圣诞节有什么习俗
圣诞习俗数量众多，包括世俗，宗教，国家，圣诞相关，国与国之间差别很大。大部分人熟悉的圣诞符号及活动，如圣诞树，圣诞火腿，圣诞柴，冬青，槲寄生以及互赠礼物，都是教传教士从早期Asatru异教的冬至假日Yule里吸收而来。对冬至的庆祝早在教到达北欧之前就在那里广为进行了，今天圣诞节一词在斯堪的纳维亚语里依然是异教的jul（或yule）。 圣诞树被认为最早出现在德国。 教宗额我略一世没有试图去禁止流行的异教节日，而是允许教的教士对它们赋予教的意义重新解释，他允许了大部分的习俗继续存在，只是稍加修正，甚至保持原样2。宗教及当局与庆祝者之间的交易使圣诞节得以继续。 在教神权统治繁荣的地区，如克伦威尔治下的英格兰和早期新英格兰殖民地，庆祝活动是被禁止的3。在俄国革命后，圣诞庆祝被苏联苏维埃党禁止了75年。即使在现今一些教派里，例如耶和华见证人、一些基要派和清教徒组织，仍旧把圣诞节看作没有圣经认可的异教徒节日，并拒绝庆祝。
求一篇英语文章.要关于圣诞节的,希望有速度.急.急
Although it is generally agreed that the Christmas tree in its current form came from Germany in the early 19th century, the tradition of decorating a tree to mark winter celebrations dates back hundreds of years to Roman times, when they used to decorate evergreen trees with small pieces of metal to celebrate Saturnalia.
In medieval times the 'Paradise Play' was performed every year on 24 December. This depicted the creation of Man and the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and always included an evergreen hung with apples which represented the apple tree of temptation.
There is a legend that St Boniface, an English monk, came upon a group of pagans gathered around an oak tree who were preparing to sacrifice a child to the God Thor. In order to stop the sacrifice, and save the child's life, St Boniface is said to have felled the tree with one blow of his fist. Later on, a fir tree grew in place of the oak and this, St Boniface told the pagans, was the Tree of Life and represented the Christ Child.
Legend also suggests that, in the late 16th century, Martin Luther (the founder of the Protestant religion) was the first to decorate an indoor tree with candles when he attempted to recreate the stars shining over a forest of evergreens.
The first mention of decorated trees being taken indoors came in 1605 in Germany - a country with a long Christmas tree history! The trees were initially decorated with fruit and sweets together with hand made objects such as quilled snowflakes and stars. German Christmas Markets began to sell shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments which people bought as souvenirs of the fair and took home to hang on their tree.
Tinsel was also invented in Germany in about 1610. Up until fairly recently real silver was used, which was pulled into wafer thin strips by special machines. This was durable but tarnished quickly and many experiments took place to try and find an alternative - including a mix of lead and tin, which was too heavy and kept breaking. It was only in the mid 20th century that a viable alternative was found.
Artificial trees were invented in the 1880's in a bid to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees due to people lopping the tip off large trees, thus preventing the trees from growing any further. It got so bad in Germany that laws had to be brought in to prevent people having more than one tree.
Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, is credited with being responsible for introducing the custom of the Christmas tree to the British public by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841 using candles, sweets, fruit and gingerbread.
The popularity of the Christmas tree grew in Britain during the first half of the 20th century, with trees becoming bigger and more elaborately decorated with bells, baubles and tinsel. However, the onset of the Second World War resulted in a ban on cutting down trees for decoration and people resorted to having small, artificial tabletop trees bearing home made decorations. These were often taken down into the air raid shelters when the sirens sounded to provide a bit of Christmas cheer!
This all changed following the war, and large trees were erected in many public places to celebrate Christmas. The most famous of these is the tree in Trafalgar Square, London which is an annual gift from the Norwegian government to give thanks for the help they received from Britain during the war.
The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in the ancient southeastern Turkish town of Lycia early in the fourth century. His generosity was legend, and he was particularly fond of children. We know this primarily through Roman accounts of his patronage of youth, which eventually led to his becoming the patron saint of children. Throughout the Middle Ages, and well beyond, he was referred to by many names none of them Santa Claus.
