问题补充说明：大量介绍圣诞节的文章，最好有中文翻译。
Ch来自ristmasisaChristianholiday360问答thatcelebratesthebirthofJesusChrist.Nooneknows啊温控货境谁正各措候theexactdateofChrist'sbirth,butmostChristiansobserveChristmasonDecember25.Onthisday,manygotochurch,wheretheytakepa务缺周布调鲜rtinspecialreligiousservices.DuringtheChristmasseason,theyalsoexchangegiftsanddecoratetheirhomeswithholly,mistletoe,andCh在乙则厚搞使应革次爱ristmastrees.ThewordChristmascomesfromCristesmaesse,anearlyEnglishphrasethatmeansMassofChrist.ThestoryofChris材判饭孔怕岩绿液语著tmascomeschieflyfromtheGospelso更笔序率选视府门fSaintLukeandSaintMatthewintheNewTest误溶足规煤干战单排胞ament.
ThehistoryofChristmasdatesba队江关林体晚乎矛育伤ckover4000years.ManyofourChristmas往traditionswerecelebratedcenturiesbeforetheChristchildwasborn.The12daysofChristmas,thebrig衡斤减几研统向己htfires,they料少促素此ulelog,thegivingofgifts,carnivals(parades)withfloats,carolerswhosingwhilegoingfromhousetohouse,theholidayfeasts,a呢来士却ndthechurch所丰processionscanallbetracedb触识艺本acktotheea失皇或乐较房小确蒸永善rlyMesopotamians.
Manyofthesetraditio教占nsbeganwiththeM得理陆院销杆别好考esopotamiancelebrationofNewYears.TheMesopotamiansbelievedinmanygods,andastheirchiefgod-Marduk.Eachyearaswinterarriveditwa阶握花汽片节sbelievedthatMardukwoulddobattlewiththemonstersofchaos.ToassistMardukinhisstruggletheMesopotamiansheldafestivalfortheNewYear.ThiswasZagmuk,theNewYear'sfestivalthatlastedfor12days.
ThePersiansandtheBabylonianscelebratedasimilarfestivalcalledtheSacaea.Partofthatcelebrationincludedtheexchangingofplaces,theslaveswouldbecomethemastersandthemastersweretoobey.TheancientGreeksheldafestivalsimilartothatoftheZagmuk/SacaeafestivalstoassisttheirgodKronoswhowouldbattlethegodZeusandhisTitans.
TheRoman'scelebratedtheirgodSaturn.TheirfestivalwascalledSaturnaliawhichbeganthemiddleofDecemberandendedJanuary1st.Withcriesof"JoSaturnalia!"thecelebrationwouldincludemasqueradesinthestreets,bigfestivemeals,visitingfriends,andtheexchangeofgood-luckgiftscalledStrenae(luckyfruits).TheRomansdeckedtheirhallswithgarlandsoflaurelandgreentreeslitwithcandles.Againthemastersandslaveswouldexchangeplaces.
"JoSaturnalia!"wasafunandfestivetimefortheRomans,buttheChristiansthoughtitanabominationtohonorthepagangod.TheearlyChristianswantedtokeepthebirthdayoftheirChristchildasolemnandreligiousholiday,notoneofcheerandmerrimentaswasthepaganSaturnalia.
SomelegendsclaimthattheChristian"Christmas"celebrationwasinventedtocompeteagainstthepagancelebrationsofDecember.The25thwasnotonlysacredtotheRomansbutalsothePersianswhosereligionMithraismwasoneofChristianity'smainrivalsatthattime.TheChurcheventuallywassuccessfulintakingthemerriment,lights,andgiftsfromtheSaturaniliafestivalandbringingthemtothecelebrationofChristmas.
TheexactdayoftheChristchild'sbirthhasneverbeenpinpointed.Traditionssaythatithasbeencelebratedsincetheyear98AD.In137ADtheBishopofRomeorderedthebirthdayoftheChristChildcelebratedasasolemnfeast.In350ADanotherBishopofRome,JuliusI,chooseDecember25thastheobservanceofChristmas.
ThebirthofJesushadastory:InNazareth,acityofGalilee.Thevirgin'snamewasMarywasbetrothedtoJoseph.Beforetheycametogether,shewasfoundwithchildoftheHolySpirit.Josephherhusbandwasmindedtoputherawaysecretly.Whilehethoughtaboutthesethings,Gabriel,anangeloftheLordappearedtohiminadreamandtoldhimdidnotbeafraidtotakeMaryaswife.AndMarywillbringforthaSon,andheshallcallhisname,Jesus,forhewillsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.
