In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children,or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

在商店里或孩子们的晚会上，有人会化装成圣诞老人来给孩子们分发小礼物，或者问他们想要什么圣诞礼物。对于孩子们来说，圣诞节简直是最神奇、最令人兴奋的日子。

Who was he?

圣诞老人是什么人?

Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which explains his other name "Santa Claus" which comes from the Dutch "Sinterklaas". Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD.He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire!This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children’s stockings.

圣诞老人的原型是圣尼古拉斯，这也为他的另外一个名字“Santa Claus”作出了解释，这个词源于荷兰语的“Sinterldaas"。尼古拉斯是公元4世纪时迈拉(即现在的土耳其)的基督教领袖。他生性腼腆，想用钱财来接济穷人，但又不想让他们知道。据说有一天，他爬上了一户人家的屋顶，将一袋钱从烟囱里扔了下去。这袋钱恰好落入了一个小女孩儿晾在炉火边的一只袜子里!这也可以解释为什么人们会认为圣诞老人是从烟囱里爬下来的，并且把礼物放在孩子们的袜子里。

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