作者：小蕾

節禮日

關於節禮日的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

December 26 was traditionally known as St. Stephen’s Day, after the first Christian martyr. It is now more commonly known as Boxing Day. This expression came about because money was collected in alms-boxes placed in churches during the festive season. This money was then distributed to the poor and needy after Christmas.
It is thought the Boxing Day was first observed in the Middle Ages. It found renewed popularity in the 19th Century when the lords and ladies of England presented gifts in boxes to their servants on December, 26 in appreciation of the work they had done over the Christmas celebrations.
If December 26 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Boxing Day takes place on the Monday.

12月26號在第一個基督教徒殉難之後，傳統上被視為是聖斯蒂芬日。現在多被認定為節禮日。其由來是因為慶典期間，金錢被收集在放置於教堂的救濟盒。這些錢在聖誕過後被用來發配給窮困人家。
節禮日被認為始於中古時期，在19世紀當英格蘭貴族和仕女以盒子裝盛禮物，於12月26號贈送給他們的僕人，以勞他們為了聖誕慶典所做的工作時再度流行。
如果12月26號當天剛好是星期六或者星期日，節禮日就會改為星期一舉行。

 

精靈的名字

關於精靈的名字的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

In the pagan times of Scandinavia, people believed that house gnomes guarded their homes against evil. Although these gnomes mostly were benevolent, they quickly could turn nasty when not properly treated, so it is told. Throughout the centuries, they were either loved or loathed. Some people even believed them to be trolls and cannibals. The perception of gnomes largely depended on whether a person was naughty, or nice.
When Christmas became popular again as a festive season in the middle-1800s, Scandinavian writers such as Thile, Toplius, Rydberg sketched the gnomes’ true role in modern life: fairies that are somewhat mischievous, but the true friends and helpers of Father Christmas (Santa Claus). They are the Christmas elves. Artists such as Hansen and Nystrm completed the picture of elves for us.

在益教徒時期的Savukoski郡，人們相信房屋的土地神對抗惡靈，守護著他們的屋子。即使這些土地神多半是仁慈的，傳說中他們如果沒有被善待，很容易變的棘手。幾個世紀以來，他們不是被喜愛就是被憎恨。有些人甚至相信他們是侏儒或者食人族。對於土地神的任制大多取決於一個人是頑皮的或者和善的。

當聖誕在1800年中度時期再次成為一個受歡迎的節慶假期，斯堪的納維亞作者像Thile, Toplius和Rydberg用現代人生來描繪土地神的真實角色: 仙子是淘氣的，但他們是耶誕老人真正的朋友和幫手。他們就是耶誕精靈。Hansen和Nystrm等藝術家則為我們完成了精靈的畫作。

麋鹿的名字

關於麋鹿的名字的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

Rudolph is the most famous reindeer. He is the leader of the other 8, whose names are Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer, and Vixen.

The names of the 8 reindeer were published by Clement Clark Moore, an American poet and professor of theology, in his 1822 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” Rudolph was first written about only in 1939 by Robert May, who included him in a story for the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog. (Of course, the elves knew their names long, long before Moore and May did.)
The reindeer are cared for by one of the Christmas elves, Wunorse Openslae. He also designed Father Christmas’s sleigh and maintains it for top performance.

Rudolph魯道夫是最有名的麋鹿名。他是其他麋鹿- Blitzen閃電、Comet,彗星、Cupid邱比特、Dancer舞者、Dasher猛衝、Donder唐德、Prancer騰躍以及Vixen雌孤。
這八隻麋鹿的名字是由Clement Clark Moore，一個美國的詩人以及神學專家1822年的詩作”來自St. Nicolas的造訪”。 Rudolph只在1939年被Robert May，在Montgomery Ward (郵購公司)的聖誕目錄中第一次被提及(當然，我們知道精靈比Moore和May更早更早知道麋鹿的名字)。
麋鹿是由第一個聖誕精靈Wunorse Openslae所照顧。他也設計了第一個聖誕雪橇，並且長期維護他，以保持雪橇頂尖的表現。

 

有名的聖誕麋鹿

關於有名的聖誕麋鹿的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

At one stage it was thought that Father Christmas (Santa Claus) lives in the North Pole. In 1925 it was discovered that there are no reindeer in the North Pole. But there are lots in Lapland, Finland. So today we know that the reindeer live around the secret village of Father Christmas and the elves somewhere on the Korvatunturi mountain in the Savukoski county of Lapland, Finland, which is on the Finnish-Russian border.
Long ago, Father Christmas and the elves discovered the special formula of Magical Reindeer Dust which make them fly. This dust is sprinkled on each of the reindeer shortly before they leave on Christmas Eve. It gives them enough magic to fly right around the world. They can fly very fast: at about the speed of a Christmas light.

