jié)的12天”的流行歌曲，使每年的這種傳統(tǒng)保持下來。我們知道，每年的圣誕節(jié)或圣誕老人游行是在19世紀(jì)80年代，由紐約市的梅西百貨公司引入的。如今，在11月底或12月初，圣誕節(jié)游行幾乎在歐美的每個(gè)城鎮(zhèn)舉行。
Early on the night before Christmas (Christmas Eve), children are encouraged to go to bed early if they expect Santa to come. They lay their heads on their pillows with visions of what the next day will bring. Santa is invisible to children since no one has actually seen him, his sleigh, or reindeer on Christmas Eve.
圣誕節(jié)前的晚上(圣誕節(jié)前夕)，孩子們被鼓勵(lì)說，如果他們希望圣誕老人來的話，就要早些上床睡覺。他們把頭放到枕頭上時(shí)，就在幻想第二天會(huì)帶來什么東西。在圣誕節(jié)前夕，孩子們是看不見圣誕老人的，因?yàn)閷?shí)際上沒有人看見過他、他的雪橇以及他的馴鹿。
On Christmas Day, families usually get together for a roast goose or turkey(火雞) dinner served with mashed(壓碎的) potatoes, gravy(肉汁), cranberry sauce, and pie or pudding(一種甜點(diǎn)心) for dessert. Grown-ups will pour a glass or two of wine or other spirits(烈酒). Together, families will openly exchange gifts and gratitude. Children, including cousins, nieces and nephews, often kneel on the floor in front of the tree, excitedly trying to find presents with their names on them. On that day, warm receptions are extended to everyone, friend or stranger.
在圣誕節(jié)，一家人通常聚在一起吃烤鵝或者烤火雞，還有土豆泥、肉湯、酸果沙司和作為餐末甜點(diǎn)的餡餅或布丁。大眾們會(huì)倒上一、兩杯葡萄酒或其他烈酒。聚到一起時(shí)，家人們公開地交換禮物和表達(dá)感謝之情。孩子們，包括堂、表兄弟姐妹，侄兒、侄女，外甥、外甥女，常常跪在樹前的地板上，興奮地尋找上面定有他們名字的禮物。那天每一個(gè)人都會(huì)受到熱情接待，不管是朋友還是陌生人。
For many merchants, Christmas has become the economic boom season of the year. It is estimated that a major percentage of the annual yield of revenue from sales is generated during the month or more of intense Christmas shopping before Christmas. As a matter of fact, there has been some debate for years that Christmas has become too commercialized and that the true meaning of Christmas is gradually disappearing. An escalating(逐步上升的) tendency has been to buy more and more expensive gifts each year. Some people go into debt, sometimes owing more than they can easily pay back. Some people are personally beginning to rethink(反思) this commercial approach to Christmas. However, toy manufacturers and their contemporaries in advertising make a killing during this period. Christmas shopping hits a peak(最高點(diǎn),頂峰) on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, when stores offer great discounts to unload the unsold Christmas merchandise(商品). This is usually the busiest shopping day of the year.
對于很多商人來說，圣誕節(jié)成了一年中生意電繁榮的時(shí)節(jié)。據(jù)估計(jì)，全年銷售收入的很大一部分，來自在圣誕節(jié)前圣誕大采購的一個(gè)多月里。實(shí)際上，已經(jīng)爭論多年的話題是，圣誕節(jié)太商業(yè)化了，而其真正意義在逐漸消失。一個(gè)日益明顯的傾向是每年要買越來越多的貴重禮物。有些人已經(jīng)私下開始反思這種圣誕節(jié)的商業(yè)行為了。玩具制造商及其廣告業(yè)的同伙們，在這個(gè)期間大大地賺了一筆。圣誕采購在圣誕節(jié)后的一天即節(jié)禮日達(dá)到高峰，這個(gè)時(shí)候商店大打折扣，傾銷沒有賣完的圣誕商品。通常，這是一年中最忙的采購日。
Christmas has spread far and wide across the globe. My wife and I lived in Beijing last year. During the Christmas season, we saw many Christmas decorations and heard a lot of western Christmas music in department stores. It seemed little different from Toronto, Canada. We celebrated Christmas much as we would have in Canada, except that we weren’t with our families in our homes during that very special family-oriented holiday season. We have great memories of Christmases of the past and look forward to many more great Christmas memories in the future.
