圣诞节在世界各地：奥地利 - Christmas Around the World: Austria

Christkindl，基督的孩子，在圣诞节的心脏在奥地利。在其他国家圣诞老人，圣诞老人或圣尼古拉斯可以填充孩子的想法作为圣诞假期的方法。但在奥地利，Christkindl是本赛季的明星。这是他在圣诞前夜带孩子们的礼物。 Christkindl也装饰树。他的到来是用深刻的奉献准备和庆祝的。

圣斯蒂芬节，12月26日，开始被称为十二夜，其神秘的活动是世俗和宗教传统的混合。被称为Rauhnachte（未知夜），这个时期结束于1月6日主显节的盛宴，纪念来自东方三个智者的伯利恒的稳定。奥地利庆祝新年的噪音和欢乐 - 很像世界其他地方，但有一个明显的音乐扭曲，正如人们希望一个拥有这么辉煌的艺术遗产的国家。维也纳，据说，每一个新的一年，“音乐在她的嘴唇和她的心脏。


Christkindl, the Christ child, lies at the heart of Christmas in Austria. In other countries Father Christmas, Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas may fill the thoughts of children as the Christmas holidays approach. But in Austria, the Christkindl is the star of the season. It is he who brings the children their presents on Christmas Eve. The Christkindl also decorates the tree. His arrival is prepared for and celebrated with deep devotion.

St. Stephen's Day, December 26, starts the period known as the Twelve Nights, whose mysterious activities are a blend of secular and religious traditions. Called the Rauhnachte (Raw Nights), the period ends on the feast of the Epiphany, January 6, which commemorates the arrival at the stable in Bethlehem of the Three Wise Men from the East. Austria celebrates the New Year with noise and gaiety--much like the rest of the world, but with a distinctly musical twist, as one would expect of a nation with such a brilliant artistic heritage. Vienna, it has been said, plunges into each new year "with music on her lips and in her heart."

圣诞节在世界各地：意大利 - Christmas Around the World: Italy

它是主显节的前夕，魔法的夜晚 - 什么事情都可能发生。孩子们在这个晚上睡觉是非常困难的。但现在他们在床上紧紧地卷起来，梦想着令人兴奋的早晨来。丝袜，空和等待，挂在火上。一切安静;房子很静。

在黑暗的冬天的天空，一个奇怪的身影像风飞翔。短暂的一刻，它映衬在月亮上。该图在其飞行中暂停，然后迅速地潜水。 Whoosh！下来的烟囱它弹出。快速地，它检查以确保孩子们睡着了。放心，它刺破haply，因为它填充了袜子从膨胀袋。

这是一个女巫！她非常，非常老，弯曲，穿黑色衣服。她的白发长得很长，她的鼻子挂了，她骑着扫帚。她的名字是Befana，她，不是圣诞老人，传统上给意大利的孩子带来礼物。

Befana每年在1月6日拜访她，每年三王向伯利恒的新生儿基督孩子提供黄金，乳香和没药的礼物。



It is the eve of Epiphany, the night of magic--when anything can happen. It is terribly hard for children to go to sleep on this night. But now they are tucked snugly in bed, dreaming of the exciting morning to come. Stockings, empty and waiting, hang by the fire. Everything is quiet; the house is very still.

Across the dark winter sky a strange figure flies like the wind. For a brief moment it is silhouetted against the moon. The figure pauses in its flight, then dives swiftly earthward. Whoosh! Down the chimney it pops. Quickly, it checks to make sure the children are sound asleep. Reassured, it cackles haply as it fills the stockings from a bulging sack.

It is a witch! She is very, very old and bent, dressed all in black. Her white hair is long and straggly, her nose is hooked, and she rides a broomstick. Her name is Befana and she, not Santa Claus, traditionally brings gifts to the children of Italy.

Befana pays her annual visit on January 6, the date when the Three Kings offered their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Christ Child in Bethlehem.

圣诞节在世界各地：西班牙 - Christmas Around the World: Spain

西班牙的大多数人去午夜大众或“La Misa Del Gallo”（公鸡的质量）。它被称为这是因为公鸡应该打了耶稣出生的夜晚。大多数家庭在圣诞前夕在服务前吃他们主要的圣诞餐。传统的西班牙圣诞晚餐是“Pavo Trufado de Navidad”，是土耳其塞满松露（蘑菇，而不是巧克力）。午夜服务后，人们穿过街道，拿着火炬，弹吉他，敲打铃鼓和鼓。一个西班牙语说是“Esta noche es Noche-Buena，Y no Es noche de dormir”，这意味着“今晚是好的夜晚，它不是为了睡觉！

12月28日是“Díade los santos vaccentes”或“无辜圣人日”，非常像英国和美国的愚人节。人们试图互相欺骗相信愚蠢的故事和笑话。报纸和电视台也运行愚蠢的故事。如果你欺骗别人，你可以称他们为“Inocente，接种”，这意味着“无辜，无辜”。 12月28日是世界各地的人们记得那些在希律王的命令下被杀害的婴儿，当他试图杀死小耶稣时。

