【虎虎日记】圣诞快乐：外教眼中的圣诞节(上)
Christmas Customs
Gift-Giving
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!
圣诞节的一个最流行的习俗就是——买礼物！所以，通常在圣诞节商场都会进行很多销售活动。在中国好像也是这样的呢=v= 圣诞卡片也很流行，是维持亲朋好友关系的好办法。许多家庭随贺卡会带上年度家庭合照或家庭新闻，新闻一般包括家庭成员在过去一年的优点特长等内容。比如Alison的老爸就写了她在沪江的事情呢~
Decorating
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.
西方人以红、绿、白三色为圣诞色，圣诞节来临时家家户户都要用圣诞色来装饰。圣诞树是圣诞节庆祝中最有名的传统之一（介个大家都知道啦~）。人们会用圣诞灯和彩色的装饰物装饰，并把一个天使或星星放在树的顶上。户外的话，大家会用各种漂亮的灯来装饰屋子。圣诞袜是要用来装礼物哒，所以是小朋友最喜欢的东东！晚上他们会将自己的袜子挂在床边，等待第二天早上收礼。虎虎也要礼物 >_<
Food
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.