圣誕節(jié)在全球廣泛傳播開來。去年，我和妻子住在北京時(shí)，在圣誕節(jié)期間，我們在百貨商店里看到了很多圣誕節(jié)裝飾品，聽到了許多西方圣誕音樂。與加拿大多倫多幾乎沒什么區(qū)別。除了不是和我們的家人在一起，我們就像是在加拿大一樣，慶祝了圣誕節(jié)。在我們家鄉(xiāng)，這個(gè)季節(jié)是一個(gè)特別適合全家一起過的節(jié)日。我們對過去的圣誕節(jié)還有很深刻的印象，也盼望將來有更多值得回憶的圣誕節(jié)。
Christmas is the most cheerful and holy of holidays in the Christian world, which boasts of an estimated 1.8 billion people. Although the origin of this holiday was purely religious, it has evolved into a highly secular(長期的,世俗的) celebration each year. However, strong religious components are still conveyed in various ways each year. The two are intrinsically(本質(zhì)上的,完全的) mixed in the midst of modern commercialism(商業(yè)主義) and attached to.
Christmas day fall on December 25th each year, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of a carpenter living over two thousand years ago. Christianity(基督教), the movement following the teachings of Christ, roused the world over the next many centuries. It is said that the first celebration of Christmas took place in 336 A.D. in Ancient Rome. No one seems to know for sure if December 25th was actually the date of Christ’s birth, but it is possible that Christian leaders in Ancient Rome wanted to replace pagan(異教的) religious holidays that occurred around the same time.
Many secular symbols of Christmas have emerged over several centuries. Santa Claus, in his present form, is a fairly recent development whereas his origin, in part, goes back to Roman times.
St. Nicholas was an early Christian Bishop (主教) of Patara of the Lycian seaport (in present-day Turkey) in the 4th century A.D. The Roman Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians, imprisoned(監(jiān)禁,關(guān)押) him because the practice of Christianity was illegal. The first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, later released him. Nicholas’ reputation for generosity(慷慨,大方), kindness and miracles earned him a widespread reputation and eventually sainthood(圣徒). He is said to have brought back life to the children who had been chopped into pieces by their butcher father. He is reputed to have placed some gold coins in stockings, hung by a fire to dry by three poor girls. He had hoped that the girls would be able to use the money to marry to avoid living on prostitution(賣淫), the common destiny(命運(yùn)) of such girls at that time. From this gesture came the tradition of empty oversize(特大的) stockings hanging on fireplaces at Christmas time for Santa to fill with little gifts. From these roots, the present-day Santa Claus seems to have emerged.
In some European countries, the image of Father Christmas is identified more closely with Saint Nicholas than with Santa Claus. The red and white suit, that Santa wears, is said to have come from the traditional color of early Christian Bishops’ robes. Santa, flying in a sleigh(雪橇) pulled by reindeer(馴鹿), and going down chimneys, originated(起源) from an American poem written in the 1820’s, another American made an engraving(雕刻術(shù)) called “Santa’s Workshop” in which Santa, is portrayed(描繪,描寫) in a lovely sunset, scratching his chin, reading letters and checking a list activities which was revived(復(fù)蘇,蘇醒) every year in music and stories told to children during the yuletide(圣誕季節(jié)) (Christmas) season. Every year children write letters to Santa Claus before Christmas, asking him to bring favorite toys.
Santa traditionally navigates(航海) the frosty night skies December 24th without using a compass or a chart to plot his course. He, in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer, usually lands on slippery sloped roofs. Clumsily(笨拙的), with his big bag heaped with toys and slung(用帶吊掛) over his shoulder, he jumps down chimney and dumps toys under Christmas trees. Gifts often include a doll for a little girl or a train for a little boy. He does all of this without disturbing the inhabitants. Santa then crawls vertically back up the chimneys and, without a trace, flies off, exclaiming the resounding phrase, “Merry Christmas to all, good night”. He is back at his home at the North Pole before dawn on Christmas morning, tired but very happy after his very speedy sweep around the world. After a big yawn, Santa falls asleep.
Christmas carols(圣誕頌歌), or Christmas religious songs, began in the middle Ages when people danced and sang religious songs on village greens (central gathering areas in small towns and villages) in Anglo-Saxon England. A Christmas carol today is a religious tune without the dance associated with it.
A strong religious tradition today, as in other times, is to go to church at midnight of Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning. A priest may say mass (in a Catholic[天主教的] Church) or preach(宣講教義) a sermon(布道) about the significance of the birth of Christ.
Another very prominent symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree. There are several explanations for its origin. One story suggests that Martin Luther was walking through a wood on a clear winter night admiring the beauty of the bright stars glowing through the branches of trees. He decided to cut down a small evergreen tree and take it home. He put candles in it to represent the stars he had seen earlier because he wanted to share that beautiful image with his family.
