圣诞节传统起源

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 greetings cards and crackers.

从圣诞美食、圣诞颂歌到圣诞贺卡、圣诞拉炮，在圣诞节的传统节目背后都有什么有趣的故事呢？

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。

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 1841, 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。

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。

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 Nicholas was later referred to by the Dutch as Sinterklaas and eventually, by English-speakers, as Santa Claus.

在圣诞节挂起长筒袜源于送礼人圣•尼古拉斯的传说。有一回圣•尼古拉斯把几袋金子放进一个穷人家的烟囱里，这个穷人没钱给他的女儿们置办嫁妆。结果金子正好掉进了那家人晾着的长筒袜中。后来圣•尼古拉斯被荷兰人称为Sinterklaas，最后在英语中转变为了Santa Claus这个名字。

Holly and ivy 冬青和常春藤

Synonymous with Christmas and the subject of a traditional British folk carol, both holly and ivy were originally used in pre-Christian times to celebrate the winter solstice. As they provide a rare splash of colour in the darkest month of the year, their popularity has endured.

提到圣诞节，人们就会想起冬青和常春藤，这两种植物还被写成了一首英国传统民谣。在前基督时代，人们用冬青和常春藤装点房屋来庆祝冬至。在一年中最阴冷的时节，冬青和常春藤给房间带来了一抹生机勃勃的绿色，因此几千年来一直广受欢迎。

Christmas crackers 圣诞拉炮

London sweet-maker Tom Smith invented Christmas crackers in the late 1840s, inspired by traditional, paper-wrapped French bonbons. Even though he included mottos or riddles inside each, it was not until he found a way to make them “crack” when pulled apart that sales took off. His sons Tom, Walter and Henry later added hats and novelty gifts.

受传统的用纸包裹的法国棒棒糖启发，伦敦糖果商汤姆•史密斯在19世纪40年代末发明了圣诞拉炮。尽管他在每只圣诞拉炮里都会放格言或谜语，但直到他想出法子让其在拉动包装纸的时候发出啪的一声，圣诞拉炮的销量才开始飙升。他的儿子汤姆、沃尔特和亨利后来又加进了纸帽子和新奇礼物等创意。

Turkey 火鸡

Turkeys originated in Mexico and were first brought to Britain in 1526 by William Strickland. Henry VIII enjoyed turkey and although the bird became fashionable in high society in the late 19th century it was Edward VII who made it de rigueur at Christmas for the middle classes.

火鸡原本生长于墨西哥，1526年威廉•斯特里克兰将火鸡带到英国。亨利八世很爱吃火鸡肉，于是吃火鸡肉在19世纪末的上流社会变得很流行，不过在爱德华七世的倡导下，火鸡才走入了中产阶级的家庭，成为圣诞节的必备菜肴之一。

Even by 1930, however, it took a week’s wages to buy one and turkey remained a luxury until the 1950s.

然而，即使到了20世纪30年代，买一只火鸡仍然要花掉一星期的工资，直到20世纪50年代火鸡都是一种奢侈的食物。

Christmas pudding 圣诞布丁

Also known as plum or figgy pudding, this Christmas staple possibly has its roots as far back as the Middle Ages in a wheat-based pottage known as frumenty. By the mid 17th century, it was thicker and had developed into a dessert with the addition of eggs, dried fruit and alcohol.

圣诞布丁也叫葡萄干布丁或无花果布丁，它可能起源于中世纪的一种叫作牛奶麦粥的食物。到了17世纪中期，这种麦粥被做得更稠，逐渐发展成了加入鸡蛋、干果和酒的一种甜点。

In Victorian times plum pudding was a Christmas favourite. It is traditionally made a week before Advent on what is known as “stir-up Sunday”.

在维多利亚时期，圣诞布丁是最受欢迎的圣诞食物之一。依照传统人们会在基督降临节前一周做圣诞布丁，这一天被称为“唤醒星期日”。

Mistletoe 槲寄生

Hanging mistletoe in the home is an ancient pagan practice adopted by early Christians. The word itself is Anglo-Saxon and the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe originated in England. Each kiss required a berry to be plucked until none remained.

在家中挂槲寄生是早期基督徒奉行的一种古老的异教徒做法。槲寄生的英文单词是古英语，在槲寄生下接吻的传统则源于英格兰。每在槲寄生下接一个吻，就要采一颗莓果，直到树上的莓果都摘光。

Christmas carols 圣诞颂歌

Carols were songs and dances of praise and joy in pagan times and the practice of carol singing carried over into the Christian era. Carols have been written through the centuries but the most familiar date from Victorian times. Today, popular songs such as Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody are just as much a part of Christmas as carols.

颂歌在异教徒时代是表达赞颂和喜悦的歌舞，唱颂歌的做法一直延续到了基督时代。几个世纪以来人们写了不少颂歌，不过最熟悉的颂歌来自维多利亚时代。今天，平•克劳斯贝的《白色圣诞节》和斯莱德的《祝大家圣诞快乐》这样的流行歌曲也成为了圣诞颂歌。