Vivian8685
Christmas In AUSTRALIAFor the majority of Australians, Christmas Downunder has all the glitter, tinsel and razzmatazz of a Christmas in New York, London Paris or Vancouver. The major difference is one of WEATHER....Christmas Down Under is never White. Snow has rarely fallen if ever on this date, Down Under. We have during past Christmases experienced all the seasonal variations of a Summer Down Under.....electrical storms, floods, hailstorms, cyclones and bushfires. But 80% of the time we are blessed with blue skies and depending on our Australian location, temperatures ranging from 25-38 degrees centigrade. Currently it is Summer Down Under and daily temperatures range from 30-40 degrees centigrade on the mainland. Tamania is always slightly cooler. Christmas is special to the majority of Australians for it is our Summer Holiday season and students especially are "wrapping" up their school year. That means sitting for end of Semester tests or exams and waiting for their results, as well as getting ready for the Summer Holidays. For the majority of Australian students this means ...SUN....SURF....SHOPPING. For students it means an end to homework and school studies and the beginning of lots of time for family, relatives and "mates". Our neighbours, the "Kiwis" or New Zealanders are actually the first ones to really celebrate the joyous day of Christmas. New Zealand is the first country immediately west of the international date line. So we're sorry most of American friends have to wait an extra day for Christmas. So how do we REALLY celebrate Christmas? You must remember that Australia, though huge in size, has a population of just over 18 million people. Our country is a harmonious mix of many ethnic groups. Our backgrounds are very varied....our people have connections with England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Europe, Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Middle East, Vietnam, China, Japan, Thailand as well as North and South America. So you can imagine that each of these national groups brings the colour ,customs and festive rituals of the Christmas celebrated in their respective homelands. As Australians we are able to appreciate culturally diverse Christmas celebrations. However, up until 30 years ago, our Christmas celebrations were heavily influenced by our original Anglo-Celtic influences. The English style of Christmas served as our model for celebrating Christmas.......right down to the traditional roast turkey and steamed pudding in over 35 degree heat. Today with the huge influx of overseas migrants our Christmas celebrations are heavily influenced by the ethnicity of families involved. Common sense is prevailing today in terms of weather. Traditional dinners have been replaced with family gatherings in back yards, picnics in parks, gardens and on the beach. For many, it is the occasion to be with friends and relatives, to share love and friendship and not to forget, the exchange of gifts in the traditional manner. For many, it is of course a time to enjoy and consume massive quantities of food. A typical Christmas menu could include seafood, glazed ham, cold chicken, duck or turkey, cold deli meats, pasta, salads galore, desserts of all types, fruit salad, pavlovas, ice-cream plus Christmas edibles of all varieties such as mince pies,fruit cake, shortbread, chocolates etc. There has been a suggestion that "Swag Man" take over Santa's franchise Down Under!!! There is a lot of concern about Santa Claus perhaps suffering heat stroke whilst Down Under. "Swag Man" wears a brown Akubra, a blue singlet and long baggy shorts. He spends all winter under Uluru with his merry dingoes and then at Christmas time, he gets in his huge four-wheel drive and sets off through the red dust to deliver his presents. For those interested, the first official Christmas Down Under was celebrated on the 25th December,1788 at Sydney Cove by Reverend Johnson. After the service, Governor Arthur Phillips and his officers dined heartily, toasting the King of England and his family. But for the majority of the first white inhabitants...the convicts....there was no change to their regular menu... bread rations only. The only goodwill which seemed to have been displayed was to Michael Dennison. He was a convict who stole a pound of flour from Martha Pugh. He was sentenced to 200 lashes by the whip. But since it was Christmas, only 150 were delivered. Currently everyone is beginning to get ready for the "silly season". Everyone is busily planning Christmas break-up parties. Children are writing letters to Santa Claus. Decorations are being bought and set up. Shopping centres and malls are experiencing record breaking crowds. In homes, many of the traditional Christmas rituals are being followed. Many children are helping to decorate the family Christmas tree. We have yet to follow the American ritual of getting "real" Christmas trees......though some do use gum tree branches. Children are learning Christmas Carols so that they may be sung at festive occasions such as public "Carols by Candlelight" and school concerts. Christmas stockings are being hung in homes....though fireplaces are in short supply. Cards galore are being written and posted. Everyone awaits.......the anticipation is high! It must also be mentioned that with all the glitter, tinsel and