十大圣诞传统及其起源.docxVIP

为什么外国人过圣诞节都要吃火鸡、布丁、肉馅饼，玩圣诞拉炮，寄圣诞贺卡，挂起长筒袜，唱圣诞颂歌呢？一起来了解下这些圣诞传统的起源。Discover the fascinating stories behind these festive traditions, from Christmas food and carols to greeting cards and crackers.1. Christmas cards 圣诞贺卡Having helped set up the Public Records Office (now the Post Office), Sir Henry Cole and artist John Horsley created the first Christmas card in 1843 as a way of encouraging people to use its services.在帮助创建了邮局之后，1843年亨利?柯尔爵士和艺术家约翰?霍斯利一起制作了世界上第一张圣诞贺卡，鼓励人们使用邮政服务。Cards cost a shilling (equivalent to almost ￡5.75 now) and stamps a penny (about 40p at modern prices). Advances in printing brought prices down, making cards hugely popular by the 1860s.By 1900 the custom of sending Christmas cards had spread throughout Europe.当时一张圣诞贺卡价格是一先令（相当于现在的5.75英镑），一张邮票价格是一便士（相当于现在的40便士）。印刷术的进步让贺卡和邮票价格降了下来，使得圣诞贺卡在19世纪60年代曾盛行一时。到了20世纪，寄圣诞贺卡的风俗已在欧洲流传开来。2. The Christmas tree 圣诞树While Christmas trees have been around for a millennium in northern Europe, the first one did not appear in the UK until the 1830s. When Prince Albert put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1842, he started what became an evergreen trend. 虽然早在千年之前北欧国家就有圣诞树了，但是直到19世纪30年代，第一棵圣诞树才开始在英国出现。1841年，阿尔伯特亲王在温莎堡置办了第一棵圣诞树，从那以后圣诞树就成为了长盛不衰的圣诞传统。3. Mince pies 肉馅饼Early mince pies were made of meat, fruit and spice and inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine brought back by the Crusaders.早期的肉馅饼受十字军战士带回的中东食谱启发，是用肉、水果和香料制成的。They commonly had 13 ingredients representing Christ and the Apostles, and were formed in a large oval shape to represent the manger. Meat had disappeared from the recipe by Victorian times, although beef suet is often still included.这种肉馅饼加入了13种配料，代表耶稣和他的十二个使徒。肉馅饼做成椭圆形状，象征耶稣降生的马槽。到了维多利亚时期，猪肉从配方中消失了，不过牛油仍是配料之一。4. Stockings 长筒袜Leaving stockings out at Christmas goes back to the legend of St. Nicholas. Known as the gift giver, on one occasion he sent bags of gold down a chimney at the home of a poor man who had no dowry for his unmarried daughters. The gold fell into stockings left hanging to dry. St. Nic