Family visits， gift giving， holiday parties， decorations， and charity. And dont forget Santa Claus.
American Christmas
Once a simple observance in America， Christmas is now a complexcomplex adj.复杂的， 合成的， 综合的n.联合体 mixture of religious services， family visits， gift giving， holiday parties， decorationsdecoration n.装饰， 装饰品， and charity. And dont forget Santa Claus.
节日期间，人们走亲访友、互送礼品、聚会庆贺、布置圣诞装饰，并从事慈善活动，当然也少不了请圣诞老人来给孩子们祝福。
美国人的圣诞节
过去，在美国过圣诞节非常简单，可是如今，圣诞节却成为混合各种宗教仪式和节日聚会的日子。节日期间，人们走亲访友、互送礼品、聚会庆贺、布置圣诞装饰，并从事慈善活动，当然也少不了请圣诞老人来给孩子们祝福。
This has become the cliché of an American Christmas—a shopping frenzyfrenzy n.狂暴， 狂怒 that boosts the earnings of stores across the United States， and leaves shoppers exhausted and stressed. But Christmas is more than that.
For Americans， Christmas is a sentimental time， with friends and family being the priority. For Tyler Beasley， having his father home in time for Christmas was all he wanted. Tylers father Marine Sergeant Rodney Beasley， is stationed Iraq. But he did arrive home， and along with Santa Claus， came to Tylers classroom to surprise him. After a twoweek stay with his family， Sergeant Beasley returns to Iraq.
Every year， U.S. Marines hold an annual Christmas toy drive， where they collect toys and donations for underprivileged children. Volunteers take the children into a makeshift “store” where they are allowed to pick a few items for themselves. The “Toys for Tots” program is national campaign that has helped millions of children.
圣诞节期间，全美各地的消费者因疯狂购物而累得筋疲力尽，但也因此提高了商店的利润，每年圣诞节，人们似乎都是这么度过的。但是，圣诞节的内容远远不止这些。
对美国人来说，圣诞节还是一个表达情感的日子，人们最希望的就是和亲朋好友在一起。对泰勒·比斯利来说，他最盼望的是能和爸爸一起过圣诞节。他的父亲海军中士罗德尼·比斯利驻扎在伊拉克。他不仅回来过节，还要圣诞老人带到小泰勒的教室里，令他大吃一惊。但是，两个星期之后，他还要再返伊拉克。
美国海军陆战队每年都要举行一年一度的圣诞节玩具捐赠活动，人们把各种玩具和礼品捐给家境贫穷的孩子们。志愿人员还把孩子们带到“模拟商店”中，让他们挑选自己喜欢的礼物。这个全国性活动帮助了上百万的孩子们。
Across the United States， people use lights and decorations to mark the Christmas holidays. In one neighborhood in Texas， residents have outfitted their homes with thousands of lights. Some homes have specific themes， like politics or current events.
This homeowner explains why he decorates. “Most people are awedawed adj.充满敬畏的， 表示敬畏的 by it.” ‘I have never seen anything like this.’ And that makes us feel good. ‘It sort of makes it worth the effort it takes to put it up，” he says.
And for many Americans， an enduring symbol of Christmas is the National Christmas tree on the National Mall in Washington， D.C. The President or the First Lady in a nighttime ceremony usually lights the tree. And finally， for many Christians， this candle could be the ultimate gift. In Minnesota， storeowner Kim Foels， is selling candles that claims to have the same scent as Jesus Christ.
全美各地的人们都在张灯结彩庆祝圣诞节。在得克萨斯州的一个居民区，人们用五彩缤纷的圣诞灯把房子装饰起来。有些家庭的圣诞装饰还带有时事政治主题。
有位房子的主人解释了他为什么要搞圣诞装饰。他说：“很多人看到我们的圣诞装饰后都惊叹不已，他们说：我从来没有看到这样的装饰，这让我们感到欣慰，我们觉得自己的努力值得的。”
对许多美国人来说，圣诞节的一个永久性象征是华盛顿国家大草坪上的国家圣诞树。在一个晚间庆祝仪式上，通常由总统或第一夫人点燃这棵树上的圣诞灯。对许多基督徒来说，圣诞蜡烛可能是最好的礼物。 在明尼苏达州，一个名叫金·弗尔斯的店主正在出售据他所说的带着耶稣清香之气的蜡烛。
She says the aromaaroma n.芳香， 香气， 香味 is very comfortingcomforting 安慰的； 令人鼓舞的. A devout Christian couple manufactured the candles. They based the candles scent on a biblical verse that says Jesus’ garments smell like myrrh， aloe and cassia.