除夕在西班牙被称为“Nochevieja”或“古老的夜晚”，一个特殊的传统是，在午夜12点钟的时候，你吃12颗葡萄。每个葡萄代表来年的一个月，所以如果你吃了十二个葡萄，你会说在新的一年是幸运的。

除了圣诞节，还有另一个节日，在西班牙庆祝圣诞故事。它被称为主显节和庆祝1月6日。在西班牙语中，主显节被称为“Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages”：在英语中，这意味着“三个魔王的节日”。当国王或智者将礼物带给宝贝耶稣时，主显节庆祝。

孩子们在圣诞节有一些礼物，但大多数在主显节打开。有些孩子认为国王在主显节给他们带来礼物。他们在12月26日的节礼日写信给国王，要求玩具和礼物。在主显节前夕（1月5日），他们将鞋子放在窗台或阳台上，或在圣诞树下放满礼物。礼物经常留给国王的孩子，每个国王的一杯科涅克白兰地，一个satsuma和一些核桃。有时一桶水会留给那些带来国王的骆驼！如果孩子们坏了，国王可能会在礼物中留下糖做的煤块。


Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or 'La Misa Del Gallo' (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born. Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner is 'Pavo Trufado de Navidad' which is Turkey stuffed with truffles (the mushrooms, not the chocolate ones!) After the midnight service, people walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. One Spanish saying is 'Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir' which means 'Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!'

December 28th is 'Día de los santos inocentes' or 'Day of the Innocent Saints' and is very like April Fools Day in the UK and USA. People try to trick each other into believing silly stories and jokes. Newspapers and TV stations also run silly stories. If you trick someone, you can call them 'Inocente, inocente' which means 'innocent, innocent'. 28th December is when people all over the world remember the babies that were killed on the orders of King Herod when he was trying to kill the baby Jesus.

New Year's Eve is called 'Nochevieja' or 'The Old Night' in Spain and one special tradition is that you eat 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of the clock at Midnight! Each grape represents a month of the coming year, so if you eat the twelve grapes, you are said to be lucky in the new year.

Apart from Christmas, there is another festival that is celebrated in Spain that is about the Christmas Story. It is called Epiphany and is celebrated on 6th January. In Spanish, Epiphany is called 'Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages': in English this means 'The festival of the three Magic Kings'. Epiphany celebrates when the Kings or Wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

Children have some presents on Christmas Day, but most are opened at Epiphany. Some children believe that the Kings bring presents to them at Epiphany. They write letters to the Kings on Boxing Day, December 26th, asking for toys and presents. And on Epiphany Eve (January 5th) they leave shoes on windowsills or balconies or under the Christmas Tree to be filled with presents. Gifts are often left by children for the Kings, a glass of Cognac for each King, a satsuma and some walnuts. Sometimes a bucket of water is left for the camels that bring the Kings! If the children have been bad, the Kings might leave pieces of coal made out of sugar in the presents!

世界各地的圣诞节：英国 - Christmas Around the World: Britain

像许多国家一样，圣诞节和卡罗尔服务在圣诞节也非常受欢迎。我去的教会总是有一个卡罗尔由烛光服务，教会只是点燃蜡烛。这是一个非常特别的服务，总是让我感觉非常Christmassy！许多其他英国教堂也有卡罗尔烛光和克里斯托勒服务。

孩子们相信圣诞老人圣诞节或圣诞老人在长袜或枕头盒里留下礼物。这些通常在圣诞前夜被火或儿童床挂起。儿童有时会留下肉馅饼和白兰地圣诞节圣诞节，当他访问他们吃和喝。现在，有些人说，一个非酒精饮料应该留给圣诞老人，因为他必须开车！

孩子们写信给圣诞老人/圣诞老人列出他们的要求，但有时不是把他们放在邮局，信件被扔进壁炉。草稿将烟囱中的信件和圣诞老人​​/圣诞老人读取的烟雾。


有一些习俗只在英国发生或开始。 Wassailing是一种老盎格鲁撒克逊的习俗，今天不会发生很多。拳击日是一种非常古老的习俗，始于英国，现在被视为一个假期在世界各地的许多国家。


Like a lot of countries, Nativity Plays and Carol Services are also very popular at Christmas time. The Church that I go to always has a Carols by Candlelight Service where the church is only lit up by candles. It is a very special service and always makes me feel very Christmassy! Lots of other British churches also have Carols by Candlelight and Christingle services.

Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings or pillow-cases. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children's beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. Now, some people say that a non-alcoholic drink should be left for Santa as he has to drive!

Children write letters to Father Christmas/Santa listing their requests, but sometimes instead of putting them in the post, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas/Santa reads the smoke.

There are some customs that only take place, or were started, in the UK. Wassailing is an old anglo-saxon custom that doesn't take place much today. Boxing Day is a very old custom that started in the UK and is now taken as a holiday in many countries around the world.

