British festivals英国节日文档格式.docx

British festivals英国节日文档格式.docx

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WheredoesthewordChristmascomefrom?

ThewordChristmas（orChrist'

sMass）comesfromtheOldEnglishname'

CristesMaesse'

-Christ'

sMass-andisthecelebrationofthebirthofJesus.ThefirstrecordedobservanceoccurredinRomeinAD360,butitwasn'

tuntilAD440thattheChristianChurchfixedacelebrationdateof25December.

HowisChristmasCelebratedinBritain?

Christmasisatrulymagicalseason,bringingfamiliesandfriendstogethertosharethemuchlovedcustomsandtraditionswhichhavebeenaroundforcenturies.MostpeopleareonholidayintheUKandstayathomewiththeirfamilyonChristmasday,themaindayforChristmascelebrationsinBritain.

OnwhatdayisthemainChristmascelebrationinBritain?

Christmasiscelebratedonthe25thDecember,withaChristmasdinneratmiddayforthewholefamily.

HowdotheBritishprepareforChristmas?

DuringtheweeksbeforeChristmasDay,Britishpeoplesendcards,watchnativityplaysandgotocarolservices.TheyputupChristmasdecorationsintheirhomesandchurches.

HistoryofBritishChristmasCustomsandTraditions

ManyoftheBritishChristmascustomsbeganlongbeforeJesuswasborn.TheycamefromearlierfestivalswhichhadnothingtodowiththeChristianchurch.Longtimeagopeoplehadmid-winterfestivalswhenthedayswereshortestandthesunlightweakest.Theybelievedthattheirceremonieswouldgivethesunbackitspower.TheRomans,forexample,heldthefestivalofSaturnaliaaround25December.TheydecoratedtheirhomeswithevergreenstoremindthemofSaturn,theirharvestgod,toreturnthefollowingspring.

SomeofthesecustomsandtraditionswereadoptedbyearlyChristiansaspartoftheircelebrationsofJesus'

birthday.

InVictoriantimessomenewideassuchasFatherChristmas,Christmascardsandcrackerswereaddedtothecelebrations.

TheChristmasNativityPlay

AtChristmastime,itistraditionalforprimaryschoolsinBritaintoputonaNativityplay.TheNativityPlayrecreatesthesceneofJesus’birthinthestableandtellsofhowMaryandJosephwerevisitedbytheShepherdsandWiseMen.ThepartsofMary,Joseph,theShepherdsandtheWiseMenareplayedbythechildren.

ChristmasPantomimes

ApantomimeisatraditionalBritishChristmasplay.TheyareanimportantpartofBritain’sChristmasfestivities.Theyareperformedintheatres,villagehallsandcommunitycentres.

Pantomimescontainanumberofstandardingredients:

•Crossdressing-Inpantomimesthemalerolesareoftenplayedbywomenandfemalerolesbymen.Thismakestheaudiencelaughmore.

•Audienceparticipation-animportantpartofapantomime."

He'

sbehindyou"

and"

Ohnohe'

snot-Ohyesheis"

areheardineverypantomimeacrossthecountry.

WhydoBritishpeoplevisitPantomimesatChristmas?

TheoriginsofthepantomimeslieintheoldChristmasmummersplayspresentedbyanall-malecastsinthegreathallsofmanorhouses.Everyplayhadmoralandalwaystheextremegooddefeatedtheextremeevil,muchlikewhathappensinpantomimestoday.

WhendoPantomimesstart?

PantomimestraditionallystartonBoxingDayandrunfortwoorthreemonthsintheatresaroundthecountry.

TheQueen’sChristmasMessage

TheQueen'

sChristmasMessage（orKing'

sChristmasMessageinthereignofamalemonarch）isabroadcastmadebythesovereignoftheCommonwealthrealmstotheCommonwealthofNationseachChristmas.Thetraditionbeganin1932witharadiobroadcastbyKingGeorgeVontheBritishBroadcastingCorporationEmpireService.Today,themessageisreadbyQueenElizabethIIandbroadcastontelevision,radio,andtheInternetviavariousproviders.

BoxingDay

WhenisBoxingDay?

InBritain,BoxingDayisusuallycelebratedonthefollowingdayafterChristmasDay,whichis26December.However,strictlyspeaking,BoxingDayisthefirstweekdayafterChristmas.

LikeChristmasDay,BoxingDayisapublicholiday.ThismeansitistypicallyanonworkingdayinthewholeofBritain.WhenBoxingDayfallsonaSaturdayorSundaythefollowingMondayisthepublicholiday.

Whyis26DecembercalledBoxingDay?

Traditionally,26DecemberwasthedaytoopentheChristmasBoxtosharethecontentswiththepoor.

WhatisaChristmasBox?

TheChristmasboxwasawoodenorclaycontainerwherepeopleplacedgifts.