Children today would not at all recognize the St. Nick who brought gifts to European children hundreds of years ago except perhaps for his cascading white beard. He made his rounds in full red-and-white bishop's robes, complete with twin peaked miter and crooked crozier. He was pulled by no fleet footed reindeer, but coaxed in indolent donkey. And he arrived not late on Christmas Eve, but on his Christian feast day, December 6. The gifts he left beside the hearth were usually small: fruit, nuts, hard candies, wood and clay figurines.
During the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, St. Nicholas was banished from most European countries. Replacing him were more secular figures, who in general were not at center stage at that point in history..The Dutch kept the St. Nicholas tradition alive. As the "protector of sailors," St. Nicholas graced the prow of the first Dutch ship that arrived in America. And the first church built in New York City was named after him. The Dutch brought with them to the New World two Christmas items that were quickly Americanized.
In sixteenth century Holland, children placed wooden shoes by the hearth the night of St. Nicholas's arrival. The shoes were filled with straw, a meal for the saint's gift laden donkey. In return, Nicholas would insert a small treat into each clog. In America, the shoe was replaced with the stocking, hung by the chimney.
The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas "Saint Nikolass," which in the New World became "Sinterklass". later changed to "Santa Claus".
Much of modern day Santa Claus lore, including the reindeer drawn sleigh, originated in America. Dr. Clement Clarke Moore composed "The Night Before Christmas" in 1822, to read to his children on Christmas Eve. The poem might have remained privately in the Moore family if a friend had not mailed a copy of it (without authorial attribution) to a newspaper and became part of the Santa legend.
It was in America that Santa put on weight. The rosy-cheeked, roly-poly Santa is credited to the influential nineteenth-century cartoonist Thomas Nast. From 1863 until 1886, Nast created a series of Christmas drawings for Harper's Weekly. These drawings, executed over twenty years, exhibit a gradual evolution in Santa from the pudgy, diminutive, elf-like creature of Dr. Moore's immortal poem to the bearded, potbellied, life-size bell ringer familiar on street corners across America today. Nast's cartoons also showed the world how Santa spent his entire year constructing toys, checking on children's behavior, reading their requests for special gifts. His images were incorporated into the Santa lore.
Santa is known throughout the world in many different names, such as:
Saint Nikolaas (Sinter Klaas), from the Dutch Father Christmas, from the English Kris Kringle, from the Germans Befana, from the Italians Bobouschka, from the Russians (a grand motherly figure instead of a male)
圣诞树的故事和圣诞老人的由来
圣诞老人的传说在数千年前的斯堪的纳维亚半岛即出现.北欧神话中司智慧,艺术,诗词,战争的奥丁神,寒冬时节,骑上他那八脚马坐骑驰骋于天涯海角,惩恶扬善,分发礼物.与此同时,其子雷神着红衣以闪电为武器与冰雪诸神昏天黑地恶战一场,最终战胜寒冷.据异教传说,圣诞老人为奥丁神后裔.也有传说称圣诞老人由圣·尼古拉而来,所以圣诞老人也称St.Nicholas.因这些故事大多弘扬精神,其出处,故事情节大多被淡忘,然而圣诞老人却永驻人们精神世界.
每年圣诞日,圣诞老人骑在白羊星座上,圣童手持圣诞树降临人间,随着世迁,作家和艺术家开始把圣诞老人描述成我们今日熟悉的着红装,留白胡子的形象.同时不同的国度和文化对圣诞老人也有了不同的解释.在德国,传说他扮成圣童把坚果和苹果放在孩子们鞋里.他乘双轮马车四处漫游,观察人们的行为,尤其是小孩,如果表现好,将会得到苹果、坚果、糖等诸多奖品.坏孩子则得一鞭子.家长们灵机一动纷纷采用此传说来鼓励孩子们听话.大大超过了新年,成为一个全民的节日.圣诞老人已经成为圣诞节最受喜爱的象征和传统.他赶 着驯鹿,拉着装满玩具和礼物的雪橇挨家挨户给每个孩子送礼物的快乐老精灵的形象已深深地留在人们的记忆中.