圣诞节在世界各地：爱尔兰 - Christmas Around the World: Ireland

爱尔兰人民，正式的爱尔兰共和国，绝大多数是宗教的罗马天主教徒。天主教一词意为“普遍的”，爱尔兰教会与意大利或西班牙的教会并不相同。但在爱尔兰，罗马天主教会已经代表了超越宗教的东西给人们。通过几百年的英语，新教统治，爱尔兰人民坚定地坚持圣帕特里克在公元400年介绍岛的信念。爱尔兰人拒绝屈从于他们的英国领主在这个问题上的意愿 - 他们的宗教 - 成为他们一般抵抗统治的象征。对爱尔兰人来说，教会成为他们对宗教和政治自由意志的象征，而圣诞节，最宗教的节日，成为庆祝两个高度交织的想法。虽然爱尔兰共和国人民在1921年获得了自由，圣诞节在爱尔兰的意义仍然是独一无二的。因此，季节是双重欢乐的，作为庆祝基督孩子的诞生和人民的自由意志的力量。准备一个充满如此重要意义的假期是不容易的事情。有必须保持的传统和必须保持的标准。


最重要的菜是圣诞蛋糕。蛋糕早在10月就被制作出来，以便有时间进行适当的调味。在圣诞节蛋糕准备后，它被存储在家庭砖墙家的一个孔。每个星期都拿出来，戳一个注射器的白兰地，以重新装修。爱尔兰人也相信你应该在圣灵的精神准备。在圣诞节前，整个家庭仔细清理家中的准备活动。


The people of Ireland, officially the Republic of Ireland, are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic in religion. The word catholic means "universal," and the Church of Ireland is not appreciably different from the Church in Italy or in Spain. But in Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church has come to represent something beyond religion to the people. Through hundreds of years of English, Protestant rule, the people of Ireland tenaciously held to the faith that Saint Patrick introduced to the island in the AD 400's. The refusal of the Irish people to bend to the will of their English overlords on this one issue-their religion-became a symbol of their general resistance to domination. To the Irish, the Church became a symbol of their will for both religious and political freedom, and Christmas, the most religious of holidays, became a celebration of the two highly interwoven ideas. Although the people of the Republic of Ireland gained their freedom in 1921, the significance of Christmas in Ireland has remained unique. The season is thus doubly joyous as a celebration of the birth of the Christ child and the force of the people's will for freedom. Preparing for  a holiday fraught with so much significance is no easy matter. There are traditions that must be kept and standards that must be maintained.

The most important dish is the Christmas cake. The cake is made as early as October to allow time for proper mellowing. After the Christmas cake is prepared it is stored in a hole in the families brick walled home. Every week is taken out and poked with a syringe of brandy to refortify it. The Irish also believe that you should be spiritually prepared for Christmas. Before Christmas the whole family carefully cleans their homes in preparation for the event.

圣诞节在世界各地：法国 - Christmas Around the World: France

在法国的圣诞节假期在许多方面 - 特别是在准备儿童和成人的精美食品。圣诞节是圣诞节前夕的圣诞晚餐，这是一年中最盛大的晚餐之一。它不仅仅是一个简单的晚饭，但。这是一个美味的食物，以后课程，所有准备在法国烹饪的优良传统的丰富的传播。

世界着名的法国美食，自法兰克王国查理曼的日子以来已经走过了很长的路。在他的时间 - 700年代末和800年代初 - 晚餐通常是一个大块肉或鱼在金属杆煮熟。直到1300年代，法国的食物才开始接受任何特殊待遇。当它做，吃饭（至少在皇家的房子）成为一个壮观的辉煌的机会，特别是在圣诞节。

厨师互相竞争，供应壮观的菜肴，包括名为sotelties的作品。由酥皮或旋转糖制成，他们描绘了微型城堡，圣经场景，或异国情调的鸟类和野兽。法国菜终于成为了一个艺术在16世纪后期，在国王路易十四统治期间。他在凡尔赛宫的皇家住所雇佣了超过50名厨师和小厨房助手。法国的一些美味酱汁在路易十四的餐桌上推出，肉酱，通常是肝脏和其他美味佳肴。而且，相反，从大量的难消化，高度加香的食物从以前的时代，提供了精心准备的肉类或鱼的一小部分。

The Christmas holiday in France is observed in many ways--and especially in the preparation of exquisite foods for children and adults. One of the grandest meals of the entire year is served at Christmas, the Christmas Eve "supper," called the reveillon. It is much more than just a simple supper, though. It is a lavish spread of delicious foods, course after course--all prepared in the fine tradition of French cooking.

The cuisine of France, renowned the world over, has come a long way since the days of Charlemagne, king of the Franks. In his time--the late 700's and early 800's--dinner was usually a large piece of meat or fish cooked on a metal pole. It was not until the 1300's that food in France began to receive any special treatment at all. When it did, dining (at least in the royal houses) became an occasion of magnificent splendor, notably at Christmastime.

Chefs vied with one another to serve spectacular dish, including creations called sotelties. Made of pastry or spun sugar, they depicted miniature castles, Biblical scenes, or exotic birds and beasts. French cuisine finally became an art in the late 1600's, during the reign of King Louis XIV. He employed more than 50 chefs and lesser kitchen helpers in his royal residence at Versailles. Some of France's fabulous sauces were introduced at Louis XIV's table, as were pates--meat spreads, frequently of liver--and other delicacies. And, instead, of massive quantities of the indigestible, highly spiced foods from previous eras, smaller portions of exquisitely prepared meats or fishes were offered.

