点击“箭头指向的地方”，可以快速集中注意力
微信号：every-day-english
为什么圣诞节是12月25日
why is Christmas day on the 25th December？
为什么圣诞节是12月25日
Christmas is celebrate d to remember the birth of of Jesus Christ，who Christians believe is the son of god。
圣诞节是为了纪念基督教认为的上帝的儿子耶稣诞生而举行的。
The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life.
圣诞这个名字来源于基督弥撒（或者耶稣）。弥撒服务（有事被称为交流或圣餐），基督教徒记得耶稣为我们而是并重生于世。
The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.
“基督弥撒”服务是惟一一个允许在日落之后（第二天太阳升起之前）举行的仪式。所以人们在夜半举行。所以我们去其名为基督弥撒，缩短到圣诞节。
Christmas is now celebrated by people around the world, whether they are Christians or not. It's a time when family and friends come together and remember the good things they have. People, and especially children, also like Christmas as it's a time when you give and receive presents!
圣诞节为世界各地的人所庆祝，不管他们是不是基督教徒。这是亲朋好友相聚，感受他们拥有的美好事物的时刻。人们，尤其是小孩子，也喜欢圣诞节，因为这时候你会给予和收到礼物。
The Date of Christmas
圣诞节的日期
No one knows the real birthday of Jesus! No date is given in the Bible, so why do we celebrate it on the 25th December? The early Christians certainly had many arguments as to when it should be celebrated!
没有人知道耶稣真实的生日。圣经里没有提到，所以我们为什么不定在12月25日呢？早期的基督教徒确实争论过哪一天庆祝耶稣的诞生。
Also, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 1AD but slightly earlier, somewhere between 2BC and 7BC (there isn't a 0AD - the years go from 1BC to 1AD!).
同时，耶稣的生日可能不是在公元一年，大概还要再找一点，公元前7世纪至公元前2世纪（没有公元零年—公元前1世纪到公元1世纪）。
The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336AD, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December.
第一个被记载的圣诞节的日期是公元336年12月25日，这是只是罗马帝国君士坦丁时期（他是首位基督教徒罗马皇帝）。几年后，教皇尤里乌斯一世官方宣布耶稣的诞辰是12月25日。
There are many different traditions and theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. A very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told that she would have a very special baby, Jesus (called the Annunciation) was on March 25th - and it's still celebrated today on the 25th March.
对于为什么圣诞节设定在12月25日，有许多不同的传统说法以及理论。早期基督教传统说，那一天玛丽被告知她将会有一个十分特别的宝贝，耶稣（也称十月天使）那天是3月25日—如今同样是3月25日庆祝。
Nine months after the 25th March is the 25th December! March 25th was also the day some early Christians thought the world had been made, and also the day that Jesus died on when he was an adult.
九个月后也就是12月25日。3月25日同样是一些早期的基督教徒所认为的世界创世日，也是耶稣成人之后死去的那一天。
December 25th might have also been chosen because the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals called 'Saturnalia' and 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' took place in December around this date - so it was a time when people already celebrated things.
12月25日可能早就被选定了，因为冬至和古老的异教徒罗马冬至的节日“农神节”和“不可征服的太阳之日”都发生在十二月—所以这是人们普遍庆祝的一段时期。
The Winter Solstice is the day where there is the shortest time between the sun rising and the sun setting. It happens on December 21st or 22nd. To pagans this meant that the winter was over and spring was coming and they had a festival to celebrate it and worshipped the sun for winning over the darkness of winter.
冬至是日出时间最短的时候。他发生在12月21日或者12月22日。对异教徒来说这意味着冬天要结束而春天即将来临，他们有节日要庆祝并且礼拜太阳气球战胜冬天的黑暗。
In Scandinavia, and some other parts of northern Europe, the Winter Solstice is known as Yule and is where we get Yule Logs from. In Eastern europe the mid-winter festival is called Koleda.
在斯堪的纳维亚，北欧一部分地区，冬至被认作是圣诞节，圣诞节原木形大蛋糕也是从这里诞生。在东区冬至季节被称为科莱道。
The Roman Festival of Saturnalia took place between December 17th and 23rd and honoured the Roman god Saturn.
