ChildrenareveryexcitedonChristmasmorningandalwayswakeupearly.Christmasisalsoafamilycelebration.Asanymembersofthefamilyaspossiblegathertoeat,playpartygamesandwatchthespecialChristmasprogrammesonTV.
Inmedievaltimesthe'ParadisePlay'wasperformedeveryyearon24December.ThisdepictedthecreationofManandthefallofAdamandEvefromtheGardenofEdenandalwaysincludedanevergreenhungwithappleswhichrepresentedtheappletreeoftemptation.
ThereisalegendthatStBoniface,anEnglishmonk,cameuponagroupofpagansgatheredaroundanoaktreewhowerepreparingtosacrificeachildtotheGodThor.Inordertostopthesacrifice,andsavethechild'slife,StBonifaceissaidtohavefelledthetreewithoneblowofhisfist.Lateron,afirtreegrewinplaceoftheoakandthis,StBonifacetoldthepagans,wastheTreeofLifeandrepresentedtheChristChild.
Legendalsosuggeststhat,inthelate16thcentury,MartinLuther(thefounderoftheProtestantreligion)wasthefirsttodecorateanindoortreewithcandleswhenheattemptedtorecreatethestarsshiningoveraforestofevergreens.
Thefirstmentionofdecoratedtreesbeingtakenindoorscamein1605inGermany-acountrywithalongChristmastreehistory!Thetreeswereinitiallydecoratedwithfruitandsweetstogetherwithhandmadeobjectssuchasquilledsnowflakesandstars.GermanChristmasMarketsbegantosellshapedgingerbreadsandwaxornamentswhichpeopleboughtassouvenirsofthefairandtookhometohangontheirtree.
TinselwasalsoinventedinGermanyinabout1610.Upuntilfairlyrecentlyrealsilverwasused,whichwaspulledintowaferthinstripsbyspecialmachines.Thiswasdurablebuttarnishedquicklyandmmanyexperimentstookplaacetotryandfindanalternative-includingamixofleadandtin,whichwastooheavyandkeptbreaking.Itwasonlyinthemid20thcenturythataviablealternativewasfound.
Artificialtreeswereinventedinthe1880'sinabidtotryandstopsomeofthedamagebeingcausedtorealtreesduetopeopleloppingthetipofflargetrees,thuspreventingthetreesfromgrowinganyfurther.ItgotsobadinGermanythatlawshadtobebroughtintopreventpeoplehavingmorethanonetree.
PrinceAlbert,husbandofQueenVictoria,iscreditedwithbeingresponsibleforintroducingthecustomoftheChristmastreetotheBritishpublicbydecoratingthefirstEnglishChristmastreeatWindsorCastlein1841usingcandles,sweets,fruitandgingerbread.
ThepopularityoftheChristmastreegrewinBritainduringthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury,withtreesbecomingbiggerandmoreelaboratelydecoratedwithbells,baublesandtinsel.However,theonsetoftheSecondWorldWarresultedinabanoncuttingdowntreesfordecorationandpeopleresortedtohavingsmall,artificialtabletoptreesbearinghomemadedecorations.ThesewereoftentakendownintotheairraidshelterswhenthesirenssoundedtoprovideabitofChristmascheer!
Thisallchangedfollowingthewar,andlargetreeswereerectedinmanypublicplacestocelebrateChristmas.ThemostfamousoftheseisthetreeinTrafalgarSquare,LondonwhichisanannualgiftfromtheNorwegiangovernmenttogivethanksforthehelptheyreceivedfromBritainduringthewar.
Onaholiday,peopledon’twork.Childrendon’tgotoschool.
Christmasisspecial.Why?BecousewehaveChristmastreesandsanta.Whoissanta?santaisamerrymaninredclothes.Santabringstoysforchildrenonchristmas.
Weinviteourfamilytoourhouse,familybringgiftsforus.Wegiveourfamilygiftstoo.Wesingspecialsongsatchristmas.Whenischristmas?It’sDecembertwenty-fifth!
Christmasishapplyholiday,ourfamilyarehavefun.
Christmas,likeourSpringFestival,hasameaninginitself.ChristmasDay,whichisonDecember25,isthebirthdayofJesusChrist--thesonofGod.That'swhyitiscalledChristmas.Onthatday,ChristianswouldgettogetherwiththeirfamiliestocelebratethebirthdayofJesus.Butnowadays,thereligiousmeaningofChristmashasbecomelessemphasized.Tomanyfamilies,itisjustatimeoffamilyreunionandtheever-excitingpresent-giving.
OurschoolhadbeenonwintervacationsinceDecember11.Istayedatmyfriend,StephenStapczynski'shouse--hisfamilywasmy"hostfamily".AlthoughChristmaswasstillmorethantendaysahead,thefestivespirithadalreadybeenteemingeverywhere.TheChristmastreehadalreadybeensetup,andoneverywindowsill,therewereChristmaslights.OnthefirstdayIarrivedattheirhouse,StephenandIhelpedMrs.StapczynskiputdecorationsontheChristmastree.Thetreelookedsonicewithallthelightsonandthebeautifulornamentsdanglingfromitsbranches.
