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1、ChristmasinBritishIslesManyofourcurrentAmericanidealsaboutthewayChristmasoughttobederivefromtheEnglishVictorianChristmas,suchasthatdescribedinCharlesDickens'AChristmasCarol.Thecaroling,thegifts,thefeast,andthewishingofgoodcheertoall-theseingredientscametogethertocreatethatspecial
2、Christmasatmosphere. Thecustomofgift-givingonChristmasdatesonlytoVictoriantimes.BeforethenitwasmorecommontoexchangegiftsonNewYear'sDayorTwelfthNight.SantaClausisknownbyBritishchildrenasFatherChristmas.FatherChristmas,thesedays,isquitesimilartotheAmericanSanta,buthisdirectancesto
3、risacertainpaganspiritwhoregularlyappearedinmedievalmummer'splays.Theold-fashionedFatherChristmaswasdepictedwearinglongrobeswithsprigsofhollyinhislongwhitehair.ChildrenwriteletterstoFatherChristmasdetailingtheirrequests,butinsteadofdroppingtheminthemailbox,thelettersaretossedinto
4、thefireplace.Thedraftcarriesthelettersupthechimney,andtheoretically,FatherChristmasreadsthesmoke.GiftsareopenedChristmasafternoon. FromtheEnglishwegetastorytoexplainthecustomofhangingstockingsfromthemantelpiece.FatherChristmasoncedroppedsomegoldcoinswhilecomingdownthechimney.The
5、coinswouldhavefallenthroughtheashgrateandbeenlostiftheyhadn'tlandedinastockingthathadbeenhungouttodry.Sincethattimechildrenhavecontinuedtohangoutstockingsinhopesoffindingthemfilledwithgifts. ThecustomofsingingcarolsatChristmasisalsoofEnglishorigin.Duringthemiddleages,groupsofser
6、enadescalled"waits"wouldtravelaroundfromhousetohousesingingancientcarolsandspreadingtheholidayspirit.Theword"carol"means"songofjoy."Mostofthepopularoldcarolswesingtodaywerewritteninthenineteenthcentury. Thehangingofgreens,suchashollyandivy,isaBritishwintertraditionwithoriginsfar
7、beforetheChristianera.Greenerywasprobablyusedtoliftsaggingwinterspiritsandremindthepeoplethatspringwasnotfaraway.ThecustomofkissingunderthemistletoeisdescendedfromancientDruidrites.ThedecoratingofChristmastrees,thoughprimarilyaGermancustom,hasbeenwidelypopularinEnglandsince1841wh
8、enPrinceAlberthadaChristmastreesetupinWi
