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Can't Stop Christmas圣诞节专辑
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/12/19 12:40  国际在线

  [背景知识]

  Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services. During the Christmas season, they also exchange gifts and decorate their homes with holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees. The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ.

  The first mention of December 25 as the birth date of Jesus occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar. The celebration of this day as Jesus's birth date was probably influenced by pagan festivals held at that time.

  The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery, and joined in singing and gift giving. These customs gradually became part of the Christmas celebration.

  New Christmas customs appeared in the Middle Ages. The most prominent contribution was the carol, which by the 14th century had become associated with the religious observance of the birth of Christ.

  一年一度的圣诞节就要到了,这是西方国家一年当中最盛大的节日之一。先来简单说说圣诞节的历史。圣诞节是基督教世界最大的节日。历史学家们在罗马基督徒习用的日历中发现公元 354年12月25日页内记录着:“基督降生在犹大的伯利恒。”经过研究,一般认为12月25日作为圣诞节可能开始于公元336年的罗马教会。十九世紀,圣诞卡的流行、圣诞老人的出现,圣诞节也开始流行起來了。

  在欧美许多国家里,人们非常重视这个节日,把它和新年连在一起,而庆祝活动的热闹与隆重大大超过了新年,成为一个全民的节日。这一天,世界所有的基督教会都举行特別的礼拜仪式。但是有很多圣诞节的欢庆活动和宗教并无半点关联。交换礼物,寄圣诞卡,这都使圣诞节成为一个普天同庆的节日。


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