razzmatazz.......Australians consider Christmas a time for remembering the true meaning of Christmas.........a time for remembering the birth of Jesus and the spiritual meaning of Christmas . For many, Christmas will begin with families attending a mid-night mass. 70% of Australians are either Catholic, Anglican or Lutheran. After the mid-night Mass, a little sleep is attempted. For many, the children in various households, wake up the family at dawn. Gifts are unwrapped and the joy of Christmas begins. For many with relatives and friends overseas, it is a mad scramble to get an early phone call to relatives worldwide. Christmas In BRITISH ISLESMany of our current American ideals about the way Christmas ought to be derive from the English Victorian Christmas, such as that described in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The caroling, the gifts, the feast, and the wishing of good cheer to all - these ingredients came together to create that special Christmas atmosphere. The custom of gift-giving on Christmas dates only to Victorian times. Before then it was more common to exchange gifts on New Year's Day or Twelfth Night. Santa Claus is known by British children as Father Christmas. Father Christmas, these days, is quite similar to the American Santa, but his direct ancestor is a certain pagan spirit who regularly appeared in medieval mummer's plays. The old-fashioned Father Christmas was depicted wearing long robes with sprigs of holly in his long white hair. Children write letters to Father Christmas detailing their requests, but instead of dropping them in the mailbox, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draft carries the letters up the chimney, and theoretically, Father Christmas reads the smoke. Gifts are opened Christmas afternoon. From the English we get a story to explain the custom of hanging stockings from the mantelpiece. Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts. The custom of singing carols at Christmas is also of English origin. During the middle ages, groups of serenades called "waits" would travel around from house to house singing ancient carols and spreading the holiday spirit. The word "carol" means "song of joy." Most of the popular old carols we sing today were written in the nineteenth century. The hanging of greens, such as holly and ivy, is a British winter tradition with origins far before the Christian era. Greenery was probably used to lift sagging winter spirits and remind the people that spring was not far away. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is descended from ancient Druid rites. The decorating of Christmas trees, though primarily a German custom, has been widely popular in England since 1841 when Prince Albert had a Christmas tree set up in Windsor Castle for his wife Queen Victoria, and their children. The word "wassail" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon phrase waes hael, which means "good health." Originally, wassail was a beverage made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, nuts, eggs, and spices. It was served for the purpose of enhancing the general merriment of the season. Like many of the ancient customs, "wassailing" has a legend to explain its origin. It seems that a beautiful Saxon maiden named Rowena presented Prince Vortigen with a bowl of wine while toasting him with the words "Waes hael." Over the centuries a great deal of ceremony had developed around the custom of drinking wassail. The bowl is carried into a room with great fanfare, a traditional carol about the drink is sung, and finally, the steaming hot beverage is served. For many years in England, a roasted boar's head has been associated with Holiday feasting. The custom probably goes back to the Norse practice of sacrificing a boar at Yuletide in honor of the god Freyr. One story tells of a student at Oxford's Queen College who was attacked on Christmas Day by a wild boar. All he had in his hand to use as a weapon was his copy of Aristotle, so he shoved the book down the boar's throat. Wanting to retrieve his book, the student cut off the animal's head and brought it back to the college where it was served for Christmas dinner with much pomp and ceremony. The celebration of Boxing Day, which takes place on December 26 - the feast of St. Stephen, is a part of the holiday season unique to Great Britain. Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor. Also, this is the day that servants traditionally got the day off to celebrate with their families. It became traditional for working people to break open their tip boxes on this day. Boxing Day began in the mid-nineteenth century when the custom of tipping by rich persons to persons in service positions had apparently gotten out of hand. Children and others pretended to be in the trades and solicited tips. The custom was expanded to giving to anyone and everyone who had less money than you did, and soon the streets at Christmastime were full of aggressive soliciting of tips. To contain the nuisance "Boxing Day" was designated as the one day for giving to the less fortunate.
青笋丝爱吃榴莲
Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows the exact date of Christs birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25.
圣诞节是一个基督教节日，庆祝耶稣基督的诞生。没有人知道基督诞生的确切日期，但大多数基督徒在12月25日庆祝圣诞节。
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.