AsChristmascamecloser,thewholeneighborhoodhadmadepreparationstoo.Somepeoplewouldholdpartiesattheirhouses,invitingalltheirneighborstocome.Soeverynight,ifyouwentout,youwouldseealonglineofcarsparkedinfrontofsomehouse--aparty'son!
What'smore,theChristmasdecorationsthatsomepeopleputontheirwindowsandingardenswerejustamazing.Ononenight,wewentoutinourcarfora"touroflights".Therewasonestreetthatwassofamousforitslightsthatitgotitswayintothelocalpaper.Wehadahardtimefindingthewell-hiddenstreet,butitturnedouttobeworththeeffort.Lightsshonebrightlyinfrontofnearlyeveryhouse,ontrees,bushes,doors,windows…everywhere,takingdifferentshapes,makingitseemalmostlikedaytime.Hugeinflatablefiguresinthefrontgardenswerewavingtous:therewereSantaClauses2,ofcourse,chucklingmerrilyaway;andtherewerealsootherChristmasfigures,likeRudolph3--thered-nosedreindeer--withhisrednosegleamingeversobrightly;evenBartSimpson--acharacterinthefamouscomedyTheSimpsons--hadjoinedthejollyparty,wearingaSanta'shat.Thestreetsetoffalotof"ooh"sand"aah"sinsidethecar.4Whenweleft,therewasalineofcarsinthestreet,alltheretoseethelights.
Christmasisthetimeforexchangingpresents.StephenandNikohadbeenthinkingabouttheirChristmaslists(alistofthingstheywish"Santa"togivethemforChristmas)foralongtime.Ididn'twanttoaskforanything,buttheStapczynskisweresokindto"force"memakeonelistaswell(Mr.StapczynskitoldmeifIdidn'tmakeonehewouldchopoffmylegs).SoIwrotedownacoupleofthingsthatIwouldliketohave,andgavethelisttothem--sorry,mymistake--toSanta.
Finally,ChristmasEvecame.TherewasaspecialChristmasserviceatthechurchat6p.m.Itwascertainlyaveryinterestingexperienceforme.Theprieststartedtheservicereadingandsangoutextractionsfromaholybook--TheDivineLiturgy.Forseveraltimes,wewouldstandupandpray.
Sometimes,thechurchchoirwouldstartsinging.Theatmospherewasveryquietandholy.Thentherewasaceremonycalled"TheReceivingCommunion".Peoplewaitedinlineto"receive"aspoonfuloffoodfromthepriest.ItwasaveryspecialChristmastradition.Thefoodwasmadefrombreadandwine.ThebreadrepresentsthebodyofJesus,andthewinerepresentshisblood.Afterthisceremony,thepriesthadaspeech.HeremindedusnottoforgetthetruemeaningofChristmas,andletJesusreallyliveinsideus--thatis,tolovethepeoplearounduswholeheartedly.IthinkthatnomatterifyouareaChristianornot,thisprincipleshouldbepartofourlives.Afterthepriestfinishedhisspeech,thepartthatIenjoyedmostcame:Christmascarols5.ChristmascarolsaresongsthatpeoplesingatChristmas,suchas"JingleBells","WeWishYouaMerryChristmas","SilentNight"andsoon.Somewereverymerry,otherssoundedquiteholy,butallofthemwerebeautiful.Iclosedmyeyes,andletallthepeacefulnessandhappinessthatwereinthesongsflowthroughme.Whatafeelingitwas!
WewenttosleepearlierthatdayforwehadtogetupearlyonChristmasDaytoopenourpresents.Sureenough,whenIwasstillhalf-wayduringasweetdream,Stephenburstintomyroomandtoldmetogetupandopenpresents.TherewereahugepileofpresentsundertheChristmastree,andtherewassuchamysteriousmistshroudingthemthatmademeeagertoseewhattheyallwere.Soonebyone,wewentthroughallthepresents.Mr.andMrs.StapczynskihadboughtmeeverythingIhadwrittenonmyChristmaslist--andalotmore!IgotmusicCDs,filmDVDs,clothes,books…Iwasveryhappy,andIdidn'tknowhowtoexpressmyappreciationforwhattheyhaddoneforme.
StephenandNikohadgottenalotofpresentstoo,andtheyhadalreadybeentryingouttheirnewgames!
Intheafternoon,wewenttoMrs.Stapczynski'sbrother,UncleStan'shouse.Theyhadpreparedamarvelousmealforus.Alotoftheirfriendsandrelativesalsocame.IsawStephenandNiko'sgrandparents,YiayiaandPapou(wordsofgrandmaandgrandpainGreek--Mrs.Stapczynski'sparentscamefromGreece,sotheyliketheboysusingGreekwordstocallthem).Theywereverykindtome,andtreatedmejustlikeoneoftheirfamilymembers.Wehadaveryluxuriousmeal,consistingofturkey,beef,pork,andallsortsofotherfood.
Afterthemeal,whenallthestomachswerefullandeveryonewasfeelingdrowsy6fromallthefood,wejustsataroundthetableandchatted,justlikewhatweChinesepeopledoattheSpringFestival.Afterall,Christmas,liketheSpringFestival,isatimeforustogetawayfromourbusylives,atimeforfamilygathering,andatimetohavesomefun.