每年的12月25日是圣诞节（Christmas），原本这只是基督徒庆祝耶稣基督诞生的节日。而随着世界全球化进程，过圣诞节的习俗已经传播到了世界各地！
Buying presents for everyone you know has become one of the most popular customs of Christmas, so the Christmas season is the most important time of year for stores. People usually make Christmas lists to give to their families, so that people know what to buy for each other, but some people love to be very creative! One of my friends puts together beautifully decorated boxes of baked goodies like cookies, cakes and fudge to give to people she loves. Baked goods are a very popular gift to give friends and coworkers. Another friend makes CDs of her favorite Christmas music to give out. My parents still buy presents for all of my aunts, uncles and cousins, and I receive presents from all of my extended family as well. I look forward to all of the Christmas cards and letters. Most families in the US type up a Christmas letter, which talks about everything that happened to the family that year, and send it to all of their friends and relatives. This year, my dad mentioned 沪江in our family Christmas letter! Have you ever heard the song “Deck the Halls”? It’s all about decorating for Christmas. Of course everyone decorates a tree (or 5) to put in their home, but it doesn’t stop there. People cover the outsides of their houses with lights, put giant reindeer in their front yards, and cover the entire town in sparkly stars, bells, stockings and angels. The “Nativity Scene” is also a classic Christmas decoration, which is a miniature collection of figurines from the ‘scene’ of the birth of Christ. Children can make Christmas decorations in schools and people also give them to each other as presents. Christmas dinner is usually held in the late afternoon on Christmas Day, and the traditional foods are different for every family. Most families have the same dishes every year, and sometimes the recipes have been passed down for generations. My family has a Christmas turkey and a Christmas baked ham, and we always have lots of pie and cakes for dessert. The food is very similar to Thanksgiving. Special sweets in the US include candy canes, gingerbread cookies, roasted chestnuts and sugar plums. In the UK, no Christmas is complete without mince pies and mulled wine, a spicy, warm mug of sweet red wine.