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。

 

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。

Christmas 名子的由來

關於Christmas這個名子的由來,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/

『The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ,” later shortened to “Christ-Mass.” The even shorter form “Xmas” – first used in Europe in the 1500s – is derived from the Greek alphabet, in which X is the first letter of Christ’s name: Xristos, therefore “X-Mass.”

Today we know that Christ was not born on the 25th of December. The date was chosen to coincide with the pagan Roman celebrations honoring Saturnus (the harvest god) and Mithras (the ancient god of light), a form of sun worship. These celebrations came on or just after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, to announce that winter is not forever, that life continues, and an invitation to stay in good spirit.

But there’s much more to the fascinating history of Christmas! Where did the Christmas tree originate, why are Christmas candles important, etc.? The answers are all here.』

聖誕節的英文Christmas是指 ”Mass of Christ”- 基督的彌撒,之後簡寫為Christ-Mass。而後來縮寫的形式X’mas初見於1500年代的歐洲,是由希臘字母衍生而來,其中X是基督名字- Xristos的第一個字母 (希臘文的Ch是寫成X ),所以才有”X-Mass”

今日我們知道基督並不是在12月25號誕生的。這一天的選定是為了和異教徒羅馬人紀念Saturnus (農神)以及Mithras (古老的太陽神)慶典,一個對太陽表達敬仰的形式一致。這些慶典都是在羅馬冬至(12/25-北半球一年當中白晝最短的一天)當天或者之後舉行,宣示冬天不會永久,而生命不停延續,也是一個保有好精神的號召。

但對於聖誕節還有更多迷人的歷史,例如聖誕節的起源,以及為什麼聖誕蠟燭如此重要等等。在這裡,可以找到所有答案。