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(節日)celebratedinthechristiancountriesoftheworld.althougheveryoneenjoyschristmasday,itisparticularlyenjoyedbychildren,whogetveryexcitedbecauseofthepresentstheyknowtheyaregoingtoreceive.smallchildrenbelievethattheirpresentsarebroughtbyfatherchristmas(聖誕老人).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.