圣诞节在世界各地：圣地 - Christmas Around the World: The Holy Land

很久以前，大约2000年，当希律王统治犹太人（现在是以色列的一部分）时，神将天使加百列送给住在北方城市拿撒勒的一个年轻女子。女孩的名字是玛丽，她打算和约瑟结婚。

天使加百列对玛丽说：“和平与你同在！上帝祝福你，并且高兴你。玛丽对这个很惊讶，想知道天使的意思。天使对她说：“不要害怕，上帝一直很好爱你。你将被圣灵怀孕，生下一个男孩，你会称他为耶稣。他将是神自己的儿子，他的国将永远不会结束。玛丽非常害怕，但她相信上帝。 “让它发生，因为上帝选择。她回答了天使。加百列还告诉玛丽，她的表弟，伊丽莎白，每个人都认为太老了，没有孩子，会有一个男孩，上帝选择为耶稣准备道路。

玛丽对她的家人和朋友说再见，去拜访她的表弟伊丽莎白和她的丈夫撒迦利亚。伊丽莎白很高兴看到玛丽。她知道玛丽被上帝拣选为他儿子的母亲。一个天使已经告诉撒迦利亚，伊丽莎白的宝贝准备人们欢迎耶稣。他被称为约翰。玛丽住在伊丽莎白约三个月，然后回到拿撒勒。

约瑟担心，当他发现玛丽在婚姻发生前期待着一个婴儿。他想知道他是否应该完全放弃婚礼。然后，天使在梦中向约瑟显现，并说：“不要害怕玛丽成为你的妻子。天使解释说，玛丽被上帝选为是他儿子的母亲，并告诉约瑟，婴孩将被命名为耶稣，这意味着“救主”，因为他会拯救人。当约瑟醒来，他做了天使告诉他做的事，并以玛丽为妻子。

在这个时候，玛丽和约瑟夫居住的土地是罗马帝国的一部分。罗马皇帝奥古斯都希望有一个列表中的所有人在帝国，以确保他们缴纳他们的税。他命令所有人返回他们家人最初来自的城镇，并在那里的登记册（或普查）中输入他们的姓名。玛丽和约瑟夫从拿撒勒到伯利恒走了很长的路（约70英里），因为那是约瑟的家人从哪里来的。大多数人走路，但有些幸运的人有一只驴，以帮助携带旅行所需的货物。约瑟和玛丽旅行非常缓慢，因为玛丽的宝宝很快就要出生了。

当他们到达伯利恒时，他们找到某个地方留下来的问题。很多人在人口普查中登记他们的名字，每个房子都满了，每一张床都在所有的客房里被取走。唯一的住宿，他们可以找到的地方是与动物。人们经常在家里饲养动物，特别是在晚上，使用他们像“中央供暖”！人们通常在升高/上层与下面的动物睡觉，给他们额外的温暖。所以在动物睡觉的地方，玛丽生了耶稣，神的儿子。在那些日子里，这是习惯把新生婴儿紧紧地裹在一个叫做“ling ling的衣服”的长布里。耶稣的床是动物吃干草的马槽。

在伯利恒以外的山丘上，牧羊人在漫长的夜晚照顾他们的羊。当新的一天开始，突然一个天使出现在他们面前，神的荣耀照在他们周围。牧羊人非常非常害怕，但天使说：“不要害怕。我对你和大家都有好消息。今天在伯利恒，救主已经为你出生了。你会发现婴儿躺在马槽里。

然后更多的天使出现，照亮天空。牧羊人听到他们称赞神唱歌：“最高荣耀上帝，地上所有人的和平。当天使们去牧羊人彼此说：“我们去伯利恒看看发生了什么。所以牧羊人去了伯利恒，发现了玛丽和约瑟。孩子耶稣正在躺在一个马槽，因为他们被告知。当他们看到他时，他们告诉大家天使说的话，每个听到这个故事的人都惊讶。然后牧羊人回到他们的羊身上，称赞神差遣他的儿子成为他们的救主。

当耶稣出生时，一个全新的明亮的星在天空中出现。遥远的国家的一些聪明人看到了星星，猜测它的意思。他们是非常聪明的人，研究星星，读了非常古老的文字，一个新的明星会出现在一个伟大的国王出生。他们开始找到新的国王，并给他礼物。

 智者跟随星星到犹太国，当他们到达耶路撒冷的首都时，他们开始问人们：“出生的孩子是谁是犹太人的王？犹太王，希律听见这话，使他很生气，认为有人可能要取他的国王的地位。希律派了智者来找他。他告诉他们继续跟随星星，直到他们找到了宝贝国王。他说：“当你找到他，让我知道他在哪里，以便我可以去拜他。但希律没有告诉他们，他真的有一个邪恶的计划，以杀死新的国王。圣诞故事 - Wisemen拜访小耶稣. 智者跟着星星走向伯利恒（在那里说，国王将出生在旧的着作中）。它似乎停下来，直接照在耶稣的地方。智者进入他们现在住的房子，用玛丽找到耶稣，他们低下来，崇拜他。智者传播他们在耶稣面前所带来的恩赐。礼物是金，乳香和没药。智者在梦中被神警告，不要回到希律。所以他们以不同的方式回到了他们在东方的国家。圣诞故事 - 玛丽，耶稣和约瑟夫在埃及. 当智者走了，天使在梦中向约瑟显现。 “起来，”天使说，“带耶稣和玛丽，逃到埃及。留在那里，直到我告诉你，因为希律要寻找耶稣杀他。于是约瑟起身，在耶稣和玛丽留给埃及的夜间，在那里住了，直到希律死了。