HistoryofBoxingDay-BoxingDayorigins

Throughourresearchforthispage,wehavediscoveredthatChristmasBoxeswereusedindifferentways:

1.Toprotectships.DuringtheAgeofExploration,whengreatsailingshipsweresettingofftodiscovernewland,AChristmasBoxwasusedasagoodluckdevice.Itwasasmallcontainerplacedoneachshipwhileitwasstillinport.Itwasputtherebyapriest,andthosecrewmenwhowantedtoensureasafereturnwoulddropmoneyintothebox.Itwasthensealedupandkeptonboardfortheentirevoyage.Iftheshipcamehomesafely,theboxwashandedovertothepriestintheexchangeforthesayingofaMassofthanksforthesuccessofthevoyage.ThePriestwouldkeeptheboxsealeduntilChristmaswhenhewouldopenittosharethecontentswiththepoor.

2.Tohelpthepoor.An'

AlmsBox'

wasplacedineverychurchonChristmasDay,intowhichworshippersplacedagiftforthepooroftheparish.TheseboxeswerealwaysopenedthedayafterChristmas,whichiswhythatdaybecameknowasBoxingDay.

3.Apresentfortheworkers.ManypoorlypaidworkerswererequiredtoworkonChristmasDayandtookthefollowingdayofftovisittheirfamilies.Astheypreparedtoleave,theiremployerswouldpresentthemwithChristmasboxes.Duringthelate18thcentury,LordsandLadiesofthemanorwould"

boxup"

theirleftoverfood,orsometimesgiftsanddistributethemthedayafterChristmastotenantswholivedandworkedontheirlands.

Thetraditionofgivingmoneytoworkersstillcontinuestoday.Itiscustomaryforhouseholderstogivesmallgiftsormonetarytipstoregularvisitingtradespeople（themilkman,dustman,coalman,paperboyetc.）and,insomeworkplaces,foremployerstogiveaChristmasbonustoemployees.

SchoolsacrossthecountrygathertogethergiftstobeputinChristmasBoxesthataresenttopoorercountries.

Easter

WhatisEaster?

EasteristhemostimportantChristianfestival.ChristiansarefollowersofJesusChristwholivedabout2000yearsagoinacountrycalledPalestine.TheybelievethatJesuswasthesonofGod.AtEastertimeChristiansrememberthelastweekofJesus'

life.

EasterDayisalwaysonaSundaybutthedatevariesunlikeChristmas,whichisalwayson25December.ManyyearsagoChristiansdecidedthatEasterDayalwaysbeontheSundayfollowingthefirstfullmoonafterthefirstdayofSpring,around21March.ThismeansthatEastercanbeasearlyas22Marchoraslateas25April.

HowdidEastergetitsname?

LongbeforeJesuswasbornsomepeopleinEuropeworshippedtheGoddessofSpring,whohadthename'

Eostre'

.TheythoughtthatthesundiedinwinterandwasbornagaininSpring.Theythoughtthegoddessbroughtthespringandwithitthesunwouldgetstronger.SomebelievethatEastergotitsnamefromher.

EasterTraditions

MaundyThursday

MaundyThursdayistheThursdaybeforeEaster.ChristiansrememberitasthedayoftheLastSupper,whenJesuswashedthefeetofhisdisciplesandestablishedtheceremonyknownastheEucharist.ThewordMaundy"

comesfromtheFrenchword,"

Mande,"

meaning"

command"

or"

mandate”andistakenfromthecommandgivenbyChristattheLastSupper,"

loveoneanotherasIhavelovedyou.”

InBritain,theQueentakespartintheCeremonyoftheRoyalMaundy,whichdatesbacktoEdward1.ThisinvolvesthedistributionofMaundyMoneytodeservingseniorcitizens（onemanandonewomanforeachyearofthesovereign'

sage）,usuallychosenforhavingdoneservicetotheircommunity.

GoodFriday

OntheFridaybeforeEaster,ChristianscommemoratethecrucifixionofJesusChrist.ItisadayofmourninginchurchandspecialGoodFridayservicesareheldwhereChristiansmeditateonJesus'

ssufferinganddeathonthecross,andwhatthismeansfortheirfaith.

SymbolsofEaster

ManyofthesymbolsandtraditionsofEasterareconnectedwithrenewal,birth,goodluckandfertility.

TheCross

OfcourseasitisaChristianfestivaloneofthemainsymbolsisacross,oftenonahill.WhenJesuswascrucified,thecrossbecameasymbolofsuffering.Thenwiththeresurrection,Christianssawitasasymbolofvictoryoverdeath.InA.D.325,ConstantineissuedadecreeattheCouncilofNicaea,thattheCrosswouldbetheofficialsymbolofChristianity.

Palms

TheweekofEasterbeginsonPalmSunday.WhyPalmSunday?

Well,inRomantimesitwascustomarytowelcomeroyaltybywavingpalmbranches,abitlikeaticker-tapeparade.So,whenJesusarrivedinJerusalemonwhatisnowknownasPalmSunday,peoplewelcomedhimwithpalmbranchescarpetingthestreetsandwavingthem.Today,onPalmSunday,Christianscarrypalmbranchesinparades,andmakethemintocrossesandgarlandstodecoratetheChurch.

EasterEggs

EastereggsareaveryoldtraditiongoingtoatimebeforeChristianity.Eggsafterallareasymbolofspringandnewlife.

ExchangingandeatingEastereggsisapopularcustominmanycountries.IntheUKbeforetheywerereplacedbychocolateEastereggsrealeggswereused,inmostcases,chickeneggs.Theeggswerehard-boiledanddyedinvariouscolorsandpatterns.Thetraditionallybri