罗马农神节在12月17日至二十三日期间举行，庆祝罗马农神。
Dies Natalis Solis Invicti means 'birthday of the unconquered sun' and was held on December 25th (when the Romans thought the Winter Solstice took place) and was the 'birthday' of the Pagan Sun god Mithra. In the pagan religion of Mithraism, the holy day was Sunday and is where get that word from!
不可征服的太阳表示“不可战胜的太阳的诞辰”，在12月25号举行（这是罗马人认为的冬至日），这也是异教徒太阳神密特拉的诞辰。密特拉异教徒的信仰中，神圣的日子是星期天，星期天的名字就由此而来。
Early Christians might have given this festival a new meaning - to celebrate the birth of the Son of God 'the unconquered Son'! (In the Bible a prophesy about the Jewish savior, who Christians believe is Jesus, is called 'Sun of Righteousness'.)
早期的基督教给节日创造新的含义—庆祝上帝之子“不可战胜的儿子”的生日。（在圣经有预言关于犹太救世主，基督教相信他就是耶稣，并称其为公正的太阳）
The Jewish festival of Lights, Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev (the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December). Hanukkah celebrates when the Jewish people were able to re-dedicate and worship in their Temple, in Jerusalem, again following many years of not being allowed to practice their religion.
犹太光之节日，光明节开始于犹太国日历的3月25日（这个月相当于十二月）。光明节请注意只是犹太人可以在他们的寺庙重新献身和礼拜，在耶路撒冷，多年后再次被拒绝实践他们的宗教信仰。
Jesus was a Jew, so this could be another reason that helped the early Church choose December the 25th for the date of Christmas!
耶稣是犹太人，所以这可以成为另外一个理由去帮助早期教堂选择12月25日作为圣诞节日期。
Christmas had also been celebrated by the early Church on January 6th, when they also celebrated the Epiphany (which means the revelation that Jesus was God's son) and the Baptism of Jesus.
在早期的教会中，圣诞节同样也在1月6日庆祝，那一天他们也庆祝主显节（意味着耶稣是神之子的启示）以及耶稣的洗礼。
Now Epiphany mainly celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, but back then it celebrated both things!
现在主显节主要庆祝智者欢迎耶稣的到来，但是以前它同时庆祝两件事。
Jesus's Baptism was originally seen as more important than his birth, as this was when he started his ministry. But soon people wanted a separate day to celebrate his birth.
耶稣的洗礼最开始被看做比他生辰还要重要的事，当他开始了他的政府之旅。但是人们还是想要一个独立的日子庆祝他的诞生。
Most of the world uses the 'Gregorian Calendar' implemented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Before that the 'Roman' or Julian Calendar was used (named after Julius Caesar). The Gregorian calendar is more accurate that the Roman calendar which had too many days in a year!
世上大部分地区使用“罗马教皇格利高里的日历”，1582年有格利高里教皇十三世所执行。在罗马或者尤里乌斯公历使用之前（之后被称为尤里乌斯凯撒）。格利高里日历比每一年多了好几天的罗马日历更加精确。
When the switch was made 10 days were lost, so that the day that followed the 4th October 1582 was 15th October 1582. In the UK the change of calendars was made in 1752. The day after 2nd September 1752 was 14th September 1752.
当点火讯号制作出来，十天过去了所以1582年10月4号之后的那一天是1582年的10月15号。在英国日历的更改是在1752年。这一天在1752年9月2日之后，也就是1752年12月14日。
Many Orthodox and Coptic Churches still use the Julian Calendar and so celebrate Christmas on the 7th January (which is when December 25th would have been on the Julian calendar). And the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates it on the 6th January!
许多天主教和科普特教，仍然使用尤里乌斯日历，所以在1月7日庆祝圣诞节（这在尤里乌斯日历上的日期曾经是12月25号）。美国使徒教庆祝圣诞节是在1月6日。
In some part of the UK, January 6th is still called 'Old Christmas' as this would have been the day that Christmas would have celebrated on, if the calendar hadn't been changed. Some people didn't want to use the new calendar as they thought it 'cheated' them out of 11 days!
