让圣诞节还原本色

Remember what Christmas is about

 　

It is Christmas shopping season. Crowds of people are pouring into the stores from morning till night, for soon it will be Christmas Day.

When did all this madness begin?

Historical accounts vary, but the custom of giving gifts to loved ones on a special day in winter may have begun in ancient Rome, where people gave these gifts as part of their year-end celebration to honor Saturn, the god of harvest. The festivities began in the middle of December and continued until Jan. 1.

Saturnalia was considered a festive time for Romans, but Christians believed it an abomination to honor such a pagan god. Eventually, the church was successful in removing the merriment, lights and gifts from Saturnalia and transferring them to the celebration of a Christian Christmas.

It was in 350 A.D. that Pope Julius I declared Dec. 25 as the official date for celebrating the birth of Christ.

Buying gifts for those we love should be a heartwarming experience. Unfortunately, for many, it is a chore, an obligation and, at some stores, a heart-pounding experience of pushing, shoving and fist fights.

It saddens people that the Advent season, the time when we should joyfully await the birth of Christ, has become a time that is too often spent in crowded stores with harried shoppers in a frenzy to buy gifts.

The ancient Romans celebrated to honor their god of harvest. Christians celebrate to honor their god of love.

We should not worry about what to buy. For, in the end, the gifts we exchange do not matter. It is the love they represent that does.

词汇：
1. Saturn：萨杜恩农神，土星
2. festivity：节日，欢庆
3. abomination：厌恶，反感
4. pagan：异教的
5. merriment：欢喜
6. chore：烦锁之事
7. heart-pounding：惊心的
8. harry：折磨

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圣诞大采购又开始了。商店从早到晚充满拥挤的顾客，因为圣诞节即将来临。

这种疯狂是从何时开始的呢？

历史不断流变，在冬季这一天送心爱人礼物的习俗大约从古罗马时期开始，当时人们将礼物作为年终献给丰收之神萨杜恩农神的祭祀仪式的一部分。节日从12月中旬持续到1月1日。

农神节本来是罗马人狂欢的日子，但是基督教不喜欢人们祭拜一个异教神。最终，教堂成功地将农神节的欢乐、彩灯和礼物都转移到基督教节日圣诞节。

公元350年，教皇尤里乌斯一世正式宣布在每年12月25日庆祝耶稣诞生。

为所爱的人选购礼物应该是一种很温暖的体验。不幸的是，对很多人来说，这反而是一种累赘、一种责任，在很多商店，它还是充满推搡、挤蹭、打架的惊心体验。

这让人们感到很悲哀，我们本应高高兴兴地等待耶稣诞生，却要在拥挤的商店里和其他倍受折磨的购物者一起疯狂购物。

古罗马人祭祀他们的丰收之神。基督教纪念爱他们的上帝。

我们不应该为买什么礼物愁容满面。因为，最终，礼物并不重要，重要的它们所代表的爱。