有一個時期，聖誕老人被認為是住在北極。在1925年發現北極並沒有麋鹿的存在。但是在芬蘭的拉普蘭卻有很多。因此，今日我們知道麋鹿是住在聖誕老人的神秘村落，而精靈是在芬蘭拉普蘭Savukoski郡的耳朵山(Korvatunturi)上，也就是在芬蘭和俄羅斯的交界。
很久以前，聖誕之父還有精靈發現了神奇的麋鹿粉可以讓麋鹿飛翔。這個粉在聖誕夜麋鹿離開前，用來撒在每隻麋鹿身上，讓麋鹿有神力可以飛躍全世界。他們可以飛的很快，大概是聖誕光芒一樣的速度

聖誕拐杖糖

關於聖誕拐杖糖的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

Christmas candy cane
The Christmas candy cane, shaped as a shepherds’ crook, represents the humble shepherds who were first to worship the new-born Christ.
Legend has it that the candy cane was invented in 1670 by a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral who handed out the bent sugar sticks among children to keep them quiet during the long Living Crèche ceremony.

聖誕拐杖糖

聖誕拐杖糖以牧羊人的拐杖為造型，代表謙卑的牧羊人是第一批祭祀耶穌重生的人。

聖誕禮物

關於聖誕禮物的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

Christmas gifts

Gifts were exchanged in the Roman ceremonies of Saturnalia, the festivities of solstice, the origin of our Christmas celebrations. We know the exchanging of gifts best from the three magi mentioned in the Bible. But as mentioned in the History of Christmas, during the previous centuries Christmas was a solemn affair. Religious puritans reminded Christians that the Magi gave gifts only to Jesus, not to His family or to each other. But since the celebration of Christ’s birth was incorporated with the solstice festivities outside the official church, and since Christmas really became widely popular during the last century, it has become a commercial phenomenon.
The first mention Christmas stockings being hung from or near a chimney were made only earlier this century by the illustrator, Thomas Nast, through his pictures and the writer, George Webster, in a story about a visit from Santa Claus. The story quickly caught on.
During World War II it was necessary to mail Christmas gifts early for the troops far way. Merchants joined in the effort to remind the public to shop early and the protracted shopping season was born.

聖誕禮物

在羅馬農神節的冬至慶典，也就是聖誕節慶祝的起始，會交換禮物。我們知道最開始的禮物交換是聖經上提到的三博士。但如同聖誕節歷史中提到，在前幾世紀，聖誕節是一個莊嚴的事件。
宗教的清教徒憶起基督徒三博士只有給耶穌禮物，並沒有給其家人或者其他人。但因為耶穌誕生的慶典和其他非正式教堂的冬至慶典是合併舉行的，加上耶誕節在前一世紀已廣為盛行，這已經成為一個商業現象。
聖誕襪被掛在靠近煙囪一說最早出現在本世紀的一個插畫家Thomas Nast，透過他的畫作以及作者- George Webster 在一個故事中提到聖誕老公公來訪。這個故事很快被傳開。

 

聖誕卡上的聖誕之父

關於聖誕卡上的聖誕之父的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

Father Christmas on Christmas cards

The first greeting card produced in the US was by German lithographer, Louis Prang, who emigrated to New York around 1850. Prang set up a workshop in Boston, Massachusetts in 1860 and began to produce the first color cards with scenes of winter tales for Christmas and New Year.
During the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln requested a political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, to illustrate Santa Christmas (Santa Claus) with the Union troops to bolster their spirits. Nast was the first to introduce a Father Christmas in the now-traditional red suit and big leather belt.
Today, greeting cards is a multi-billion dollar industry supplying cards for just about any occasion.

聖誕卡上的聖誕之父

在美國第一張賀卡是由德國的印刷工- Louis Prang所製造，他是在1850左右移民到紐約。Prang在1860年於美國麻薩諸塞州波士頓設置了一間工作室，並開始生產第一張聖誕和新年冬季故事圖的彩色卡片。
在美國內戰時期，亞伯拉罕·林肯要求一位政治漫畫家- Thomas Nast畫出聖誕老人隨著統一大軍來鞏固他們的精神。 Nast是第一個用現在的傳統紅色穿著以及大皮帶來介紹聖誕老人的人。
今日，賀卡成為一個供應各種節慶卡片商機無限的行業

第一張聖誕卡

關於第一張聖誕卡的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

he first Christmas cards

Though wood engravers produced prints with religious themes in the European Middle Ages, the first commercial Christmas and New Year’s card was designed in London, England in 1843.