Another story tells of the bringing of an evergreen tree inside the home during winter solstice(至日,至點(diǎn)) (December 21st) symbolizing the renewal(復(fù)活,復(fù)興) of life in the dead of winter. It became associated with Christmas, which occurs only four days later. The Christmas tree was firmly established as a Christmas symbol by the Germans who eventually brought it to America. In Victorian England, people hung cakes and candies on it and later, fruit made of paper adorned(裝飾) the branches. Modern commercial tree decorations appeared in the 1880’s at Woolworth’s Department Store in the United States, and electric Christmas tree lights made their debut(初次登場) in 1882.
The first Christmas cards were sent in the 1840’s in both England and America. Gift giving probably stems from the Bible where it is written that three kings, bearing gifts from the Orient(東方), visited Bethlehem when Jesus was born. We know that St. Nicholas also gave gifts. A later tradition developed, whereby gifts were given on each of the twelve days of Christmas, from December 25th, when Jesus allegedly(據(jù)說,傳說) was born, to January 6th, when Jesus was apparently baptized(洗滌,實(shí)行浸禮) (the Epiphany). There is a popular song called the “Twelve Days of Christmas” that keeps this tradition alive each year.
We understand that Macy’s Department Store in New York City introduced the annual Christmas or Santa Claus Parade during the 1880’s. Today, in late November, or early December, a Christmas Parade is held in almost every city and town in Europe and America.
Early on the night before Christmas (Christmas Eve), children are encouraged to go to bed early if they expect Santa to come. They lay their heads on their pillows with visions of what the next day will bring. Santa is invisible to children since no one has actually seen him, his sleigh, or reindeer on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day, families usually get together for a roast goose or turkey(火雞) dinner served with mashed(壓碎的) potatoes, gravy(肉汁), cranberry sauce, and pie or pudding(一種甜點(diǎn)心) for dessert. Grown-ups will pour a glass or two of wine or other spirits(烈酒). Together, families will openly exchange gifts and gratitude. Children, including cousins, nieces and nephews, often kneel on the floor in front of the tree, excitedly trying to find presents with their names on them. On that day, warm receptions are extended to everyone, friend or stranger.
For many merchants, Christmas has become the economic boom season of the year. It is estimated that a major percentage of the annual yield of revenue from sales is generated during the month or more of intense Christmas shopping before Christmas. As a matter of fact, there has been some debate for years that Christmas has become too commercialized and that the true meaning of Christmas is gradually disappearing. An escalating(逐步上升的) tendency has been to buy more and more expensive gifts each year. Some people go into debt, sometimes owing more than they can easily pay back. Some people are personally beginning to rethink(反思) this commercial approach to Christmas. However, toy manufacturers and their contemporaries in advertising make a killing during this period. Christmas shopping hits a peak(最高點(diǎn),頂峰) on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, when stores offer great discounts to unload the unsold Christmas merchandise(商品). This is usually the busiest shopping day of the year.
Christmas has spread far and wide across the globe. My wife and I lived in Beijing last year. During the Christmas season, we saw many Christmas decorations and heard a lot of western Christmas music in department stores. It seemed little different from Toronto, Canada. We celebrated Christmas much as we would have in Canada, except that we weren’t with our families in our homes during that very special family-oriented holiday season. We have great memories of Christmases of the past and look forward to many more great Christmas memories in the future.