英国的一部分地区，认为1月6日还是被叫做旧的圣诞节，因为它曾经是庆祝圣诞节的日子，如果日历没有改变。一些人不想使用新日历，因为它骗走他们了十一天。
Christians believe that Jesus is the light of the world, so the early Christians thought that this was the right time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
基督教相信耶稣是世界之光，所以早期的基督教徒想这才是庆祝耶稣诞生的日子。
They also took over some of the customs from the Winter Solstice and gave them Christian meanings, like Holly, Mistletoe and even Christmas Carols!
他们同样接管来源于冬至的一些风俗习惯，并给予他们基督教的含义，比如冬青，槲寄生甚至圣诞颂歌。
St Augustine was the person who really started Christmas in the UK by introducing Christianity in the 6th century. He came from countries that used the Roman Calendar, so western countries celebrate Christmas on the 25th December.
圣奥古斯丁是英国正式开始庆祝圣诞节的一个人，在六世纪介绍圣诞节。他来自使用罗马日历的国家，所以西方国家庆祝圣诞节在十二月二十五日。
Then people from Britain and Western Europe took Christmas on the 25th December all over the world!
来自英国和西欧的人们把12月25号的圣诞节带到世界各地。
So when was Jesus Born?
所以耶稣是什么时候出生
There's a strong and practical reason why Jesus might not have been born in the winter, but in the spring or the autumn! It can get very cold in the winter and it's unlikely that the shepherds would have been keeping sheep out on the hills (as those hills can get quite a lot of snow sometimes!).
有一个有力的实际的原因说耶稣可能不是出生在冬天的，但是可能在春天或者秋天。冬天十分寒冷所以牧羊人不太可能把羊群放在山上（因为有一些山有时候可能会下很多雪）。
During the spring (in March or April) there's a Jewish festival called 'Passover'. This festival remembers when the Jews had escaped from slavery in Egypt about 1500 years before Jesus was born.
春天之际（三月或者四月）有一个名叫逾越节的犹太节日。这个节日纪念一千五百年前耶稣诞生之后，犹太脱离埃及的奴役。
Lots of lambs would have been needed during the Passover Festival, to be sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem.
在逾越节需要许多小羊，在耶路撒冷的寺庙中祭祀。
Jews from all over the Roman Empire travelled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, so it would have been a good time for the Romans to take a census. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census (Bethlehem is about six miles from Jerusalem).
在罗马帝国四处行走的犹太前往耶路撒冷参加逾越节，所以这是罗马一个很好的时机进行人口调查。玛丽和约瑟夫前往伯利恒参加人口普查（伯利恒离耶路撒冷有六公里左右的距离）。
In the autumn (in September or October) there's the Jewish festival of 'Sukkot' or 'The Feast of Tabernacles'. It's the festival that's mentioned the most times in the Bible! It is when Jewish people remember that they depended on God for all they had after they had escaped from Egypt and spent 40 years in the desert.
在秋季（九月或十月）是犹太收藏节或者叫住蓬节。这是圣经里提了好几回的节日。这真是犹太为了纪念上帝赐予的一切，在他们逃离埃及并在沙漠里生活了40多年。
It also celebrates the end of the harvest. During the festival, Jews live outside in temporary shelters (the word 'tabernacle' come from a latin word meaning 'booth' or 'hut').
这也是庆祝丰收收尾的节日。在节日期间，犹太暂时住用临时帐篷住在外面（住蓬节名字缘由拉丁文临时帐篷和小屋之意）。
Many people who have studied the Bible, think that Sukkot would be a likely time for the birth of Jesus as it might fit with the description of there being 'no room in the inn'.
学习过圣经的许多人认为住棚节更像是庆祝耶稣的出生，它跟符合“酒店没有房间”这个描述。
It also would have been a good time to take the Roman Census as many Jews went to Jerusalem for the festival and they would have brought their own tents/shelters with them! (It wouldn't have been practical for Joseph and Mary to carry their own shelter as Mary was pregnant.)