这一天，世界所有的基督教会都举行特别的礼拜仪式。圣诞节期间，人们交换礼物，寄圣诞卡，用冬青、槲寄生和圣诞树装饰他们的家。
The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ. The story of Christmas comes chiefly from the Gospels of Saint Luke and Saint Matthew in the New Testament.
圣诞节这个词来自克里斯蒂斯·梅斯，一个早期的英语短语，意思是基督弥撒。圣诞节的故事主要来自新约中的圣卢克福音和圣马太福音。
舜井街的猫
Christmas DayIn Britain, Christmas Day is normally spent at home, with the family, and it is regarded as a celebration of the family and its continuity. Preparations start well in advance, with the sending of Christmas cards and installation of a decorated Christmas tree in a prominent place in the home. Although it is now a firmly established tradition, the Christmas tree was first popularised by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, who introduced the custom from his native Germany in 1840.Some houses are decorated with evergreens (plants which do not lose their leaves in winter); a wreath of holly on the front door and garlands of holly, ivy and fir indoors. Bunches of mistletoe are often hung above doorways - any couple passing underneath must exchange kisses! Traditional food is prepared: sweet mince pies, a rich Christmas cake and the Christmas pudding. Everyone has their own favourite recipe, but they’re all packed full of spices, nuts, dried fruit and brandy.Presents are bought and wrapped, and traditionally placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Christmas is both a secular and a religious holiday, and many families like to attend a midnight service at church on Christmas Eve, or celebrate Christmas in church on Christmas morning.The excitement begins for children on Christmas Eve, when they hang up their stockings (an old sock or, more ambitiously, pillow cases) around the fireplace or at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas to fill with presents. The English Father Christmas or Santa Claus is first recorded in his traditional red and white outfit in a woodcut of 1653, but the story of Santa arriving in his reindeer-drawn sleigh and descending down the chimney to fill children’s stockings with presents derives from the USA.Practically everyone sits down to a Christmas dinner in the early afternoon of Christmas Day, traditionally roast turkey, but some families prefer goose or roast beef. The turkey is followed by the Christmas pudding, brought to the table flaming hot. Brandy is poured over the pudding, then lit. After dinner, everyone relaxes by going for a walk, playing games, enjoying their presents or watching television.在英国，圣诞节往往在家和家人一起过，且被视为对家庭和睦的一种庆祝。准备工作很早就开始了，大家寄贺卡且在家最显眼的地方装饰圣诞树。尽管这已经成为了根深蒂固的传统，圣诞树最早是由维多利亚女王的丈夫，阿尔伯特王子在1840年从德国引入这一风俗，且开始流行起来。一些房子用常青植物（冬天不会掉叶子的植物）装点；前门挂圣洁的花圈，屋内用圣洁的花冠，常春藤和皮毛装饰。一捆捆的槲寄生经常放在门口上方——任何从下走过的情侣都必须互吻！要准备的传统食物：甜馅的派，一个花式的圣诞蛋糕和圣诞布丁。人人都有自己喜爱的食谱，但都用足了香料，坚果，干果和白兰地。礼物是买来包好的，通常都是在圣诞夜摆放在圣诞树下的。圣诞节也是世俗的宗教节日，许多家庭喜欢在圣诞夜去教堂参加午夜活动，或者在圣诞节早上去教堂庆祝圣诞。圣诞节最兴奋的要属孩子了，他们在壁炉边或者床角挂起袜子（一只旧袜子，或者贪心点，一个枕头），来装圣诞老人的礼物。英国的圣诞老人或者叫Santa Claus最先在1653年被木刻下来，穿着传统的红白服饰，但是关于圣诞老人坐驯鹿拉的雪撬来，并且下到烟囱里给孩子送礼物的故事却是来源于美国的。实际上，人人都在圣诞节那天下午早早地坐下吃圣诞晚餐，烤火鸡是传统食物，但有些家庭更喜欢鹅或者烤牛肉。在圣诞布丁之后上的菜就是热气腾腾的火鸡。白兰地斟在布丁上，然后点燃。晚饭后，所有人都去散散步放松一下，玩玩游戏，赏玩他们的礼物或者看看电视。