当希律意识到他被智者欺骗时，他是愤怒的，他命令杀害所有在伯利恒及其周围地区的两岁或两岁以下的男孩。这是试图杀死新的国王，因为他的计划，找到新的国王从智者的位置失败了。希律死后，约瑟又有另一个梦，天使向他显现。天使说：“起来，带耶稣和玛丽，回到以色列，因为那些试图杀了耶稣的人已经死了。于是约瑟起身，带耶稣和玛丽，他们回到以色列。但是当他听说希律的儿子现在是犹太王时，他害怕去那里。所以他们去了加利利，住在他们的老城拿撒勒。

Long ago, about 2000 years, when King Herod ruled Judea (now part of Israel), God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman who lived in the northern town of Nazareth. The girl's name was Mary and she was engaged to marry Joseph.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary: 'Peace be with you! God has blessed you and is pleased with you.' Mary was very surprised by this and wondered what the angel meant. The angel said to her 'Don't be afraid, God has been very kind to you. You will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be God's own Son and his kingdom will never end.' Mary was very afraid but she trusted God. 'Let it happen as God chooses.' she replied to the angel. Gabriel also told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth who everyone thought was too old to have children, would have a baby boy whom God had chosen to prepare the way for Jesus.

Mary said goodbye to her family and friends and went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Elizabeth was very happy to see Mary. She knew that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. An angel had already told Zechariah that Elizabeth's baby would prepare people to welcome Jesus. He was to be called John. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home to Nazareth.

Joseph was worried when he found out that Mary was expecting a baby before their marriage had taken place. He wondered if he should put off the wedding altogether. Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: 'Don't be afraid to have Mary as your wife.' The angel explained that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son and told Joseph that the baby would be named Jesus which means 'Saviour' because he would save people. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had told him to do and took Mary as his wife.

At this time, the land where Mary and Joseph lived was part of the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Augustus wanted to have a list of all the people in the empire, to make sure they paid their taxes. He ordered everyone to return to the town where their families originally came from, and enter their names in a register (or census) there. Mary and Joseph traveled a long way (about 70 miles) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because that is where Joseph's family came from. Most people walked but some lucky people had a donkey to help carry the goods needed for the journey. Joseph and Mary traveled very slowly because Mary's baby was due to be born soon.

When they reached Bethlehem they had problems finding somewhere to stay. So many people had come to register their names in the census, that every house was full and every bed was taken in all of the guest rooms. The only place to stay that they could find was with the animals. People often kept animals in the house, especially at night, and used them like 'central heating'! People normally slept on a raised/upper level with the animals below to give them extra warmth.

So in the place where the animals slept, Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God.

In those days it was the custom to wrap newborn babies tightly in a long cloth called 'swaddling clothes'. Jesus' bed was the manger that the animals ate their hay from.

In the hills and fields outside Bethlehem, shepherds looked after their sheep through the long night. As the new day began, suddenly an angel appeared before them and the glory of God shone around them. The shepherds were very, very scared, but the angel said, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you and everyone. Today in Bethlehem a Saviour has been born for you. You will find the baby lying in a manger.'.

Then many more angels appeared, lighting up the sky. The shepherds heard them praising God singing: 'Glory to God in highest, and peace to everyone on earth.' When the angels had gone the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem to see what has happened.' So the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph. The baby Jesus was lying in a manger as they had been told. When they saw him, they told everyone what the angel had said and everyone who heard the story were astonished. Then the shepherds returned to their sheep, praising God for sending his Son to be their Saviour. 

When Jesus was born, a brand new bright star appeared in sky. Some Wise Men in faraway countries saw the star and guessed what it meant. They were very clever men that studied the stars and had read in very old writings that a new star would appear when a great king was born. They set out to find the new king and bring him gifts.

The Wise Men followed the star towards the country of Judea and when they got to the capital called Jerusalem they began to ask people: 'Where is the child who is born to be king of the Jews?' Herod, the king of Judea, heard this and it made him very angry to think that someone might be going to take his place as king. Herod sent for the Wise Men to come to him. He told them to go on following the star until they had found the baby king. He said: 'When you have found him, let me know where he is, so that I can go and worship him.'. But Herod did not tell them that he really had an evil plan in mind to kill the new king.

The Wise Men followed the star towards Bethlehem (where it said that the king would be born in the old writings). It seemed to stop and shine directly down upon the place where Jesus was.

The Wise Men entered the house where they now lived and found Jesus with Mary, they bowed down and worshipped him. The Wise Men spread the the gifts they had brought before Jesus. The gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men were warned in a dream, by God, not to go back to Herod. So they returned home to their countries in the East by a different way.

