ChristmasorChristmasDayisaholidaycelebratingthebirthofJesus,thecentralfigureofChristianity.ItistraditionallycelebratedonDecember25bymostWesternChristianchurches.Althoughdatingtoprobablyasearlyasa.d.200,thefeastofChristmasdidnotbecomewidespreaduntiltheMiddleAges.Aspectsofcelebrationmayincludegift-giving,Christmastrees,displayofNativitysets,churchattendance,theFatherChristmas/SantaClausmyth,andfamilygatherings.ThewordChristmasisderivedfromMiddleEnglishChristemasse.Itisacontractionmeaning"Christ'smass".ThenameoftheholidayisoftenshortenedtoXmasbecauseRomanletter"X"resemblestheGreekletterX,anabbreviationforChrist.

　　圣诞节是庆祝天主教中心人物耶稣诞生的节日,通常西方天主教堂在12月25日庆祝.圣诞节最早可追溯到公元200年,但直到中世纪才开始广泛流传.圣诞节庆祝活动包括赠送礼物、圣诞树、摆耶稣系列雕像、参加教堂活动、圣诞老人传说、家庭聚会等.Christmas一词来源于中世纪英语Christemasse,大概的意思是耶稣的弥撒.有时候圣诞节被写成Xmas,因为罗马字母X和希腊文Chirst的缩写X很相似.

　　Inmanypartsoftheworld,ChristmasisthedaywhenpeoplecelebratethebirthofJesusChristinBethlehemtwothousandyearsago.PeoplewhorememberChristmasasareligiousholidaycelebratethebirthofJesusandhiscomingintothisworld.Tothem,heisrecognizedastheSonofGodandtheSavioroftheworld.AccordingtotheBible,Jesuswasborninamangerbecausetherewasnoroomforhimandhisparents,MaryandJoseph,inaninn.Today,peopleoftenattendchurch,organizefamilygatherings,anddecoratetheirhomesandbusinesses.Peoplefeelthegivingspiritanddonatetheirtimeandmoneytoworthycauses,orprovidevolunteerservicetotheneedy.ChristmasisalsocelebratedasasecularholidaywhenparentsandchildrentalkaboutSantaClausandRudolftheRedNoseReindeer

　　ChristmasDayinUnitedStates

　　ManypeopleintheUnitedStatescelebrateChristmasDayonDecember25.ThedaycelebratesJesusChrist'sbirth.Itisoftencombinedwithcustomsfrompre-Christianwintercelebrations.ManypeopleerectChristmastrees,decoratetheirhomes,visitfamilyorfriendsandexchangegifts.

　　Whatdopeopledo?

　　PeoplecelebrateChristmasDayinmanyways.InthedaysorevenweeksbeforeChristmasDay,manypeopledecoratetheirhomesandgardenswithlights,Christmastreesandmuchmore.Itiscommontoorganizeaspecialmeal,oftenconsistingofturkeyandalotofotherfestivefoods,forfamilyorfriendsandexchangegiftswiththem.Children,inparticular,oftenreceivealotofgiftsfromtheirparentsandotherrelativesandthemythicalfigureSantaClaus.ThishasledtoChristmasDaybecominganincreasinglycommercializedholiday,withalotoffamiliesspendingalargepartoftheirincomeongiftsandfood.

　　ManySundayschools,churchesandcommunitiesorganizespecialevents.Thesecanincludedecoratingtheneighborhoodorashoppingmall,puttingupaChristmastreeandplanningaNativitydisplay,concertorperformance.AlotofplaysandsongshaveaaspectofChristmasasatheme.Somegroupsarrangemeals,shelterorcharitableprojectsforpeoplewithoutahomeorwithverylittlemoney.

　　Publiclife

　　Governmentoffices,organizations,businessesandschoolsareclosed,almostwithoutexception.Manypeoplevisitrelativesorfriendsandareoutoftown.Thismaycausecongestiononhighwaysandatairports.Publictransitsystemsdonotrunontheirregularschedules.Ingeneral,publiclifeclosesdowncompletely.