岁月是一个很好的时机去做人口普查，但是有许多犹太人去耶路撒冷参加庆祝，他们也可能带上他们的帐篷。（此处没有考证约瑟夫和玛丽是否在玛丽怀孕时带上了他们自己的帐篷）
The possibilities for the Star of Bethlehem seems to point either spring or autumn.
圣诞心的可能性看起来这可能发生在春天或者秋天。
So whenever you celebrate Christmas, remember that you're celebrating a real event that happened about 2000 years ago, that God sent his Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!
所以无论什么时候你庆祝圣诞节，记住你是在庆祝一个两千年前左右的真实的事件，那天晚上地把他的儿子带到人间作为圣诞礼物送给所有的人。
As well as Christmas and the solstice, there are some other festivals that are held in late December. Hanukkah is celebrated by Jews; and the festival of Kwanzaa is celebrated by some Africans and African Americans takes place from December 26th to January 1st.
圣诞节也好夏至日也好，还有其他的节日在十二月底举行。光明节由犹太所庆祝，宽扎节是由非洲人和非裔美国人在12月26日至一月一日庆祝。
Find out why Christmas is sometimes called Xmas!
想想为什么圣诞节有时候被称作基督弥撒。
圣诞节带圣诞帽的习俗
All over Britain on Christmas Day, families can be found sitting around their dining tables enjoying a traditional lunch of roast turkey with all the trimmings - and all, regardless of age, wearing coloured paper hats. It is rumoured that even the Queen wears her paper hat over lunch!
圣诞节当天，全英国的家庭都会坐在餐桌前，吃一顿传统的圣诞大餐，塞满了各种馅料的烤火鸡。无论年龄老幼，所有人都会在头上戴一顶彩色纸做成的纸帽子。据说，就连伊莉莎白女王也会戴纸帽子哦！
So why this quaint tradition? Where do these paper hats come from? The answer is the Christmas Cracker。
那为什么会有这个古怪的传统呢？戴纸帽子的传统来源于哪里？答案就在另一项圣诞传统活动——圣诞拉炮！
A Christmas Cracker is a cardboard paper tube, wrapped in brightly coloured paper and twisted at both ends. There is a banger inside the cracker, two strips of chemically impregnated paper that react with friction so that when the cracker is pulled apart by two people, the cracker makes a bang。
圣诞拉炮是用硬纸板做的纸筒，再用色彩鲜艳的彩纸包裹在外面，两端拧紧。在拉炮里会有一个爆竹，当两个人拉动拉炮两端时，拉炮里的两条浸渍纸就会发生摩擦，发出“嘣”的响声。
Inside the cracker there is a paper crown made from tissue paper, a motto or joke on a slip of paper and a little gift。
拉炮里会装有纸做的皇冠、写在纸上的名言或笑话，还会有一些小礼物。
Christmas crackers are a British tradition dating back to Victorian times when in the early 1850s, London confectioner Tom Smith started adding a motto to his sugared almond bon-bons which he sold wrapped in a twisted paper package。
圣诞拉炮成为英国传统的历史可以追溯到维多利亚时期，约在19世纪50年代早期，伦敦的一个糖果商汤姆?史密斯把写有名言的纸片放在了他售卖的糖果包装里，包装方式就是在糖果外用纸将两头拧紧。
The paper hat was added to the cracker in the early 1900s. The cracker was soon adopted as a traditional festive custom and today virtually every household has at least one box of crackers to pullover Christmas。
到了20世纪初，纸帽子也被放到了圣诞拉炮里。很快，拉炮就成了英国人过圣诞节的传统习俗。现在，所有的英国家庭至少都会准备一盒拉炮留到圣诞节时来拉响。
圣诞节点圣诞蜡烛的习俗
There are many different reasons why candles are associated with Christmas, although no one knows when they first became connected!
蜡烛是有许多不同的原因与圣诞节联系在一起,虽然没有人知道他们第一次联系在一起的情况!
They were used during ancient winter solstice celebrations a way of remembering that spring would soon come.
它们作为在古代冬至庆祝的一种方式被记住春天很快就会到来。
One of the earliest records of candles being used at Christmas is from the middle ages, where a large candle was used to represent the star of Bethlehem.