John Callcott Horsley (1817 – 1903), a British narrative painter and a Royal Academician, designed the first Christmas and New Year’s card at the suggestion and request of his friend Sir Henry Cole, who was the first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Horsley designed the first Christmas card in 1840, but it went on sale only in 1843, when one thousand cards were offered for 1s each.

The card was not received without controversy, for it showed a family raising their glasses to toast Christmas. Puritans immediately denounced it. The idea was a hit with others. Christmas card became very popular, and other artists quickly followed Horsley’s concept. A particularly popular card was designed by English artist William Egley in 1849.

The first Christmas cards were printed in 1843 in lithography by Jobbins of Warwick Court, Holborn, London, and hand-coloured by an artist named Mason. They were lithographed on stiff cardboard, with the greeting, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” It also states that is was “Published at Summerly’s Home Treasury Office, 12 Old Bond Street, London.

第一張聖誕卡

雖然木雕師在歐洲中古世紀以宗教主題製作印刷品，第一張商業性質的聖誕和新年卡是在1843年的倫敦設計出來。
爵士- 第一位維多利亞與亞伯特博物館總監的建議和要求，設計了第一張聖誕和新年卡，Horsley在1840年設計了第一張聖誕卡，但在1843年，每款印制1000張時才開始銷售。

由於卡片上呈現家庭舉杯慶祝聖誕節，當時收到卡片時皆備受爭議。清教徒立刻譴責。而這個想法對其他人來說則是一個風潮。聖誕卡變得非常流行，其他藝術家也跟進Horsley的概念。當時最受歡迎的卡片是1849年英國藝術家William Egley設計的卡片。

第一張被印出的聖誕卡是在1843年，由Jobbins在倫敦以平版印刷印出，由藝術家Mason手繪顏色，印製在厚紙板上，並且寫上” 祝你有個快樂的聖誕以及新年”。同時也註明了其在倫敦的發行地址。

聖誕樹擺放的時間

關於聖誕樹擺放的時間，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

When to put up the Christmas tree

Traditionally, Christmas trees are put up 12 days before Christmas day, thus on the December 13th, and taken down 12 days after Christmas. But some put up the Christmas tree on December 6th in honor of the day Saint Nicholas died and take it down on Epiphany, January 6th. In Catholic tradition, Christmas trees are put up after noon on Christmas eve.

聖誕樹擺放的時間

傳統上，聖誕樹在聖誕節當天的前12天開始擺放，因此是12月13日開始數12天到聖誕節之後。但有些人在12月6號當天開始放聖誕樹以紀念Saint Nicholas的逝世，並且擺放至主顯節-1月6號。以天主教的傳統，聖誕樹是在聖誕夜的中午過後開始擺放。

 

聖誕樹裝飾

關於聖誕樹裝飾的由來，我們特別翻譯外國網站的原文供大家參考。

以下翻譯自：http://didyouknow.org/christmas/

Christmas tree decorations

Trees were decorated with apples, cakes and candies for many centuries.  Martin Luther was the first to use candles on trees in the late 16th Century. In 1842, Charles Minnegrode introduced the custom of decorating trees to the US in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) is said to be the first to have decorated a Christmas tree with candles to show children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.
In 1850s, German company Lauscha, based in Thuringia, began to produce shaped glass bead garlands for Christmas trees. They also introduced the Rauschgoldengel, the Tingled-angel’, dressed in pure gilded tin.
The glass ornaments reached Britain in the 1870s, and North America around 1880.
In 1882, ornaments were complimented by electric Christmas lights. Edward Johnson, a colleague of Thomas Edison, lit a Christmas tree with a string of 80 small electric light bulbs which he had made himself. By 1890, the Christmas light strings were mass-produced. By 1900, stores put up large illuminated trees to lure the customers.

聖誕樹裝飾

用蘋果、蛋糕和糖果來裝飾樹已流傳了很多世紀。馬丁·路德是第一個在16世紀末把糖果放在樹上的人。到了1842年Charles Minnegrode把裝飾聖誕樹的風俗帶到美國威廉斯堡的維吉尼亞州。馬丁·路德 (1483 – 1546)據說是第一個以糖果裝飾聖誕樹，來向孩童解釋星星如何在夜晚發光的人。
1850年，在圖林哥據點的德國公司Lauscha，開始製造有形狀的聖誕樹玻璃珠花環。他們還引進純金箔裝飾的聖誕天使。這種玻璃裝飾品在1870年時傳至英國，而大概在1880年時在北美出現。
在1882年，這些裝飾品開始和聖誕燈飾搭配。Edward Johnson，Thomas Edison的一個同事，自己做了80個小燈泡的燈串將聖誕樹點亮。到了1890年，聖誕燈串被大量製作。1900年，店家開始擺放光亮的聖誕樹來吸引顧客。