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(節(jié)日)celebratedintheChristiancountriesoftheworld.AlthougheveryoneenjoysChristmasDay,itisparticularlyenjoyedbychildren,whogetveryexcitedbecauseofthepresentstheyknowtheyaregoingtoreceive.SmallchildrenbelievethattheirpresentsarebroughtbyFatherChristmas(圣誕老人).FatherChristmasisakindofoldmanwho,thechildrenaretold,livesattheNorthPole.Hetravelsthroughtheskyonasleigh(雪撬)whichispulledbyreindeers(馴鹿)andloadedwith(裝滿)presents.Stoppingontheroofofhouses,heentersbyclimbingthechimney(煙囪).WhensmallchildrengotobedonChristmasEve,theyhangastockingattheendoftheirbeds.TheirparentswarnthemnottotrytolookatFatherChristmas,orhewillnotleavethemanything.Whentheywake,theyfindtheirstockingsfilledwithpresents.ChildrenareveryexcitedonChristmasmorningandalwayswakeupearly.

　　Christmasisalsoafamilycelebration.Asanymembersofthefamilyaspossiblegathertoeat,playpartygamesandwatchthespecialChristmasprogrammesonTV.