Where Do ChristmasTraditions Come From!圣诞传统源自何处？Christmas is on the horizon, and the festive season has begun. Everyone knows about decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping presents, and going from door to door singing carols. But do you ever wonder where these beloved Christmas traditions come from?圣诞节即将来临，节日季已经开始了。每个人都知道装饰圣诞树、包装礼物以及挨家挨户唱颂歌这些事。但你有没有想过这些深受喜爱的圣诞传统是从哪里来的呢？Long before Christianity, many ancient European cultures would bring green plants into their homes during winter as reminders that life would return in spring. As Christianity spread across Europe, this tradition became part of Christmas, especially in Germany, where people hung apples on pine trees in their homes to represent the Garden of Eden.早在基督教出现之前，许多古代欧洲文化就会在冬季把绿色植物带回家中，以此提醒人们生命会在春天回归。随着基督教在欧洲传播开来，这一传统成为了圣诞节的一部分，尤其是在德国，那里的人们会把苹果挂在家中的松树上，以此代表伊甸园。Over time, more edible treats were hung on the trees, like nuts and sugar wafers, with non-edible decorations eventually becoming common. Queen Charlotte introduced Christmas trees to England in the 19th century. Then, as Germans moved to live in other countries, they brought the tradition with them, spreading it around the world. Today, 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year.随着时间推移，更多可食用的小零食被挂到树上，比如坚果和威化饼干，不可食用的装饰品最终也变得常见起来。夏洛特王后在 19 世纪将圣诞树引入了英国。然后，随着德国人移居到其他国家，他们也把这一传统带到了各地，使其在全世界传播开来。如今，美国每年会售出 2500 万到 3000 万棵真圣诞树。The first known Christmas carol is from 4th century Rome, but the practice of going from house to house singing originated in the Middle Ages. Originally called 'Wassailing', local peasants and villagers would travel to the houses of local lords and wealthy merchants, singing songs in exchange for gifts, once a year in early January.已知的第一首圣诞颂歌来自 4 世纪的罗马，但挨家挨户唱歌的习俗起源于中世纪。最初它被称作 “挨户唱颂歌（Wassailing）”，当地的农民和村民每年一月初会前往当地领主和富商的家中，唱歌以换取礼物。Gradually this practice merged with Christmas tradition, and the songs sung were increasingly Christmas themed. Early evidence of this is a book of wassailing songs from 1426 by John Awdlay which contained 25 'Carols of Christmas'.渐渐地，这一习俗与圣诞传统融合在了一起，所唱的歌曲也越来越以圣诞为主题。关于这一点的早期证据是约翰・奥德莱在 1426 年编写的一本有关挨户唱颂歌歌曲的书籍，其中包含了 25 首 “圣诞颂歌”。Exchanging gifts is a big part of the modern Christmas tradition. Some argue that it dates as far back as the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, which also included gift-giving. When the Roman empire converted to Christianity, it was Christmas that replaced Saturnalia, and the tradition of gift-giving was likely retained to ease the transition.交换礼物是现代圣诞传统的重要组成部分。有人认为这一传统可以追溯到罗马的农神节，农神节也包含赠送礼物的活动。当罗马帝国皈依基督教时，是圣诞节取代了农神节，而赠送礼物的传统很可能被保留了下来，以便于过渡。So when you open your presents under the Christmas tree, with carols playing in the background, take a moment to appreciate that you are participating in traditions which date back thousands of years.所以当你在圣诞树下打开礼物，伴随着颂歌的背景音乐时，花点时间来欣赏一下，你正在参与有着数千年历史的传统活动呢。