她说，这个香气能给人带来安慰。这种蜡烛是由一对虔诚的基督徒夫妇根据圣经的记载做成的。圣经上提到耶稣的衣服上有没药、陈香木和桂皮的香味。
西方世界里的圣诞节就像我们的春节一样地位重要，美国也是如此。每当圣诞来临，人们的生活就开始围绕圣诞节而运转，这个社会都沉浸在节日的气氛中。
第一章 British Christmas—Games， Goats and Carrots英式圣诞——游戏、山羊和胡萝卜
Everybody has a favourite Christmas memory. Fondness makes it easy to recall your cream of the crop of the UKs favourite holiday.
British Christmas—Games， Goats and Carrots
Everybody has a favourite Christmas memory. Fondnessfondness n.爱好， 溺爱 makes it easy to recall your creamcream n.乳酪， 奶油， (护肤)面霜 of the crop of the UKs favourite holiday.
关于圣诞节，每个人都有最美好的回忆。圣诞节是英国人最喜欢的节日，正因为热爱，我们不难回忆起我们最难忘的那次圣诞节。
英式圣诞——游戏、山羊和胡萝卜
关于圣诞节，每个人都有最美好的回忆。圣诞节是英国人最喜欢的节日，正因为热爱，我们不难回忆起我们最难忘的那次圣诞节。
Own Home
For Norfolk born Kevin， it was， “the first time I had Christmas in my own house. This was because I could plan and organise everything myself， everyone had a great time and the house so wonderfully warm and friendly for some time afterwardsafterwards adv.然后， 后来地. In addition I didnt have a horrendously long journey and was able to be with my cats.”
Games and Goats
Judy from Hoylake cannot decide on her absoluteabsolute adj.完全的， 绝对的 favourite. “Two Christmases stand out： One was the first Christmas after my grandparents came to live with us when I was about 11 years old.
在家过圣诞
出生在诺福克的凯文告诉我们，“我最难忘的是我第一次在自己家里过圣诞节。我可以自己安排一切，每个人都过得很开心。家里既温暖又温馨，这种温馨的感觉一直延续到圣诞节结束后的很长时间。另外，我没有出远门，那样会很累的，我可以和我的猫咪们一起共度圣诞。”
游戏和山羊
来自霍莱克的朱蒂难以确定哪次圣诞节最难忘。“有两次都很难忘。一次是爷爷来和我们同住的那年圣诞，那时我大概11岁吧。
“ This was the first time we had three generations together at Christmas and we had a lot of games. My mother and my grandmother had a fund of Victorian parlourparlour n.营业室 games which we played endlessly， and in secret， my grandfather taught me and my brothers how to play poker using matchsticks for ‘money’.
“The other Christmas was in Africa in a very remoteremote adj.遥远的， 偏僻的， 细微的 village. We had a very simple Christmas by Western standards， but the whole family had new clothes for Christmas day； we walked through the cool morning to Church and listened to a beautiful mass sung to African music and rhythms， and then had an open house at home with cauldronscauldron n.(=caldron)大锅炉 of food and kegs of palm wine for anyone who dropped by. My little children loved the freedom， and went with other children to fetch water from the spring and to collect food for the goats.”
“那是我们家第一次三代人在一起过圣诞节，我们玩了很多游戏。妈妈和奶奶都很精通维多利亚时代的室内游戏，我们一玩就是好几个时辰。爷爷还偷偷的教我和哥哥们玩扑克，我们拿火柴棒当钱用。
“另一次是在非洲一个边远的村庄里。我们按照西方的习俗过了一个简单的圣诞，不过全家人在圣诞当天都穿上了新衣服。圣诞节的早晨，天气十分凉爽，我们散步到一个教堂，在那里听人们做弥撒，是非洲音乐，非常动听。然后我们回到家里。我们准备了很多吃的，还有棕榈酒，招待来访的客人。我的孩子们喜欢这种自由的感觉，他们和别的孩子一起去接泉水，找东西给山羊吃。”
在英国人的眼中，圣诞节无比重要。本文通过几个英国人的回忆，向我们介绍了他们那时过圣诞节时的情景，从中我们可以体会出圣诞节给家庭带来的快乐以及营造的温馨气氛。