聖誕樹的由來、聖誕樹的傳說

聖誕樹一直是慶祝聖誕節不可少的裝飾物,也是聖誕老公公掛禮物的地方,如果家中沒有聖誕樹,就大大減少了過節氣氛。關於聖誕節的樹由來有多種不同的傳說, 大約在十六世紀,聖誕樹最先出現在德國,德國人把長青的松柏枝拿到屋中去擺設,將之成為聖誕樹。另一個傳說記載,在很久以前,有一位農民,在聖誕節那天遇 到一個窮苦小孩,他熱情地接待這個兒童。兒童臨走時折下一根松枝插在地上,松枝立即變成一棵聖誕樹,上面都掛滿禮物以答謝農民好意。
聖誕節的樹真正的由來是在德國,之後又傳入歐洲和美國,並以其優美的姿態,成為聖誕節除了聖誕老公公以外不可缺少的裝飾。每棵聖誕樹上都掛滿琳瑯滿目 的裝飾品,每棵樹頂端一定有個特大的星星,而且也只有該家庭的一家之主可以把這棵希望之星掛上。
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圖片資料來源:http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/mi7160/article?mid=7485
誕樹一致是慶祝聖誕節不可少的裝飾物,如果家中沒有聖誕樹,就大大減少了過節氣氛。關於聖誕樹的來源有多種不同的傳說。

據 稱,聖誕樹最早出現在古羅馬12月中旬的農神節,德國傳教士尼古斯在西元8世紀用縱樹供奉聖嬰。隨後,德國人把12月24日作爲亞當和夏娃的節日,在家放 上象徵伊甸園的〝樂園樹〞,上挂代表聖餅的小甜餅,象徵贖罪;還點上蠟燭,象徵基督。到16世紀,宗教改革者馬丁.路德,爲求得一個滿天星斗的聖誕之夜, 設計出在家中佈置一顆裝著蠟燭的聖誕樹。

不過,西方關於聖誕樹的來歷流行著另一種說法:有個善良的農民,在耶誕節那天,熱情地招待了一名流浪的孩子,臨別時,孩子折下一樹枝插在地上。

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。