复活节习俗的渊源.doc

5. Origins of Eastch Traditionl Do you know how the custom of coloring Easter eggs began or how the tradition of the Easter Bunny began? 1.The egg has always been a symbol of new life. Christians have long used the egg as the symbol of Christs rebirth. 2.It is thought the custom of dyeing1 eggs was brought to Europe during the Middle Ages by the Crusaders2, as it was common practice among the Egyptians, Persians3, Phoenicians4, Greeks and Romans to dye eggs for their spring festivals. 3.In eastern and central Europe, Easter eggs are taken very seriously. The most elaborate5 eggs are decorated by the people from Poland and Ukraine6.They call them “ pysanki” eggs, which means written eggs. Thus began the custom of writing on Easter eggs. 4.The most elaborate Easter eggs are not even real eggs. A Russian jeweler, Carl Faberge, made his eggs out of gold, silver and jewels. The eggs opened to show tiny figures of people, animals, plants or buildings. The Russian emperor gave these eggs as gifts. 5.The custom of wearing new clothes on Easter began around 300 A.D., around the time of Constantine, the first Christian emperor. He decreed7 that members of his court should wear their finest clothes on Easter. 6.The first Easter baskets were made to look like birds nests. In early times, people placed their Easter eggs in grass nests to honor the ancient goddess Eostre. 7.The Easter Bunny is the modern version of a very old Easter symbol. The hare8, a larger relative of the rabbit, was an animal sacred to9 the goddess Eostre. 8.The custom of the Easter egg hunt, folklore10 tells us, was started by a German duchess11. It was said the brightly decorated eggs were left by the Easter rabbit for the country children, who made a game of finding the eggs. 复 活 节 习 俗 的 渊 源 你 知 道 复 活 节 彩 蛋 或 复 活 节 兔 子 的 习 俗 是 如 何 开 始 的 吗 ？ 1． 蛋 一 向 是 新 生 命 的 象 征 。 长 久 以 来 ， 基 督 徒 都 以 蛋 作 为 基 督 复 活 的 象 征 。 2． 人 们 认 为 给 蛋 染 色 的 习 俗 是 在 中 世 纪 由 十 字 军 战 士 传 入 欧 洲 的 ， 因 为 埃 及 人 、 波 斯 人 、 腓 尼 基 人