Origin of Christmas——圣诞由来

　　The name Christmas is short for "Christ's Mass". A Mass is a kind of Church service. Christmas is a religious festival. It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus.

　　There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world. But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion. Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas in the world.

　　The birth of Jesus had a story: In Nazareth, a city of Galilee. The virgin's name was Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was minded to put her away secretly. While he thought about these things, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him did not be afraid to take Mary as wife. And Mary will bring forth a Son, and he shall call his name, Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

　　Before Jesus births, Joseph and Mary came to Quintus was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.　　And that, Christmas is the feast of the nativity of Jesus, is on 25th, December every year. But nobody know the actual birthday of Jesus. And the Christmas has become popular when Christmas cards appeared in 1846 and the concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in nineteenth Century.

　　“圣诞节”这个名称是“基督彌撒”的缩写。彌撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。耶诞节是一个宗节我们把它当作耶苏的诞辰來庆祝，因而又名耶诞节。这一 天，世界所有的基督教会都举行特別的礼拜仪式。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那稣降生和受洗的双重节日、称为“主显节”Epiphany，亦称 “显现节”即上帝通过那稣向世人显示自己。当时只有那路拉冷的教会例外，那里只纪念耶稣的诞生而不纪念那稣的受洗。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日伴为圣诞节可能开始于公元336年的罗马教会） 约在公元375年传到小亚细亚的安提阿，公元430年传到埃及的亚历山大里亚，那路撒冷的教会接受得最晚，而亚美尼亚的教会则仍然坚持1月6日主显节是那 稣的诞辰。

　　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。

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