11世纪末来自意大利的宗教士兵将Nicholas圣人的遗物带回意大利,并在港口城市Bari建造了一座教堂来纪念他.很快世界各地的教徒纷至沓来朝圣这位圣人.这些朝圣者将圣人Nicholas的故事带回他们的本土,所以有关圣诞老人的传说在各个国家都各具特色.
12世纪欧洲出现了圣人Nicholas纪念日,以互赠礼物和慈善活动为主.德国、法国、荷兰则将12月6日作为宗教纪念日,给孩子和穷人们赠送礼物.
荷兰殖民者来到美洲时,将他们的Sintirklass主教也带了去,Sintirklass身着红袈裟,骑着一匹白马.Sintirklass的美国形象后来逐渐演变成一个快乐的老精灵.起初美国作家.欧文在他的喜剧《纽约的历史》中将他描述成一个又圆又胖的荷兰老人.1823年,诗人Clement Moore在他的诗歌《St.Nicholas印象》中继续将Sintirklass/Saint Nicholas的形象戏剧化,这就是各位在本篇开头看到的圣诞老人.
19世纪60年代卡通制作者Thomas Nash画了一幅胖胖的、慈祥的圣诞老人作为《Harper的一周》的插图.这个圣诞老人的形象开始深深地扎根于美国的脑海中.随着时间的推移,圣诞老人的形象传回欧洲,传到南美洲,传遍世界各地.
许多国家都保存了他们自己有关圣诞老人的风俗和传说.在荷兰的传说中,圣诞老人Sintirklass还带了一个叫Black Peter的助手,乘着一艘船于12月6日来到.他带着一本大书,书中描述了所有荷兰小孩在过去一年中的表现.表现好的小孩就送礼物给他们,不好的小孩便让他的助手带走.
德国的圣诞老人也带着一个叫做Knecht Ruprecht、Krampus或Pelzebock的助手,肩上背着个装着礼物的大袋子,手上拿着一根棍子.好孩子可收到他的礼物,顽皮的孩子却要给教训几棍子.
意大利的圣诞老人叫La Befana ；法国的圣诞老人叫Father Christmas或Pere Noel ；瑞士的圣诞老人叫Christkindl或Christ Child；斯勘的纳维亚地区的圣诞人叫julenisse 或 juletomte ；而英国的圣诞老人和法国一样也叫Father Christmas(圣诞之父),他的形象比其它圣诞老人更庄严,更清瘦一些.北美的圣诞老人便是乘着驯鹿拉的雪橇来给孩子们送礼物的.
圣诞老人的故事
一位专门为好孩子在圣诞节前夜送上礼物的神秘人物.传说每到12月24日晚上,有个神秘人会驾乘由12只驯鹿拉的雪橇,挨家挨户地从烟囱进入屋里,然后偷偷把礼物放在好孩子床头的袜子里,或者堆在壁炉旁的圣诞树下.虽然没有人真的见过神秘人的样子,但是人们通常装扮成头戴红色圣诞帽子,大大的白色胡子,一身红色棉衣,脚穿红色靴子的样子,因为总在圣诞节前夜出现派发礼物,所以习惯地称他为"圣诞老人".1985年和1994年分别有一部同名电影《圣诞老人》公映.圣诞老人源于欧洲的民间传说.通常父母们会对他们的子女解释他们在圣诞节收到的礼物是圣诞老人送的.圣诞老人以一位神秘人物带给小孩子们礼物的概念衍生自圣尼古拉.尼古拉是一位生活在4世纪小亚细亚的好心主教,荷兰人在圣尼古拉斯节（12月6日）便会模仿他送礼物.
每年圣诞节,圣诞老人骑在驯鹿上,圣童手持圣诞树降临人间,随着世迁,作家和艺术家开始把圣诞老人描述成我们今日熟悉的着红装,留白胡子的形象.同时不同的国度和文化对圣诞老人也有了不同的解释.
