圣誕節的傳說：童貞女受孕上帝之子

Christmas Day-December 25-which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion, is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the Christian World.

According to the Bible, the holy book of Christians, God decided to allow his only son, Jesus Christ, to be born to a human mother and live on earth so that people could understand God better and learn to love God and each other more. "Christmas"- meaning "celebration of Christ "- honors the time when Jesus was born to a young Jewish woman Mary.

Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter, but before they came together, she was found to be with child. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Although the exact date of the birth of Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago is not known, the calendar on the supposed date divides all time into B.C. (Before Christ )and A.D. ( a Latin phrase, Anno Domini, "in the year of our Lord.") For the first 300 years, Jesus' birthday was celebrated on different dates. Finally, in the year 354, church leaders chose December 25 as his birthday.

參考譯文（來自互聯網）

12月25日的圣誕節是慶祝基督教創始人耶穌基督生日的日子，是基督教世界最大的、人們最喜愛的節日。

據基督教徒的圣書《圣經》說，上帝決定讓他的獨生子耶穌基督投生人間，找個母親，然后就在人間生活，以便人們能更好地了解上帝、學習熱愛上帝和更好地相互熱愛。“圣誕節”的意思是“慶祝基督”，慶祝一個年輕的猶太婦女瑪麗婭生下耶穌的時刻。

瑪麗婭已和木匠約瑟夫訂婚。可是，在他們同居之前，約瑟夫發現瑪麗婭已懷孕。因為約瑟夫是個正派的人，又不想把這件事說出去讓她丟臉，所以他想悄悄地和她分手。

他正在考慮這事時，上帝的天使出現在他的夢中，對他說，“不要嘀咕了，把瑪麗婭娶回家。她懷的孩子來自圣靈。她將生下個男孩子，你們給孩子起名叫耶穌，因為他將從罪惡中拯救人們。”

盡管耶穌的確切生日并不清楚，大約是在2000年前，但是日歷按著假定日期把時間分為公元前（耶穌基督誕生前）和公元后（A.D. 是拉丁文縮寫，意思是“有了我們主--耶穌的年代”）。在公元后的頭三百年間，耶穌的生日是在不同的日子慶祝的。最后，在公元354年，教堂的領導人把12月25日定為耶穌基督的生日。

圣誕節的由來[12/25]
世界上究竟有多少節日？恐怕誰也說不清。但世界上哪個節日影響最大，流傳最廣？答案卻是明確的，這就是圣誕節。
地球上有140多個國家和地區慶祝圣誕節。節期從12月24日一直到第二年的1月6日，是世界上流傳范圍最廣，參與的人數最多的節日。可以說，圣誕節是個超越國界的普天同慶的世界性節日。
圣誕節是紀念基督教創始人耶穌誕生的節日。據《圣經》記載：未婚女瑪麗亞由于"圣靈感孕"，在一個冬天的夜晚，生下了耶穌。基督徒們就把耶穌降生的這一年作為世界的開始，算是"公元元年"現在國際上通用的就是這種紀年法，叫做"公元"，也就是我們所說"公歷"。耶穌的生日在歷史上并沒有記載，直到公元354年羅馬天主教會才規定12月25日為"圣誕節"。為為什么要選擇這一天呢？原來，每年的12月25日是農神節，這個節日緊跟在農歷冬至之后，冬至時白天最短，黑夜最長，日照最少。從農神節開始，白天逐漸變長，黑夜逐漸變短，日照時間越來越長，太陽賜予人們光明和溫暖與日俱增。人們為了感謝太陽的恩賜，在農神節時常常要舉行多種多樣的慶祝活動，并向太陽行叩拜禮。把耶穌的誕辰定為和農神節同一天，無非是為了表示耶穌的降生就是太陽的再生，耶穌就像太陽一樣普照眾生。于是，耶穌的生日就這樣被人們制造出來了。
雖然圣誕節是在12月25日，但歡度圣誕卻從12月24日就開始了。這就像中國人過春節并不從正月初一開始，而是從大年三十開始一樣。
歡度圣誕節的活動，雖然各個國家不完全相同，但大同小異。單從這一點看，就充分說明圣誕節確實是一個很不一般的世界性節日。
贈送圣誕卡拉開了圣誕節的序幕，早在圣誕節到來之前，人們就開始互相贈圣誕卡了。這是人們普遍采用的祝賀方式。一般習慣把圣誕賀卡郵寄給對方，對不能常見面的人或在遠方的親友更是如此。據說圣誕節贈送圣誕節，邀請了許多王族的孩子們進宮參加歡宴，請帖上印有祝賀的詞句，后來，歐洲其它各國也紛紛效仿，于是逐步演變發展成祝賀圣誕和新年的節日賀卡。在我國，早在宋代元年間(1086-1093年)就有用名帖拜年的風俗。屈指算來，我國使用節日賀卡至少要比外國人早750多年。節日賀卡是由中國最先發明和使用的。
隨著圣誕夜的漸漸臨近，街道、商店出開始打份起來，櫥窗里擺上了各種各樣的圣誕禮品，五色彩燈拉成了串，耶穌誕生圖成了市場上的熱門貨。五彩繽紛的圣誕樹到處可見。人們紛紛忙著采購各種禮品和食物，其中特別值得一提的是，每個家庭在節前都要在家中布置一棵圣誕樹，圣誕樹一般用小松樹或小柏樹這類呈塔形的常青樹做成。樹上掛滿五光十色的彩色燈泡，枝頭上綴著金色和銀色的閃光紙片，花花綠綠的拉花從小樹上拉向四方。樹上還掛著用棉花做成的雪花，各種精巧別致的小禮品點綴在樹叢之中。夜幕降臨，全家人圍坐在圣誕樹前互贈圣誕禮品，互祝節日快樂。然后，點燃一支支圣誕蠟燭，圍坐在一起，共進圣誕晚餐。這頓晚餐很像中國大年三十的團圓飯。全家人圍坐在一起，頻頻舉杯，笑語歡聲，整個晚餐都沉浸在一種團圓、幸福、美滿的氣氛中。子夜時分，教堂響起了悠揚的鐘聲，教堂里開始舉行隆重"子夜彌撒"，慶祝耶穌降生，迎接圣誕節的到來。當孩子們困倦地上床睡覺時，還忘不了把自己的鞋襪口朝上放大壁爐旁，希望圣誕老人帶來的禮物能裝滿自己的鞋襪。圣誕老人是基督教童話故事中的人物。傳說他是一位主教的化身，是個身穿大紅袍，長著白胡子白眉毛的慈祥老頭。每年圣誕節，他都要從遙遠的北方坐著雪橇馳來，由煙囪進入各家，分送禮物，所以孩子們在圣誕之夜都把鞋襪放在壁爐旁。有不少人家為了增節日的歡樂氣氛，還真的請一位親友裝扮成圣誕老人的模樣，來到家里，向孩子人祝賀節日，并把隨身帶來的禮物分送給大家。
去教堂作禮拜是基督徒在圣誕節里必須參加的活動，而且往往是全家出動。人們扶老攜幼涌向教堂去作禮拜，唱贊美詩，誦頌經文，聽耶穌降生的故事。這些活動使人們從歡樂的世俗生活，進入了神秘的宗教世界。