BeforeJesusbirths,JosephandMarycametoQuirniuswasgoverningSyria.Soallwenttoberegistered,everyonetohisowncity.JosephalsowentupoutofGalilee,outofthecityofNazareth,intoJudea,tothecityofDavid,whichiscalledBethlehem,becausehewasofthehouseandofthelineageofDavid,toberegisteredwithMary,hisbetrothedwife,whowaswithchild.Soitwasthatwhiletheywerethere,thedayswerecompletedforhertobedelivered.AndshebroughtforthherfirstbornSon,andwrappedhiminswaddlingcloths,andlaidhiminamanger,becausetherewasnoroomforthemintheinn.
Andthat,ChristmasisthefeastofthenativityofJesus,ison25th,Decembereveryyear.ButnobodyknowstheactualbirthdayofJesus.AndtheChristmashasbecomepopularwhenChristmascardsappearedin1846andtheconceptofajollySantaClauswasfirstmadepopularinnineteenthCentury.
ThecustomofgivinggiftstorelativesandfriendsonaspecialdayinwinterprobablybeganinancientRomeandnorthernEurope.Intheseregions,peoplegaveeachothersmallpresentsaspartoftheiryear-endcelebrations.
Inthe1800's,twomoreChristmascustomsbecamepopular--decoratingChristmastreesandsendingChristmascardstorelativesandfriends.Manywell-knownChristmascarols,including``SilentNight"and``Hark!TheHeraldAngelsSing,"werecomposedduringthisperiod.IntheUnitedStatesandothercountries,SantaClausreplacedSaintNicholasasthesymbolofgiftgiving.
ThewordXmasissometimesusedinsteadofChristmas.ThistraditionbeganintheearlyChristianchurch.InGreek,XisthefirstletterofChrist'sname.Itwasfrequentlyusedasaholysymbol.
“圣诞节”这个名称是“基督弥撒”的缩写。弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。耶诞节是一个宗教节。我们把它当作耶稣的诞辰来庆祝，因而又名耶诞节。这一天，世界所有的基督教会都举行特别的礼拜仪式。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日子。
圣诞节是基督教世界最大的节日。4世纪初，1月6日是罗马帝国东部各教会纪念耶稣降生和受洗的双重节日、称为“主显节”Epiphany，亦称“显现节”即上帝通过耶稣向世人显示自己。当时只有耶路撒冷的教会例外，那里只纪念耶稣的诞生而不纪念耶稣的受洗。
后来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。12月25日原来是波斯太阳神（即光明之神）密特拉（Mithra）的诞辰，是一个异教徒节日，同时太阳神也是罗马国教众神之一。这一天又是罗马历书的冬至节，崇拜太阳神的异教徒都把这一天当作春天的希望，万物复苏的开始。可能由于这个原因，罗马教会才选择这一天作为圣诞节。这是教会初期力图把异教徒的风俗习惯基督教化的措施之一。后来，虽然大多数教会都接受12月25日为圣诞节，但又因为各地教会使用的历书不同，具体日期不能统一，于是就把12月24日到第二年的1月6日定为圣诞节节期（ChristmasTide），各地教会可以根据当地具体情况在这段节期之内庆祝圣诞节。
随着基督教的广泛传播，圣诞节已成为各教派基督徒，甚至广大非基督徒群众的一个重要节日。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，而庆祝活动之热闹与隆重大大超过了新年，成为一个全民的节日。
12月25日的主要纪念活动都与耶稣降生的传说有关。耶稣的出生是有一段故事的，耶稣是因着圣灵成孕，由童女马利亚所生的。神更派遣使者加伯列在梦中晓谕约瑟，叫他不要因为马利亚未婚怀孕而不要她，反而要与她成亲，把那孩子起名为“耶稣”，意思是要他把百姓从罪恶中救出来。当马利亚快要临盆的时候，罗马政府下了命令，全部人民到伯利恒务必申报户籍。约瑟和马利亚只好遵命。他们到达伯利恒时，天色已昏，无奈两人未能找到旅馆借宿，只有一个马棚可以暂住。就在这时，耶稣要出生了！於是马利亚唯有在马槽上，生下耶稣。
后人为纪念耶稣的诞生，便把十二月二十五日定为圣诞节，纪念耶稣的出世。但真实的诞生日就没有人知道了。十九世纪，圣诞卡的流行、圣诞老人的出现，圣诞节也开始流行起来了。
标签：圣诞节,英文,资料