Could there be angels waiting in the wings,How might we call upon their ecstasy?Rainbows are mere garnish on the daysIn which we are the glory and the light.So may we hear the songs our sunshine sings,The words which will the wonder of our ways;May we know how good it is to beAs we celebrate the holidays,So much in love we weep as angels mightA Good BoyLittle Robert asked his mother for two cents. "What did you do with the money I gave you yesterday?""I gave it to a poor old woman," he answered."You're a good boy," said the mother proudly. "Here are two cents more. But why are you so interested in the old woman?""She is the one who sells the candy."好孩子小罗伯特向妈妈要两分钱。“昨天给你的钱干什么了？”“我给了一个可怜的老太婆，”他回答说。 “你真是个好孩子，”妈妈骄傲地说。“再给你两分钱。可你为什么对那位老太太那么感兴趣呢？”“她是个卖糖果的。”
艾吃艾美
December 25th is the day of celebration and of fun and frolic. as the long awaited winter holidays arrive, christmas spirit builds up. the lovely snowflakes, our dear santa, decorated homes complete with whole range of christmas star, mistletoe, the good-luck plant, ivy, laurels and not the least the beautifully decorated and illuminated christmas tree are some of the inseparable parts of the picture. the soft music of the christmas carols and children eager to open their gifts certainly lend unique warmth to the coldest day of the year.The birth of christ is perhaps the most popular festival around the world. the dark night sky, the chilly winters all just provide the perfect backdrop for the reigning red and green colors that cheer up the entire scenery. people visit their families and arrange some of the most lavish parties. the most awaited festival, the christmas signifies love and kindness, joy and happiness. the holiday spirit of the season in one word is - infectious!译文：12月25日是庆祝的节日和乐趣和嬉戏。期待已久的寒假的到来,圣诞节的精神建造。这个可爱的雪花,我们亲爱的圣诞装饰房屋完成整个范围的圣诞星、槲寄生植物,好运,艾薇,荣誉而不是最精美的装饰圣诞树,并有一些不可分割的部分图片。柔和的音乐的圣诞颂歌和孩子们想打开礼物的独特的确借温暖溶化的一天。基督的诞生也许是最受欢迎的节日环游世界。黑暗的夜空,寒冷的冬天都提供了完美的背景为执政红白绿三色,振作起来整个风景。人们参观他们的家庭和安排一些最奢华的政党。最期待的节日,圣诞节意味着爱和仁慈、欢乐和幸福。这个节日的精神在这个赛季是一个字——传染性!Westerners in red, green and white three colors for Christmas colors, Christmas comes every family should use Christmas colors to decorate. redLubricious have Christmas flower and Christmas candle. Green is the Christmas tree. It is the main Christmas decorations, with cut to fir,Nai gives the evergreen tree of a class of decorate and become. The overhanging colorful lights, gifts and flowers, also lit holyChristmas candle.Red and white christmastime is Santa Claus, Christmas activities in the most popular figure. Western children inChristmas Eve before going to sleep, should be in the fireplace or pillow next to put a sock, waiting for Santa Claus in their little presentsFill it in. In the west, Santa is also a custom.西方人以红色，绿色和白色三种颜色为圣诞节色彩，圣诞节来临，每个家庭都应该使用圣诞装饰的颜色。 红鲁布里有圣诞花和圣诞蜡烛。 绿色是圣诞树。 它是主要的圣诞装饰品，切割成冷杉，奈给了一种装饰的常绿树，成为了。 突出的五颜六色的灯光，礼物和花朵，也照亮圣洁圣诞蜡烛红色和白色的圣诞礼物是圣诞老人，圣诞节活动中最受欢迎的人物。 西方的孩子们在圣诞前夕要睡觉之前，应该在壁炉旁边放枕头放袜子，等待圣诞老人的小礼物在西方，圣诞老人也是一种习俗。
喵小萌103
Westernersinred,greenandwhitethreecolorsforChristmascolors,ChristmascomeseveryfamilyshoulduseChristmascolorstodecorate.redLubricioushaveChristmasflowerandChristmascandle.GreenistheChristmastree.ItisthemainChristmasdecorations,withcuttofir,Naigivestheevergreentreeofaclassofdecorateandbecome.Theoverhangingcolorfullights,giftsandflowers,alsolitholyChristmascandle.RedandwhitechristmastimeisSantaClaus,Christmasactivitiesinthemostpopularfigure.WesternchildreninChristmasEvebeforegoingtosleep,shouldbeinthefireplaceorpillownexttoputasock,waitingforSantaClausintheirlittlepresentsFillitin.Inthewest,Santaisalsoacustom.