For today's Christian, the origin of Christmas is, and should be, the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Nothing more and nothing less. However, most of what we witness on December 25th each year has absolutely nothing to do with that blessed day, which probably occurred in late summer or early fall about 2,000 years ago. In fact, most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Anyway, who cares when Christ was born?

Christmas Day,the 25th of December,is the biggest festival(節日)celebrated in the Christian countries of the world.Although everyone enjoys Christmas Day,it is particularly enjoyed by children,who get very excited because of the presents they know they are going to receive.Small children believe that their presents are brought by Father Christmas(圣誕老人).Father Christmas is a kind of old man who,the children are told,lives at the North Pole.He travels through the sky on a sleigh(雪撬) which is pulled by reindeers(馴鹿) and loaded with(裝滿) presents.Stopping on the roof of houses,he enters by climbing the chimney(煙囪).When small children go to bed on Christmas Eve,they hang a stocking at the end of their beds.Their parents warn them not to try to look at Father Christmas,or he will not leave them anything.When they wake,they find their stockings filled with presents.Children are very excited on Christmas morning and always wake up early.
Christmas is also a family celebration.As any members of the family as possible gather to eat,play party games and watch the special Christmas programmes on TV.
回答者： 13760551 - 進士出身 八級 10-7 09:07

People send each other cards and give gifts to their families and friends. In homes and in stores, evergreen trees glitter with colorful lights and ornaments. Children look forward to seeing a jolly, white-bearded man in a red suit named Santa Claus.

It all can mean just one thing: It’s the season of Christmas, a holiday celebrated every year on December 25.

The Feast of Christmas
by Victor Hoagland, C.P.

It is not easy to pin-point the origins of the Christmas feast, today the more important feast of the Christmas season in most western Christian churches. One can only say for certain that the birth of Jesus Christ was being celebrated in Rome by the year 336 A.D.; afterwards the feast was celebrated in other Christian churches throughout the world.

Why it was celebrated on December 25th is another question. No date for the birth of Jesus can be found in the New Testament, which is concerned more with the question "Who is Jesus?" than the date of his birth. Early Christian speculation about his birth date was influenced by the symbolism of the changing seasons, then popular in religious thought, which paid careful attention to the equinoxes and solstices of the sun. Christian scholars speculated that Jesus was conceived at the spring equinox (March 25th) and therefore was born on December 25th, the date of the winter solstice.

In many of the Christian churches, March 25th is still the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus.