最早的记录使用的蜡烛在圣诞节是来自中世纪,一个大蜡烛被用来代表伯利恒之星。
Jesus is sometimes called 'the Light of the World' by Christians.
耶稣有时被称为“世上的光”的基督徒。
This might have started the custom of the Advent Crown and Advent Candles.
这可能已经开始出现皇冠的习俗,出现蜡烛。
Candles are also used during Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of light which is also celebrated during winter.
蜡烛也使用在光明节,光的犹太节日也在冬季庆祝。
During the eight nights of Hanukkah, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a 'hanukkiyah'.
在八天的光明节,在一个特殊的烛台点燃的蜡烛(枝状大烛台)称为“hanukkiyah”。
Candles are also used in the modern winter festival Kwanzaa, where a special candle holder called a kinara, that holds seven candles is used.
蜡烛也使用在现代冬季节宽扎节,一个特殊的烛台称为kinara,包含七个蜡烛。
Perhaps the most famous use of candles at Christmas are Carols by Candlelight Services.
也许最著名的蜡烛应用是在圣诞节颂歌烛光服务。
These are services when the church is only lit by candles.
这些服务在教会里只用蜡烛点燃装饰。
Candles were also originally used to decorate Christmas Trees, until safer electric lights were invented!
蜡烛也最初用来装饰圣诞树,直到更安全的电灯发明!
In some parts of Ireland, it was traditional to have a Yule candle instead of a Yule Log.
在爱尔兰的一些地区,这是传统的用一个圣诞蜡烛而不是圣诞柴。
In Southern India, Christians often put small oil burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to celebrate Christmas.
在印度南部,基督徒经常把小燃油粘土灯放在家园的平屋顶来庆祝圣诞节。
Christians in China use paper lanterns to decorate their Christmas trees.
基督徒在中国使用纸灯笼来装饰他们的圣诞树。
Candles are also used as part of the St. Lucia's or St. Lucy's day celebrations in Sweden.
蜡烛也用作圣卢西亚的一部分或在瑞典圣露西日庆祝活动。
圣诞节摇铃铛传统习俗
Bells, especially Church Bells, have traditionally been associated with Christmas for a long time.
钟,尤其是教堂钟声,历来与圣诞节相关。
In the Anglican and Catholic churches, the church day starts at sunset, so any service after that is the first service of the day.
在圣公会和天主教教会,教会开始于一天日落时分,所以任何服务之后,它是第一个服务。
So a service on Christmas Eve after sunset is traditionally the first service of Christmas day!
所以服务在圣诞前夜日落之后通常是圣诞节第一个服务!
In churches that have a Bell or Bells, They are often rung to signal the start of this service.
教堂的钟或铃铛,他们常常敲响它们，标志这一服务的开始。
In some churches in the UK, it is traditional that the largest bell in the church is rung four times in the hour before midnight and then at midnight all the bells are rung in celebration.
在一些教会在英国,传统来说，在教堂敲最大的钟四次在午夜前一个小时,然后在午夜钟声齐响庆祝。
In the Catholic Church, Christmas is the only time that Mass is allowed to be held at Midnight.
在天主教堂,圣诞节是唯一的一次,弥撒是允许在午夜举行。
This is because in the early church, it was believed that Jesus was born at midnight, although there has never been any proof of this!
这是因为在早期的教会,相信耶稣出生在午夜,虽然从未有过任何的证据!
A lot of Churches have midnight services on Christmas Eve, although not every church will have a mass or communion as part of the service.
许多教堂在圣诞前夜午夜服务,尽管不是每个教会都有弥撒或交流作为服务的一部分。
In many Catholic countries such as France, Spain and Italy, the midnight mass service is very important and everyone tries to go to a service.
在许多天主教国家,如法国、西班牙和意大利,午夜弥撒服务是非常重要的,每个人都试图去服务。
In Victorian times, it was very fashionable to go carol singing with small handbells to play the tune of the carol.
在维多利亚时代,非常流行和小型手铃去颂歌唱颂歌的曲调。
Sometimes there would only be the bells and no singing! Handbell ringing is still popular today.
有时只会有钟声,不唱歌!今天手铃响仍然是受欢迎的。