染雾Title: The Origin of Christmas
篇一 (Article One)
Christmas is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25th, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. The origin of Christmas can be traced back to ancient pagan celebrations and Christian traditions.
In ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated with a festival called Saturnalia, which lasted for seven days. This festival honored Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, and included feasting, gift-giving, and merry-making. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the early Christians sought to replace these pagan festivals with a Christian celebration.
The exact date of Jesus' birth is not mentioned in the Bible, and it was not until the 4th century that December 25th was chosen as the official date for Christmas by Pope Julius I. This date coincided with the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the celebration of the birth of the sun god, Sol Invictus.
Over the centuries, Christmas traditions have evolved and incorporated elements from various cultures. The practice of decorating evergreen trees can be traced back to ancient pagan rituals, where evergreen trees symbolized fertility and rebirth. The tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace originated from the story of St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop known for his generosity, who would secretly throw coins into the stockings of poor girls.
In the 19th century, the modern image of Santa Claus began to take shape. Influenced by the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, Santa Claus became associated with Christmas and gift-giving. The story of Santa Claus flying in a sleigh pulled by reindeer was popularized in the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore.
Today, Christmas is celebrated by billions of people around the world, regardless of their religious beliefs. It is a time for family gatherings, exchanging gifts, and spreading joy and goodwill. While the true meaning of Christmas may vary for each individual, it remains a time to celebrate love, hope, and the spirit of giving.
篇二 (Article Two)
The origin of Christmas is deeply rooted in Christian traditions and the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for them in the inn. This event is central to the celebration of Christmas and is often depicted in nativity scenes.
The word "Christmas" comes from the Old English phrase "Christes maesse," which means "Christ's mass." The mass was a religious service held to commemorate the birth of Christ. It was first celebrated in the 4th century by the early Christian Church and has since become an integral part of Christmas festivities.
The celebration of Christmas as we know it today developed over time and incorporated various customs and traditions from different cultures. The exchange of gifts during Christmas originated from the biblical story of the three wise men, who presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus. This act of giving symbolizes the generosity and love associated with Christmas.
The tradition of hanging mistletoe dates back to ancient Druid rituals. It was believed to have mystical powers and was associated with fertility and protection. Kissing under the mistletoe became a popular Christmas custom in the 18th century and continues to be practiced today.
Another popular Christmas tradition is the singing of carols. Carols are festive songs that tell the story of Jesus' birth and spread joy and cheer during the holiday season. The tradition of caroling originated in medieval Europe and has since become a beloved part of Christmas celebrations worldwide.
In conclusion, the origin of Christmas can be traced back to ancient pagan celebrations and Christian traditions. It has evolved over time to become a global holiday celebrated by people of different cultures and religions. Christmas is a time for reflection, gratitude, and spreading love and kindness to others.
圣诞节的由来英文版「带翻译」 篇三
圣诞节的由来英文版「带翻译」
导语：12月25日，是基督教徒纪念耶稣诞生的日子，称为圣诞节。你知道圣诞节的由来英文是什么吗?下面是小编为您收集整理的资料，希望对您有所帮助。
Christmas Day-December 25-which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ， the founder of the Christian religion， is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States.
According to the Bible， the holy book of Christians， God decided to allow his only son， Jesus Christ， to be born to a human mother and live on earth so that people could understand God better and learn to love God and each other more. "Christmas"- meaning "celebration of Christ "- honors the time when Jesus was born to a young Jewish woman Mary.
Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph， a carpenter， but before they came together， she was found to be with child. Because Joseph， her husband， was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace， he had in mind to porce her quietly. But after he had considered this， an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said， "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife， because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son， and you are to give him the name Jesus， because he will save his people from their sins."
Although the exact date of the birth of Jesus nearly 2，000 years ago is not known， the calendar on the supposed date pides all time into B.C. (Before Christ )and A.D. ( a Latin phrase， Anno Domini， "in the year of our Lord.")For the first 300 years， Jesus’ birthday was celebrated on different dates. Finally， in the year 354， church leaders chose December 25 as his birthday.