When the Wise Men had gone, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' the angel said, 'take Jesus and Mary and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for Jesus to kill him.' So Joseph got up, took Jesus and Mary during the night they left for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod died.

When Herod realized that he had been tricked by the Wise Men, he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys aged two or younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. This was to try and kill the new King, as his plan to find the location of the new king from the Wise Men had failed.

After Herod had died, Joseph had another dream in which an angel appeared to him. The angel said, 'Get up, take Jesus and Mary and go back to Israel, for those who were trying kill Jesus are dead.' 

So Joseph got up, took Jesus and Mary and they went back to Israel. But when he heard that Herod's son was now king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. So instead they went to Galilee, and lived in their old town of Nazareth.

圣诞节在世界各地：墨西哥 - Christmas Around the World: Mexico

假日开始于12月16日，当九天的波萨达游行开始，在每个家庭和公共广场上设置名为nacimientos的诞生场景。 在圣诞前夕，在最后一次波萨达结束后，每个人都去庄严的午夜大众，圣诞节欢迎一个欢乐的混合的铃铛，鞭炮和爆竹。 圣诞装饰品，如精致的nacimientos，反映了传统的墨西哥民间艺术与圣诞节传统的美丽融合。庆祝活动继续于12月28日的无罪日，31日的除夕，1月6日的三国日。 一个最后的庆祝活动2月6日 - 圣诞节 - 结束了赛季。

The holidays begin on December 16th, when the nine-day posada processions start and the nativity scenes called nacimientos are set up in every home and public square. On Christmas Eve, after the last posada is over, everyone goes to a solemn midnight Mass, and Christmas Day is welcomed in with a jubilant medley of bells, whistles, and firecrackers. Christmas decorations, such as elaborate nacimientos reflect the beautiful fusion of traditional Mexican folk art with the Christmas tradition. The festivities continue with the Day of the Innocents on December 28th, New Year's Eve on the 31st, and the Day of the Three Kings on January 6th. One final celebration on February 6th--Candlemas--winds up the season.

圣诞节在世界各地：德国 - Christmas Around the World: Germany

没有一个国家比德国更喜欢圣诞节了。德国人在11月开始庆祝圣诞节，直到1月中旬才停止。几乎每个城市都有自己的圣诞节公平，庆祝活动继续，因为人们向家人，朋友和客人开放他们的家园。圣诞节的准备往往早在7月开始。德国人发明了圣诞树，灯光和装饰品，姜饼屋，圣诞老人，以及圣诞颂歌，如“沉默之夜”和“O Tannenbaum”。


圣诞树的起源也许是所有德国圣诞节传统中最有趣的。一个传说将圣诞树的诞生与圣博尼费斯联系在一起，这是一位英国僧侣，在八世纪中叶组织了法国和德国的基督教教会。一个圣诞夜，在德国北部森林的某个地方，传教士来到一群崇拜者，他们聚集在一棵橡树上，牺牲他们的酋长，小孩子阿斯夫王子的儿子到神雷神。所说的博尼法斯明确反对执行，根据各种传说，或者用一拳打他的大拳击，把命令砍下或用斧头击打它的大力量的橡树，风倒了。然而，他管理它，橡树下来，一个小杉树立即在它的地方。圣博尼法斯告诉勇敢的观众，这是生命之树，代表基督。


No country loves Christmas more than Germany. Germans start celebrating Christmas in November and don't stop until mid-January. Nearly every city has its own Christmas fair and the celebrations continue as people open up their homes to family, friends, and guests. Preparations for Christmas often begin as early as July. The Germans invented the Christmas tree, the lights and ornaments, the gingerbread house, Santa Claus, as well as Christmas carols like "Silent Night" and "O Tannenbaum."

The origin of the Christmas tree is perhaps the most interesting of all the German Christmas traditions. One legend links the birth of the Christmas tree with Saint Boniface an English monk who organized the Christian church in France and Germany during the middle years of the Eighth Century. One Christmas Eve, somewhere in the forests of Northern Germany, the missionary came upon a group of worshippers who had gathered around an oak tree to sacrifice the son of their chief, little child Prince Asulf, to the god Thor. Said Boniface clearly opposed the execution and according to various legends either flattened the mighty oak with one blow of his fist, ordered it chopped down or whacked it with an ax and the wind toppled it. However he managed it, the oak went down and a small fir tree sprang up instantly in its place. Saint Boniface told the awed spectators that this was the Tree of Life, representing Christ.

