christmas in british isles unit 2 （英语人教必修五）

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1、ChristmasinBritishIslesManyofourcurrentAmericanidealsaboutthewayChristmasoughttobederivefromtheEnglishVictorianChristmas,suchasthatdescribedinCharlesDickens'AChristmasCarol.Thecaroling,thegifts,thefeast,andthewishingofgoodcheertoall-theseingredientscametogethertocreatethatspecialChristmasatm

2、osphere.　　Thecustomofgift-givingonChristmasdatesonlytoVictoriantimes.BeforethenitwasmorecommontoexchangegiftsonNewYear'sDayorTwelfthNight.SantaClausisknownbyBritishchildrenasFatherChristmas.FatherChristmas,thesedays,isquitesimilartotheAmericanSanta,buthisdirectancestorisacertainpaganspiritwh

3、oregularlyappearedinmedievalmummer'splays.Theold-fashionedFatherChristmaswasdepictedwearinglongrobeswithsprigsofhollyinhislongwhitehair.ChildrenwriteletterstoFatherChristmasdetailingtheirrequests,butinsteadofdroppingtheminthemailbox,thelettersaretossedintothefireplace.Thedraftcarriesthelette

4、rsupthechimney,andtheoretically,FatherChristmasreadsthesmoke.GiftsareopenedChristmasafternoon.　　FromtheEnglishwegetastorytoexplainthecustomofhangingstockingsfromthemantelpiece.FatherChristmasoncedroppedsomegoldcoinswhilecomingdownthechimney.Thecoinswouldhavefallenthroughtheashgrateandbeenlos

5、tiftheyhadn'tlandedinastockingthathadbeenhungouttodry.Sincethattimechildrenhavecontinuedtohangoutstockingsinhopesoffindingthemfilledwithgifts.　　ThecustomofsingingcarolsatChristmasisalsoofEnglishorigin.Duringthemiddleages,groupsofserenadescalled"waits"wouldtravelaroundfromhousetohousesinginga

6、ncientcarolsandspreadingtheholidayspirit.Theword"carol"means"songofjoy."Mostofthepopularoldcarolswesingtodaywerewritteninthenineteenthcentury.　　Thehangingofgreens,suchashollyandivy,isaBritishwintertraditionwithoriginsfarbeforetheChristianera.Greenerywasprobablyusedtoliftsaggingwinterspiritsa

7、ndremindthepeoplethatspringwasnotfaraway.ThecustomofkissingunderthemistletoeisdescendedfromancientDruidrites.ThedecoratingofChristmastrees,thoughprimarilyaGermancustom,hasbeenwidelypopularinEnglandsince1841whenPrinceAlberthadaChristmastreesetupinWi