1、WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?,Christmas is a Christian holiday. It commemorates（纪念，庆祝）the birth of Jesus Christ（耶稣基督） more than 2,000 years ago. Christian churches hold religious services to celebrate Christmas. At midnight on Christmas Eve, most churches hold special candlelight services. But Christmas is als
2、o a social and family holiday. It is a festival of goodwill, a time for family, friends, food, and gift-giving. Many Americans share Christmas cookies, decorate their homes, and place presents under the family Christmas tree. Children often hang up stockings for Santa Claus（圣诞老人） to fill with small
3、gifts. According to tradition, Santa arrives on a sleigh（雪橇） pulled by reindeer（驯鹿）. Presents are usually opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.,THE ROOTS OF CHRISTMAS,No one knows exactly when Jesus Christ（基督） was born. For many years, local Christian churches celebrated Christs birth at differe
4、nt times. Then, in the ad 300s, the Roman Catholic Church set the birth date at December 25. At that time, older non-Christian festivals were celebrated around Christmas. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia（农神节，12月17日起持续七天）, a festival honoring their god of harvest and god of light. Other Europeans hel
5、d festivals in mid-December marking the end of the harvest season. The Roman Catholic Church probably chose December 25 to give a Christian meaning to these older festivals. The Orthodox Church, the Christian church in the east, also began using December 25 as the birth date of Jesus. But the Orthod
6、ox Church places more importance on celebrating Jesus baptism（洗礼） on January 6.,Enhance the festive atmosphere（tm,sfi 气氛）,Be made of evergreen（常绿树）such as cypress （saipris柏树）,Decorated with a variety of candles ,flowers ,toys ,stars,Westerners with red, green and white color for the Christmas colors
7、, Christmas comes every household is decorated with Christmas colors. RedColored with Christmas flowers and Christmas candles. Green is the Christmas tree. It is the main Christmas ornaments（装饰物）, with the cut to the cedar (si:d 雪松）, cypress （saipris柏树）tower was a class of decorated evergreen tree.
8、Hanging above the colorful lights, gifts and paper flowers, but also lit（light的过去式） the Christmas candles.,西方人以红、绿、白三色为圣诞色，圣诞节来临时家家户户都要用圣诞色来装饰。红 色的有圣诞花和圣诞蜡烛。绿色的是圣诞树。它是圣诞节的主要装饰品，用砍伐来的杉、 柏一类呈塔形的常青树装饰而成。上面悬挂着五颜六色的彩灯、礼物和纸花，还点燃着圣诞蜡烛。,Father Christmas (another name),imaginary figureA happy old man with a
9、long white beard and a long red robe（袍子，礼服),Saint Nicholas （圣尼古拉斯）,One specifically for the boy to send a gift on Christmas Eve the mysterious figure(人物）. Legend to December 24 every night, a mysterious people driving by the 12 reindeer（驯鹿） sleigh（坐雪橇走）, going door to door into the house from the ch
10、imney（烟囱）, and then secretly put presents under the bed of the socks boy, or heap（n.一堆，堆积） under the Christmas tree near the fireplace（壁炉）. While no one really ever seen the man look like, but people often dress up as wearing a red Christmas hat, big white beard, a red coat, wearing red boots look l
11、ike, because there are always gifts on Christmas Eve, so accustomed to call him Santa Claus.,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。,Major food: turke
12、y or roast goose puddings （布丁） a variety of cookies (the golden butter cookies, fruit cookies and so on),Eating turkey is popular in the Unite States from 1620.,Although the foods served for Christmas dinner may vary from family to family(and from country to country),typical items usually found at a
13、n American familys Christmas dinner would include turkey and dressing（调味料） (or sometimes chicken,duck, goose or ham), potatoes and gravy,sweet potatoes,green vegetables, cranberry, sauce, nuts, fruits ,fruit-cake, plum pudding, pumpkin and apple pies and sweets.Eggnog is usually the favorite drink f
14、or the whole family.尽管提供食品服务的圣诞大餐可能会有所变动,从每个家庭的(从国家),最典型的项目通常发现，在美国家庭的圣诞晚餐包括土耳其和敷料(或有时鸡、鸭、鹅或火腿)、土豆和肉汤、甜薯、青菜、小红莓、酱油、坚果、水果、水果蛋糕、李子布丁、南瓜和苹果派和糖果。蛋奶酒通常是全家最喜欢喝。,The specifics of family Christmas celebrations can have as many variations as there are families.Typically families will open presents either on
15、Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.Members may open them at the same time , one at a time, or have some other type of family tradition.Many Christian families will have a birthday cake for Jesus,and singHappy Birthday to Him,in keeping with American birthday celebrations.Christmas is a season where huma
16、nity saysThank youfor Gods love by sharing it with and showing it to others.欢乐的圣诞庆祝活动的细节可以有许多因为不同的家庭。典型的家庭就会打开礼物或者在圣诞前夜或圣诞节的日子。成员可打开他们的同时,一次一件,或者有一些其他类型的家庭的传统很多基督徒家庭将举办一个生日蛋糕给耶稣,唱“生日快乐”,以保持他与美国生日庆祝圣诞节是一个人类中说“谢谢”因为神的爱,分享它、展示它给别人。,CELEBRATIONS,For many Chinese,Christmas mean a time for joy and fun rat
17、her than a religious event.Its popular with the young people and they are excited about shopping,eating ,dating and having parties and holding Christmas eve festivity.And of course,Children are eager to receive gifts from Santa Claus.对于许多华人,圣诞节意味着时间喜悦和乐趣,而不是一种宗教活动这是受年轻人和他们兴奋的购物、饮食、约会和参加聚会,拿着圣诞夜节日当然,孩子们很愿意收到礼物圣诞老人。,CHRISTMAS IN CHINA,Thats allThank you,