在许多国家里,圣诞节前夕,孩子们会准备好空的容器,以便圣诞老人可以装进一些小礼物,如玩具、糖果或水果.在美国,孩子们圣诞夜会在壁炉上悬挂圣诞袜,因为圣诞老人说过要在圣诞前夜从烟囱下来把礼物放到袜子里.在其他国家,孩子们把空鞋放到户外,以便圣诞老人可以在圣诞夜（或圣尼古拉斯节前夕的12月5日）送礼物.在德国,传说他扮成圣童把坚果和苹果放在孩子们鞋里.他乘双轮马车四处漫游,观察人们的行为,尤其是小孩,如果表现好,将会得到苹果、坚果、糖等诸多奖品.坏孩子则得一鞭子.家长们灵机一动纷纷采用此传说来鼓励孩子们听话.大大超过了新年,成为一个全民的节日.圣诞老人已经成为圣诞节最受喜爱的象征和传统.他赶着驯鹿,拉着装满玩具和礼物的雪橇挨家挨户给每个孩子送礼物的快乐老精灵的形象已深深地留在人们的记忆中.每年接近圣诞节,总会有（相信有圣诞老人的）小孩子寄信给圣诞老人,内容如告知其自己希望收的圣诞礼物之类,而在某些国家的邮局,为了免让他们失望,更会有专人回复这些信件
圣诞老人此一神秘人物带给小孩子们礼物的概念衍生自圣尼古拉（Saint Nicholas）.尼古拉是一位4世纪生活在小亚细亚的好心主教,荷兰人在圣尼古拉斯节（12月6日）便会模仿他送礼物.经典的快乐圣诞老人头像在北美洲,荷兰和英国殖民者把这一传统融入圣诞节日的庆祝里,荷兰语的圣尼古拉（Sinterklaas）传进英语成为Santa Claus也就相应的成为圣诞老人的人物了.在英籍美国人的传统中,圣诞老人总是快活的在圣诞前夜乘着驯鹿拉的雪橇到来,他从烟囱爬进屋内,留下给孩子们的礼物,并吃掉孩子们为他留下的食物.他在一年中的其他时间里,都是忙于制作礼物和监督孩子们的行为.
法国与圣诞老人类似的形象是Père Noel,他和圣诞老人几乎完全一样,其红白相间的衣服曾经使公司获得灵感,在1930年代画出了传遍世界的圣诞老人形象.在一些文化中,圣诞老人身旁跟随着Knecht Ruprecht,或是称作“黑彼得”（荷文：Zwarte Piet）的家伙.一些版本中,玩具作坊里的侏儒制作了节日礼物,有时圣诞老人与圣诞夫人是夫妻.圣诞季期间,在北美和英国的很多超市里,都有小孩可以向其要礼物的圣诞老人出现.
在冰岛的传说中,圣诞老人并不只一位,而是共有九位圣诞老人,各有不同的性格,有的调皮活泼,有的慈祥温柔.
在许多国家里,圣诞节前夕,孩子们会准备好空的容器,以便圣诞老人可以装进一些小礼物,如玩具、糖果或水果.在美国,孩子们圣诞夜会在壁炉上悬挂圣诞袜,因为圣诞老人说过要在圣诞前夜从烟囱下来把礼物放到袜子里.在其他国家,孩子们把空鞋放到户外,以便圣诞老人可以在圣诞夜（或圣尼古拉斯节前夕的12月5日）送礼.
对于圣诞老人在北极的情形的描绘,巧妙地反映了人们对工业的印象.二十世纪早期,圣诞老人有些形象是他亲自以手工制造玩具,就像小工作坊里的工匠一样.后来,印象变成圣诞老人手下有许多小精灵制造玩具,但玩具依旧是各个精灵以传统手工完成的.等到二十世纪末,西方大众充分接受了大量机器生产的现实.现代对于圣诞老人的住处的描绘,反映了这点：人们幽默地讲说他的住处乃是高度机器化的生产设施,配备了最先进的制造业科技,由精灵还有经理一般的圣诞老婆婆管理.有很多电视广告将这场景经营成公司喜剧,将精灵描绘为心怀不满的员工,搞笑和作弄老板.