Possible impluse for the feast of Christmas may have came too from the establishment of the pagan feast of the "Unconquered Sun-God" by the Emperor Aurelian in 274 A.D. to be celebrated on December 25, the day of the winter solstice in Rome and throughout the empire. In response, Christians could celebrate the feast of the "Sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4, 2), Jesus Christ, who called himself " the light of the world." (John 8,12 )

Christmas Day-December 25-which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion, is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States.

According to the Bible, the holy book of Christians, God decided to allow his only son, Jesus Christ, to be born to a human mother and live on earth so that people could understand God better and learn to love God and each other more. "Christmas"- meaning "celebration of Christ "- honors the time when Jesus was born to a young Jewish woman Mary.

Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter, but before they came together, she was found to be with child. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Although the exact date of the birth of Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago is not known, the calendar on the supposed date divides all time into B.C. (Before Christ )and A.D. ( a Latin phrase, Anno Domini, "in the year of our Lord.")For the first 300 years, Jesus' birthday was celebrated on different dates. Finally, in the year 354, church leaders chose December 25 as his birthday.

Christmas is the biggest festival in the western world, which people all over the Christian countries celebrate. It is on the 25th day of each December. Christians consider it as the birthday of Jesus Christ. But now many customs and habits are beyond religious meaning, The Christmas season begins five or six weeks before the exact holiday. There is always a shopping boom during this period. So it's really a happy season for shop owners.

往往往往往往往往往往

Christmas Day
圣誕節
Christmas Day is the biggest festival in the western countries.It is on December 25, the birthday of Jesus Christ.Before the festival, every family will buy a Christmas tree, and put it in the middle of the living-room. And their houses look more soft and beautiful.
圣誕節是西方國家最盛大的節日。節日在12月25日，是耶穌基督的生日。節日前，每個家庭都要買一顆圣誕樹，放在起居室的中央，這樣他們家看起來又溫馨又漂亮。
On Christmas Eve, children always hang up their Christmas stockings and hope Father Christmas will come to put presents in them. In fact, their parents put the presents in their stockings.
在平安夜，孩子們總是把圣誕襪掛起來，希望圣誕老人會把禮物放到里面，實際上把禮物放到襪里面的是他們的父母。
How interesting it is! On Christmas Day, people say "Merry Christmas" to each other.
你說有趣不有趣！ 在圣誕節那天，人們互相祝賀“圣誕快樂”。

Christmas Day
圣誕節
Most westerners always celebrate Christmas Day as their major festival, in order to memorialize Jesus.During that time, they always have several days off, so they can enjoy this festival with all their hearts.The children often get together with their friends.The adults are busy with decorating their houses.They also send the postcards with their best wishes to each other. In the streets, there are so many Fathers Christmas sending presents to the passers-by.And everything is on a discount in the supermarkets.Thus the supermarkets are the busiest places.
為了紀念耶穌大部分西方人都慶祝圣誕節作為他們的主要節日。在這段時間里，他們總是有好幾天假，所以他們可以全身心的享受這個節日。小孩們經常與他們的朋友聚在一起。大人都忙著裝飾他們的房子。他們還互相贈送明信片以及他們對彼此的祝福。 在街上，有很多圣誕老人在派送禮物給路人。超市里面的所有東西都在打折。所以，超市是最忙的地方。
In the evening, the families usually have pudding, sandwiches, apple pies and some other desserts for dinner.After supper, the families always sing and dance around the Christmas tree.Sometimes, they also go to church.Before going to bed, the children often hang up their stockings beside their bed, so that Father Christmas will fill them with presents.It is said that Father Christmas always drives a deer to the human world and entering into each house from the chimney.Now the children no longer believe in Father Christmas, but they still hang up their stockings, because their parents will fill them with presents.
晚上，家里面通常都有吃布丁，三明治，蘋果派還有一些其它的甜點作為晚餐。晚飯后，家人們總是圍著圣誕樹唱歌跳舞。有時，他們還會去教堂。睡覺前，孩子們常常會把長統襪掛在床邊，這樣圣誕老人就會用禮物把它填滿了。據說圣誕老人總是騎著一只鹿到人類，之后從煙囪進入每個房子。現在的孩子不再相信圣誕老人的故事了，但他們仍然會掛上他們的襪子，因為他們的父母會用禮物把它填滿。

Happiness in Chiristmas Day
快樂圣誕節
Christmas is the biggest festival in the western world, which people all over the Christian countries celebrate. It is on the 25th day of each December.Christians consider it as the birthday of Jesus Christ.But now many customs and habits are beyond religious meaning.The Christmas season begins five or six weeks before the exact holiday.There is always a shopping boom during this period.So it's really a happy season for shop owners.
每年的12月25日，所有基督教國家的人們都歡慶圣誕節。一般認為圣誕節是耶穌誕生的日子。但是現在許多風俗和習慣都已超出了宗教意義。圣誕節季節在12月25日之前的5、6個星期就已經開始了。在這一時期總會出現一個購物潮。所以圣誕節確實是店主的快樂節日。