圣誕節(jié)的歷史
圣誕節(jié)是號(hào)稱有大約18億教徒里的基督教世界里最愉快、最神圣的節(jié)日。盡管這個(gè)節(jié)日的起因純粹是宗教性的，但它已演變成了每年的非常世俗化的慶?；顒?dòng)。不守，純粹宗教性的部分每年還是在以各種方式進(jìn)行著。二者在現(xiàn)代重商主義中，很自然地融合在一起。
圣誕節(jié)時(shí)值每年的12月25日，是耶穌基督的誕生慶典，他是兩千多年前的一個(gè)木匠的兒子?；浇蹋@場追隨基督教義的運(yùn)動(dòng)，在接下來的幾個(gè)世紀(jì)里影響了全世界。據(jù)說，圣誕節(jié)的第一次慶?；顒?dòng)是在公元336年的古羅馬舉行的。好像沒有人能肯定12月25日就是基督的實(shí)際誕生日，而更有可能的是，古羅馬的基督教領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人想要以此取代幾乎同時(shí)舉行的異教徒的宗教節(jié)日。
圣誕節(jié)的很多世俗象征已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)好幾個(gè)世紀(jì)了?，F(xiàn)在這種形象的圣誕老人，可以說是最近才出現(xiàn)的。然而，他的起源卻可以部分追溯到古羅馬時(shí)代。
圣·尼古拉斯是公元4世紀(jì)時(shí)利西亞海港的帕塔拉(在現(xiàn)今的土耳其)的一個(gè)早期的基督教主教。迫害基督教徒的羅馬皇帝戴克里以非法宣揚(yáng)基督教的罪名把他關(guān)進(jìn)了監(jiān)獄。后來，羅馬的第一位信仰基督教的皇帝康士坦丁釋放了他。尼古拉斯的慷慨、仁慈和圣跡為他贏得了廣泛的聲譽(yù)，最終被尊為圣徒。據(jù)說，他恢復(fù)了被他們那屠夫父親砍成碎片的孩子們的生命。還說他在三個(gè)可憐女孩掛起來用火烘烤的長襪子里放了一些金幣，希望這些女孩能用這些錢結(jié)婚，以免淪為妓女，而在那個(gè)時(shí)代，這種女孩的命運(yùn)大多就是這樣。在圣誕節(jié)，把特大號(hào)的空長襪掛在壁爐上面讓圣誕老人放一些小禮物的傳統(tǒng)，就來自這個(gè)故事。根據(jù)這些傳說，現(xiàn)代的圣誕老人的形象似乎顯現(xiàn)出來。
在一些歐洲國家，圣誕老人的形象更多的是與圣·尼古拉斯聯(lián)系在一起，而不是與Santa Claus聯(lián)系在一起。圣誕老人穿的紅白相間的服裝，據(jù)說是來自早期基督教主教的長袍的傳統(tǒng)顏色。在馴鹿拉的雪橇上飛翔、從煙囪里下來的圣誕老人，源自19世紀(jì)20年代克萊門特·摩爾寫的一首美國詩“圣誕節(jié)的前夜”。19世紀(jì)60年代，另一個(gè)美國人制作了一幅版畫，叫做“圣誕老人的作坊”，上面的圣誕老人被描繪成在美麗的落日余暉下，撓著下巴，讀著信，檢查一份清單(每年在圣誕節(jié)以音樂和故事的形式反復(fù)告訴孩子們的各種活動(dòng)都列在這份清單上)。每年，孩子們在圣誕節(jié)之前給圣誕老人寫信，請他帶來他們最喜歡的玩具。
根據(jù)傳說，圣誕老人在12月24日深夜，在寒冷的夜空飛翔，不用使用指南針或者地圖來計(jì)劃他的路線。他坐在由九頭馴鹿拉著的雪橇上，在通常很滑的斜屋頂上降落。他笨拙地扛著一個(gè)裝滿玩具的大口袋，從煙囪里跳下來，把玩具倒在圣誕樹下。禮品中常常有送給小女孩的一個(gè)洋娃娃，或送給小男孩的一輛小火車。他無聲無息地做著這一切，然后垂直向上從煙囪里爬回去，不留一點(diǎn)痕跡，飛走時(shí)大聲地說著那句人們熟知的話：“祝大家圣誕快樂，晚安”。在圣誕節(jié)清晨破曉之前，他回到在北極的家里。在全世界快速飛奔了一夜，很疲倦?yún)s非常愉快。打了一個(gè)大呵欠后，圣誕老人就睡著了。
圣誕節(jié)頌歌，也叫基督教宗教歌曲，始于中世紀(jì)時(shí)期。那時(shí)，在盎格魯撒克遜人的英格蘭，人們在鄉(xiāng)村草地上(小鎮(zhèn)或村莊的聚集中心)跳舞，唱宗教歌曲。今天的圣誕節(jié)頌歌只是一道宗教曲子，沒有與之相配合的舞蹈。
