英美文化史：圣诞节的故事_英美文化

英美文化史：圣诞节的故事

Bong Day

节礼日

In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called "Boxing Day". This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their "alms boxe" (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today一small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.

在讲英语的国家，圣诞节的次日被称为“节礼日”。这个名称源自于大约800年前的中世纪的一个风俗:教堂会在圣诞节之后的这一天打开“布施箱”(人们把礼物或钱财放在里面的一种箱子)，把里面的钱财分发给附近的穷人，而小礼物通常会送给邮递员和报童等为人们传递物品的人。这个传统一直延续至今。

Malting sense of Christmas

圣诞节的意义

Today in the West, not many people consider the religious meaning to Christmas. Most people in UK or Europe will not go to a religious church meeting,even at Christmas. It has become a busy race to spend money on presents, and get ready for the Day. In UK, our shops stay open till late Christmas Eve and often open again on Boxing Day with the cut-price "sales". (Not much holiday for the poor shop workers!)A visitor from another world would think that Christmas was a festival to the gods of money and shopping.