圣诞节只是基督徒庆祝其信仰的耶稣基督(jīdū)诞生的庆祝日。圣诞节的庆祝与基督教同时产生，被推测始于西元1世纪。很长时间以来圣诞节的日期都是没有确定的，因为耶稣确切的出生日期是存在争议的，除了《新约》以外，没有任何记载提到过耶稣;《新约》不知道日期，当然就没有人知道确切日期了。在西元后的头三百年间，耶稣的生日是在不同的日子庆祝的。西元3世纪以前的作家们想把圣诞日定在春分日上下。直到西元3世纪中期，基督教在罗马合法化以后，西元354年罗马主教指定儒略历12月25日为耶稣诞生日。现在的'圣诞节日期跟西元纪年的创制是密不可分的。
西元纪年创制于西元5世纪，后来圣诞节这一天就按格里高利历法，即西元纪年的“公历”来确定了，而日历按着假定日期把时间分为公元前(耶稣基督诞生前)和公元后(A. D. 是拉丁文缩写，意思是“有了我们主--耶稣的年代”)。后来，虽然普遍教会都接受12月25日为圣诞节，但又因各地教会使用的历书不同，具体日期不能统一，于是就把12月24日到第二年的1月6日定为圣诞节节期(Christmas Tide)，各地教会可根据当地具体情况在这段节期之内庆祝圣诞节。西方教会，包括罗马天主教、英国圣公会和新教，确定的圣诞日是公历的12月25日。东正教会确定的圣诞日是公历1月7日(实际上是叫“主显日”)，这与东正教没有接受格里高利历改革和接受修正后的儒略历有关，因此把圣诞节在1900年到2099年的这一段时间内将延迟到1月7日。保加利亚和罗马尼亚也是东正教区，但圣诞节日期上遵循西欧习惯为12月25日，但复活节则遵从习惯。而最古老的基督教会亚美尼亚使徒教会确定的是公历1月6日，同时亚美尼亚教会更关注主显节，而不是圣诞节。圣诞节也是西方世界以及其他很多地区的公共假日，例如:在亚洲的香港、马来西亚和新加坡。世界上的非基督徒只是把圣诞节当作一个世俗的文化节日看待。
教会开始并无圣诞节，约在耶稣升天后百余年内才有。据说:第一个圣诞节是在公元138年，由罗马主教圣克里门倡议举行。而教会史载第一个圣诞节则在公元336年。由于圣经未明记耶稣生于何时，故各地圣诞节日期各异。直到公元440年，才由罗马教廷定12月25日为圣诞节。公元1607年，世界各地教会领袖在伯利恒聚会，进一步予以确定，从此世界大多数的基督徒均以12月25日为圣诞节。十九世纪，圣诞卡的流行、圣诞老人的出现，圣诞节也开始流行起来了。
这个词的含义是指“基督的弥撒(Christ’s mass)”，即“为基督的一次聚餐”。这个仪式源自《新约》的“最后的晚餐”。而“基督的弥撒(Christ’s mass)”这个词是希腊语和拉丁语的拼凑，因为Christ来自希腊语Χριστ??，意思本来只是指犹太人的“受膏者”，引申为救世主;而mass来自拉丁语missa，本意为散会(dismissal)，引申为基督教会感恩聚会。所以有时又缩写为“Xmas”。这可能是因为 X 类似于希腊字母 Χ(Chi);Χ 是“基督”的希腊语 Χριστ??ì(Christos)中的首个字母。为了尊重其它信仰的人士，以淡化圣诞节的宗教色彩。荷兰语名称类似英语，称作Kerstroeten。圣诞节西班牙语称为Navidad(或Pascuas)，葡萄牙语称为Festas，波兰语称为Narodzenie