今天的一項(xiàng)強(qiáng)烈的宗教傳統(tǒng)，像其他時(shí)期一樣，是在圣誕節(jié)前夕午夜或圣誕節(jié)早晨去教堂做禮拜。牧師可能作彌撒(在天主教堂)或者布道宣講救世主誕生的重要性。
圣誕節(jié)另一個(gè)顯著的象征是圣誕樹。關(guān)于它的起源有好幾種說法。有一個(gè)故事說，在一個(gè)清冷的冬季夜晚，馬丁路德走過一個(gè)樹林，十分驚羨明亮的星光灑過樹枝的美麗。他決定砍下一棵常青樹帶回家。他在樹上放上蠟燭代替他看到過的星星，因?yàn)樗肱c家人一起分享那美麗的景色。
另一個(gè)故事講的是，在冬至(12月21日)這一天，把一棵常青樹搬回家，象征著在死寂的冬天生命的復(fù)蘇。把它與圣誕節(jié)聯(lián)系在一起，只因剛好四天之后便是圣誕節(jié)。德國人把圣誕樹確立為一種圣誕節(jié)的象征，后來又將之帶到了美國。在維多利亞女王時(shí)期的英格蘭，人們把蛋糕和糖果掛在樹上，以后，又用紙做的水果裝飾樹枝?，F(xiàn)在商店賣的圣誕樹裝飾品出現(xiàn)在19世紀(jì)80年代美國的伍爾沃斯百貨商店，而圣誕樹上裝彩燈則始于1882年。
第一批圣誕賀卡是19世紀(jì)40年代在英格蘭和美國寄出的。贈(zèng)送禮物可能源于《圣經(jīng)》，里面寫到，耶穌誕生時(shí)三個(gè)國王帶著禮物從東方來訪問伯利恒。我們知道圣·尼古拉斯也送禮物。后來發(fā)展起來的傳統(tǒng)是在圣誕節(jié)的12天里，從聲稱耶穌誕生的12月25日，到耶穌公開受洗禮的1月6日(主顯節(jié))，每天都送禮。有一首叫做“圣誕節(jié)的12天”的流行歌曲，使每年的這種傳統(tǒng)保持下來。
我們知道，每年的圣誕節(jié)或圣誕老人游行是在19世紀(jì)80年代，由紐約市的梅西百貨公司引入的。如今，在11月底或12月初，圣誕節(jié)游行幾乎在歐美的每個(gè)城鎮(zhèn)舉行。
圣誕節(jié)前的晚上(圣誕節(jié)前夕)，孩子們被鼓勵(lì)說，如果他們希望圣誕老人來的話，就要早些上床睡覺。他們把頭放到枕頭上時(shí)，就在幻想第二天會(huì)帶來什么東西。在圣誕節(jié)前夕，孩子們是看不見圣誕老人的，因?yàn)閷?shí)際上沒有人看見過他、他的雪橇以及他的馴鹿。
在圣誕節(jié)，一家人通常聚在一起吃烤鵝或者烤火雞，還有土豆泥、肉湯、酸果沙司和作為餐末甜點(diǎn)的餡餅或布丁。大眾們會(huì)倒上一、兩杯葡萄酒或其他烈酒。聚到一起時(shí)，家人們公開地交換禮物和表達(dá)感謝之情。孩子們，包括堂、表兄弟姐妹，侄兒、侄女，外甥、外甥女，常常跪在樹前的地板上，興奮地尋找上面定有他們名字的禮物。那天每一個(gè)人都會(huì)受到熱情接待，不管是朋友還是陌生人。
對于很多商人來說，圣誕節(jié)成了一年中生意電繁榮的時(shí)節(jié)。據(jù)估計(jì)，全年銷售收入的很大一部分，來自在圣誕節(jié)前圣誕大采購的一個(gè)多月里。實(shí)際上，已經(jīng)爭論多年的話題是，圣誕節(jié)太商業(yè)化了，而其真正意義在逐漸消失。一個(gè)日益明顯的傾向是每年要買越來越多的貴重禮物。有些人已經(jīng)私下開始反思這種圣誕節(jié)的商業(yè)行為了。玩具制造商及其廣告業(yè)的同伙們，在這個(gè)期間大大地賺了一筆。圣誕采購在圣誕節(jié)后的一天即節(jié)禮日達(dá)到高峰，這個(gè)時(shí)候商店大打折扣，傾銷沒有賣完的圣誕商品。通常，這是一年中最忙的采購日。
圣誕節(jié)在全球廣泛傳播開來。去年，我和妻子住在北京時(shí)，在圣誕節(jié)期間，我們在百貨商店里看到了很多圣誕節(jié)裝飾品，聽到了許多西方圣誕音樂。與加拿大多倫多幾乎沒什么區(qū)別。除了不是和我們的家人在一起，我們就像是在加拿大一樣，慶祝了圣誕節(jié)。在我們家鄉(xiāng)，這個(gè)季節(jié)是一個(gè)特別適合全家一起過的節(jié)日。我們對過去的圣誕節(jié)還有很深刻的印象，也盼望將來有更多值得回憶的圣誕節(jié)。