圣诞节在世界各地：丹麦--Christmas Around the World: Denmark

众所周知，我们的许多圣诞节传统都是源自古老的非基督徒来源。 特别是斯堪的纳维亚国家对圣诞节的传统做出了贡献。 虽然基督教取代了旧的斯堪的纳维亚（诺斯）的宗教及其神，奥丁，弗雷，雷神等，一个仍然，7月，虽然7月仍然是7月，它也变成了圣诞节。 为了纪念奥丁，光的老盛宴成为光荣的荣耀，以纪念基督，“世界的光”。 死亡的庆祝成为了出生的庆祝。 旧的神和灵，因此，慢慢消失; 但不完全。




\有许多丹麦圣诞节传统。 有12月访问的生物，类似精灵的生物称为nisse。 有Julemand，丹麦版的圣诞老人。 有丹麦圣诞饼干，如brune kager，pebbernodder，jule kage和kleiner。 在美国，我们通常装饰我们的家园与常绿的花环。 丹麦人也做到这一点。 他们有一个特殊的词，这些装饰品。 常青树枝，槲寄生和冬青都被称为克里斯多恩，或“基督刺”。 Juletrae是圣诞树，但大多数丹麦人不把他们的树直到圣诞前夕的前一天。 在丹麦，父母装饰圣诞树，最小的是不允许看到它，直到它完全装饰。


It is well-known that many of our Christmas traditions descended from older non-Christian sources. The Scandinavian countries, in particular, have contributed to the Christmas tradition. Although Christianity replaced the old Scandinavian (Norse) religion and its gods, Odin, Frey, Thor, etc., one remained, Jul. Although Jul remained Jul, it also became Christmas. The old feast of light in honor of Odin became a feast of light in honor of Christ, the "light of the world." The celebration of death became a celebration of birth. The old gods and spirits, thus, slowly disappeared; but not quite.

There are many Danish Christmas traditions. There are the beings that visit in December, sprite-like beings called nisse. There is Julemand, the Danish version of Santa Claus. There are the Danish Christmas cookies such as brune kager, pebbernodder, jule kage, and kleiner. In America, we commonly adorn our homes with wreaths of evergreen. The Danes do this as well. They have a special word for these decorations though. Evergreen boughs, mistletoe, and holly are all referred to as Kristdorn, or "Christ thorn." The Juletrae is the Christmas tree, but most Danes don't put up their trees until the day before Christmas Eve. In Denmark the parents decorate the Christmas tree, and the youngest are not allowed to see it until it is fully decorated.

“三个R” -- "The Three R's"

“三个R”，这是一个仍在流通的短语，即使它不像以前一样常用。 “三个R：”阅读，写作和算术传统上被理解为每个孩子的教育的基础。每个家长和幼儿教育者的关注应该是如何最好地教他们的孩子，使他们受到挑战，但不淹没。这个教授正确教训顺序的问题被称为“脚手架”。正如一个建筑师使用脚手架来建立连续的层次，每个层次都支持将建在它之上的层次，所以教师也应该教育他们的孩子们的课程，知道他们在孩子们的发展技能。

虽然有些排序很明显，但不是全部。而且无论是否明显，有一个指南来建议创造性和有趣的策略来教这些技能仍然是有帮助的。我想现在创建一系列的博客文章详细介绍一种教学三种方法。这第一篇文章将解读阅读中的前三个步骤。

步骤1：预读

第一步是关注在你的孩子中培养对阅读的热爱。第一个问题是什么时候开始教孩子阅读。有两种方法：早期或晚期起动。早期的初学者可以标记房子里的一切，并使学习阅读在他们的孩子的生活中的优先考虑。迟到的启动者仍然会读给他们的孩子，但不期望他们的孩子直到8岁为止显示兴趣或愿望。这两个极端都可能是有害的。迟到的方法缺乏热情不会激励孩子阅读。同样，早期方法的热情可能会给孩子过度的焦虑和排斥阅读。最好的方法，在所有的事情，是使活动有趣和令人兴奋。因此，准备孩子阅读的第一步是让阅读愉快的经历。

孩子喜欢靠近他们的父母，并感到被爱。让你的孩子坐在你的腿上，而你热爱地阅读一个故事将连接的爱的感觉与阅读的爱。它会灌输这种安全的感觉，卷曲一本好书。给你的孩子坚固的书，厚页，他们可以扔和磨损。使书成为一个播放项目，而不是微妙的，他们不允许触摸。

步骤2：开始

第二步是关于个别声音。你想在开始时简化阅读。不要担心系统地教导每一个阅读元素。你想剥夺阅读的绝对必需品。例如，孩子不需要知道要读的字母表。教他们先听几个基本的话。字母表将来。教他们自己的名字是一个完美的起点。经过每一个语音之后，你可以通过让他们在房子里找到共享相同声音的其他东西来练习这些声音。

例如，如果你的孩子的名字是莉莉，你可以教的声音“l”，然后让你的孩子找到其他有“l”的声音 - 光，腿，嘴唇等。他们写一个“l。 “。不要担心衬纸。保持简单，只是让他们写的基本形状。

你可以发明很多不同的游戏来教每个声音。有一个“一天的声音”，你发现共享相同的声音的东西。当你发出错误的声音时，让你的孩子指出。你可以愚蠢，例如做一个狗的树皮的声音，而不是一个“l”的声音。

步骤3：混合

第三步教如何声音混合在一起形成词。在这个模式中写出这四个字母：

        a

n      t      p


指向“a”，让孩子发音。然后将手指从“a”拖动到“n”并说“an”。让他们说“一个”。用“a”和“t”和“a”和“p”继续。告诉你的孩子，即使“ap”不是一个字，它仍然发出声音。


"The Three R's," it is a phrase that is still in circulation, even if it is not as commonly used as it once was. "The Three R's:" reading, writing, and arithmetic are traditionally understood to be the foundation of every child's education. The concern of every parent and early childhood educator should be how best to teach their children so that they are challenged but not overwhelmed. This question of the right order of lessons to teach is called, "scaffolding." Just as a builder uses scaffolding to build successive layers, each supporting the one that will be built on top of it, so too should teachers mindfully teach their children lessons with an awareness of what skills they are developing in their children.

