关于圣诞节的英语小短文

Christmas

theFeastofChristmas

Itisnoteasytopin-pointtheoriginsoftheChristmasfeast,todaythemoreimportantfeastoftheChristmasseasoninmostwesternChristianchurches.OnecanonlysayforcertainthatthebirthofJesusChristwasbeingcelebratedinRomebytheyear336A.D.;afterwardsthefeastwascelebratedinotherChristianchurchesthroughouttheworld.

WhyitwascelebratedonDecember25thisanotherquestion.NodateforthebirthofJesuscanbefoundintheNewTestament,whichisconcernedmorewiththequestion"WhoisJesus?"thanthedateofhisbirth.EarlyChristianspeculationabouthisbirthdatewasinfluencedbythesymbolismofthechangingseasons,thenpopularinreligiousthought,whichpaidcarefulattentiontotheequinoxesandsolsticesofthesun.ChristianscholarsspeculatedthatJesuswasconceivedatthespringequinox(March25th)andthereforewasbornonDecember25th,thedateofthewintersolstice.

InmanyoftheChristianchurches,March25thisstilltheFeastoftheAnnunciation,whentheAngelGabrielannouncedtoMarythatshewastobethemotherofJesus.

PossibleimpluseforthefeastofChristmasmayhavecametoofromtheestablishmentofthepaganfeastofthe"UnconqueredSun-God"bytheEmperorAurelianin274A.D.tobecelebratedonDecember25,thedayofthewintersolsticeinRomeandthroughouttheempire.Inresponse,Christianscouldcelebratethefeastofthe"Sunofrighteousness"(Malachi4,2),JesusChrist,whocalledhimself"thelightoftheworld."

FatherChristmas

Itissaidthatintheyearof300AD,therewasakindoldmanandhisnamewasSaintNicholas.Hewasalwaysreadytohelpthepoorandoftengavepresentstothem.

Today,FatherChristmasisanimaginaryfigure,butnearlyallyoungchildrenbelieveinhim.Theythinkheisahappyoldmanwithalongwhitebeardandalongredrobe.

Onthenightofthetwenty-fourthofDecembereveryyear,FatherChristmasfromsomecoldnorthernlandcomesdownthechimneyofthefireplacetoputpresentsbythebedsofchildrenortofilltheirstockings.Sowhenchildrengotobedthatnight,theyhanguptheirstockings,andonChristmasmorningtheywaketofindthemfullofpresents.Ofcourse,it'sreallytheirparentswhofillthestockings.

AnothernameforFatherChristmasisSantaClaus.

Fortoday'sChristian,theoriginofChristmasis,andshouldbe,thebirthofJesusChristasrecordedintheBible.Nothingmoreandnothingless.However,mostofwhatwewitnessonDecember25theachyearhasabsolutelynothingtodowiththatblessedday,whichprobablyoccurredinlatesummerorearlyfallabout2,000yearsago.Infact,mostofthecustomsandtraditionsofChristmasactuallypre-datethebirthofJesus,andmanyofthemaredownrightdeceptiveintheirmeaningandorigin.Anyway,whocareswhenChristwasborn?

ChristmasDay,the25thofDecember,isthebiggestfestival(节日)celebratedintheChristiancountriesoftheworld.AlthougheveryoneenjoysChristmasDay,itisparticularlyenjoyedbychildren,whogetveryexcitedbecauseofthepresentstheyknowtheyaregoingtoreceive.SmallchildrenbelievethattheirpresentsarebroughtbyFatherChristmas(圣诞老人).FatherChristmasisakindofoldmanwho,thechildrenaretold,livesattheNorthPole.Hetravelsthroughtheskyonasleigh(雪撬)whichispulledbyreindeers(驯鹿)andloadedwith(装满)presents.Stoppingontheroofofhouses,heentersbyclimbingthechimney(烟囱).WhensmallchildrengotobedonChristmasEve,theyhangastockingattheendoftheirbeds.TheirparentswarnthemnottotrytolookatFatherChristmas,orhewillnotleavethemanything.Whentheywake,theyfindtheirstockingsfilledwithpresents.ChildrenareveryexcitedonChristmasmorningandalwayswakeupearly.

Christmasisalsoafamilycelebration.Asanymembersofthefamilyaspossiblegathertoeat,playpartygamesandwatchthespecialChristmasprogrammesonTV.

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