圣诞节的英文资料
christmasisachristianholidaythatcelebratesthebirthofjesuschrist.nooneknowstheexactdateofchrist'sbirth,butmostchristiansobservechristmasondecember25.onthisday,manygotochurch,wheretheytakepartinspecialreligiousservices.duringthechristmasseason,theyalsoexchangegiftsanddecoratetheirhomeswithholly,mistletoe,andchristmastrees.thewordchristmascomesfromcristesmaesse,anearlyenglishphrasethatmeansmassofchrist.thestoryofchristmascomeschieflyfromthegospelsofsaintlukeandsaintmatthewinthenewtestament.
thehistoryofchristmasdatesbackover4000years.manyofourchristmastraditionswerecelebratedcenturiesbeforethechristchildwasborn.the12daysofchristmas,thebrightfires,theyulelog,thegivingofgifts,carnivals(parades)withfloats,carolerswhosingwhilegoingfromhousetohouse,theholidayfeasts,andthechurchprocessionscanallbetracedbacktotheearlymesopotamians.
manyofthesetraditionsbeganwiththemesopotamiancelebrationofnewyears.themesopotamiansbelievedinmanygods,andastheirchiefgod-marduk.eachyearaswinterarriveditwasbelievedthatmardukwoulddobattlewiththemonstersofchaos.toassistmardukinhisstrugglethemesopotamiansheldafestivalforthenewyear.thiswaszagmuk,thenewyear'sfestivalthatlastedfor12days.
thepersiansandthebabylonianscelebratedasimilarfestivalcalledthesacaea.partofthatcelebrationincludedtheexchangingofplaces,theslaveswouldbecomethemastersandthemastersweretoobey.theancientgreeksheldafestivalsimilartothatofthezagmuk/sacaeafestivalstoassisttheirgodkronoswhowouldbattlethegodzeusandhistitans.
theroman'scelebratedtheirgodsaturn.theirfestivalwascalledsaturnaliawhichbeganthemiddleofdecemberandendedjanuary1st.withcriesof"josaturnalia!"thecelebrationwouldincludemasqueradesinthestreets,bigfestivemeals,visitingfriends,andtheexchangeofgood-luckgiftscalledstrenae(luckyfruits).theromansdeckedtheirhallswithgarlandsoflaurelandgreentreeslitwithcandles.againthemastersandslaveswouldexchangeplaces.
"josaturnalia!"wasafunandfestivetimefortheromans,butthechristiansthoughtitanabominationtohonorthepagangod.theearlychristianswantedtokeepthebirthdayoftheirchristchildasolemnandreligiousholiday,notoneofcheerandmerrimentaswasthepagansaturnalia.
somelegendsclaimthatthechristian"christmas"celebrationwasinventedtocompeteagainstthepagancelebrationsofdecember.the25thwasnotonlysacredtotheromansbutalsothepersianswhosereligionmithraismwasoneofchristianity'smainrivalsatthattime.thechurcheventuallywassuccessfulintakingthemerriment,lights,andgiftsfromthesaturaniliafestivalandbringingthemtothecelebrationofchristmas.
theexactdayofthechristchild'sbirthhasneverbeenpinpointed.traditionssaythatithasbeencelebratedsincetheyear98ad.in137adthebishopofromeorderedthebirthdayofthechristchildcelebratedasasolemnfeast.in350adanotherbishopofrome,ju***,choosedecember25thastheobservanceofchristmas.
thebirthofjesushadastory:innazareth,acityofgalilee.thevirgin'snamewasmarywasbetrothedtojoseph.beforetheycametogether,shewasfoundwithchildoftheholyspirit.josephherhusbandwasmindedtoputherawaysecretly.whilehethoughtaboutthesethings,gabriel,anangelofthelordappearedtohiminadreamandtoldhimdidnotbeafraidtotakemaryaswife.andmarywillbringforthason,andheshallcallhisname,jesus,forhewillsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.
beforejesusbirths,josephandmarycametoquirniuswasgoverningsyria.soallwenttoberegistered,everyonetohisowncity.josephalsowentupoutofgalilee,outofthecityofnazareth,intojudea,tothecityofdavid,whichiscalledbethlehem,becausehewasofthehouseandofthelineageofdavid,toberegisteredwithmary,hisbetrothedwife,whowaswithchild.soitwasthatwhiletheywerethere,thedayswerecompletedforhertobedelivered.andshebroughtforthherfirstbornson,andwrappedhiminswaddlingcloths,andlaidhiminamanger,becausetherewasnoroomforthemintheinn.
andthat,christmasisthefeastofthenativityofjesus,ison25th,decembereveryyear.butnobodyknowstheactualbirthdayofjesus.andthechristmashasbecomepopularwhenchristmascardsappearedin1846andtheconceptofajollysantaclauswasfirstmadepopularinnineteenthcentury.
thecustomofgivinggiftstorelativesandfriendsonaspecialdayinwinterprobablybeganinancientromeandnortherneurope.intheseregions,peoplegaveeachothersmallpresentsaspartoftheiryear-endcelebrations.
inthe1800's,twomorechristmascustomsbecamepopular--decoratingchristmastreesandsendingchristmascardstorelativesandfriends.manywell-knownchristmascarols,including``silentnight"and``hark!theheraldangelssing,"werecomposedduringthisperiod.intheunitedstatesandothercountries,santaclausreplacedsaintnicholasasthesymbolofgiftgiving.
thewordxmasissometimesusedinsteadofchristmas.thistraditionbeganintheearlychristianchurch.ingreek,xisthefirstletterofchrist'sname.itwasfrequentlyusedasaholysymbol.
