【文档】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-theseingredientscametogethertocreatethatspecialChristmasat

2、mosphere.　　Thecustomofgift-givingonChristmasdatesonlytoVictoriantimes.BeforethenitwasmorecommontoexchangegiftsonNewYear'sDayorTwelfthNight.SantaClausisknownbyBritishchildrenasFatherChristmas.FatherChristmas,thesedays,isquitesimilartotheAmericanSanta,buthisdirectancestorisacertainpaganspirit

3、whoregularlyappearedinmedievalmummer'splays.Theold-fashionedFatherChristmaswasdepictedwearinglongrobeswithsprigsofhollyinhislongwhitehair.ChildrenwriteletterstoFatherChristmasdetailingtheirrequests,butinsteadofdroppingtheminthemailbox,thelettersaretossedintothefireplace.Thedraftcarriesthele

4、ttersupthechimney,andtheoretically,FatherChristmasreadsthesmoke.GiftsareopenedChristmasafternoon.　　FromtheEnglishwegetastorytoexplainthecustomofhangingstockingsfromthemantelpiece.FatherChristmasoncedroppedsomegoldcoinswhilecomingdownthechimney.Thecoinswouldhavefallenthroughtheashgrateandbee

5、nlostiftheyhadn'tlandedinastockingthathadbeenhungouttodry.Sincethattimechildrenhavecontinuedtohangoutstockingsinhopesoffindingthemfilledwithgifts.　　ThecustomofsingingcarolsatChristmasisalsoofEnglishorigin.Duringthemiddleages,groupsofserenadescalled"waits"wouldtravelaroundfromhousetohousesin

6、gingancientcarolsandspreadingtheholidayspirit.Theword"carol"means"songofjoy."Mostofthepopularoldcarolswesingtodaywerewritteninthenineteenthcentury.　　Thehangingofgreens,suchashollyandivy,isaBritishwintertraditionwithoriginsfarbeforetheChristianera.Greenerywasprobablyusedtoliftsaggingwintersp

7、iritsandremindthepeoplethatspringwasnotfaraway.ThecustomofkissingunderthemistletoeisdescendedfromancientDruidrites.ThedecoratingofChristmastrees,thoughprimarilyaGermancustom,hasbeenwidelypopularinEnglandsince1841whenPrinceAlberthadaChristmastreesetupinWi