Although some of the ordering is obvious, not all of it is. And whether it is obvious or not, it is still helpful to have a guide to suggest creative and fun strategies for teaching these skills. I want to now create a series of blog posts detailing an approach to teaching the three r's. This first post will tackle reading the first three out of the five steps in reading.

Step 1: Pre-reading

The first step is concerned with fostering a love of reading in your child. The first question is when to begin teaching children to read. There are two approaches: early or late starters. Early starters may label everything in the house and make learning to read a constant priority in their child's life. Late starters will still read to their children, but not expect their child to show an interest or desire until as late as 8 years of age. Both of these extremes can be harmful. The late approach's lack of enthusiasm will not motivate a child to read. Likewise, the zealousness of the early approach may give children an excessive anxiety and repulsion to reading. The best approach, as in all things, is to make the activity fun and exciting. The first step in preparing your child to read is therefore to make reading an enjoyable experience.

Children like to be near their parents and feel loved. Having your child sit on your lap while you lovingly read a story will connect the sense of being loved with the love of reading. It will instill that secure feeling of curling up with a good book. Give your child sturdy books with thick pages that they can throw around and scuff up. Make books a play item and not something delicate that they are not allowed to touch.

Step 2: Beginning

Step two is concerned with individual sounds. You want to simplify reading in the beginning. Don't worry about systematically teaching every element of reading. You want to strip reading down to the absolute essentials. For example, a child does not need to know the alphabet to read. Teach them the sound of a few basic words first. The alphabet will come later. Teaching them their own name is the perfect place to start. After going through each phonetic sound you can practice these sounds by having them find other things in the house that share the same sounds.

For example, if your child's name is Lily you can teach the sound "l" first and then have your child find other things that have an "l" sound--light, leg, lip, etc. Have them write an "l." Don't worry about lined paper yet. Keep it simple, just have them write the basic shape.

You can invent a lot of different games to teach each sound. Have a "sound of the day" where you find things that share the same sound. Have your child point out when you are making the wrong sound. You can be silly, such as making a dog bark sound instead of an "l" sound.

Step 3: Blending

Step three teaches how sounds blend together to form words. Write out these four letters in this pattern:

       a

n     t     p


Point at the "a" and have the child pronounce it. Then drag your finger from the "a" to the "n" and say "an." Have them say "an." Continue this with "a" and "t" and "a" and "p." Tell your child that even though "ap" is not a word it still makes a sound.

妈妈在Dart河 -- Mommy on the Dart River

妈妈在新西兰做蹦极跳！-- Mommy does the Bungy Jump in New Zealand!

海外生活生存工具箱 - Survival Kit for Overseas Living

L.罗伯特·柯尔斯经典书“海外生活的生存工具：对于计划生活和工作的美国人”在1979年首次出版。我现在有第四版。这本书主要用于在国外工作的商人和妇女，但对于出国的任何人都有价值。这本书不是一个如何找到住房或工作的实用指南。相反，它旨在作为对国际旅行者的行为和原则的教训。这本书从几个章节开始关于美国人的刻板印象。然后，它继续讨论美国和西方人，所谓的“第三世界”国家的看法。通常Kohls的原则是，美国人应该避免直接代表他们被看到的常见的刻板印象，至少直到他们感到舒适在新的环境，甚至然后他们应该尝试以社会上可接受的方式表达自己。其次，科尔斯强调美国人应该避免对与自己不同的其他文化做出判断。他说我们不应该将其他文化视为劣等或优越，而是应该尝试理解他们的生活方式。 Kohls然后给出了一系列具体的例子，关于美国人如何不同于其他文化在他们对人类善良的感觉，他们与时间和自然的关系，以及他们对生活目的的理解。

第14章有一些有用的问题，可以帮助您更好地了解您在国外的家：

你的东道国有什么样的政府？
你的国家的英雄是什么？
你的国家对垃圾的态度是什么？
说什么语言？
什么是主要宗教？
最重要的仪式是什么？
动物如何治疗？
婚姻仪式是什么样的？
国家对美国的历史关系？
有多少人移民到美国？
许多美国人在国家外出？
保健质量？
家庭补救？
教育？免费或强制？
种族隔离？
教育质量？
Rote学习？
最好的大学？
坚定的信念命运？

他对文化冲击的写作也很有帮助。科尔斯将文化冲击描述为不是突然发生，而是逐渐发生的事情。这是慢慢建立起来的结果，难以确定对生活在其中的文化的刺激。这些通常涉及在行动和期望不完全是他们期望的情况下工作。 Kohls强调文化冲击的原因的不可知性是我可以涉及的东西。他描述了文化冲击的几个阶段。第一，前期，是欣快之一。在这个时候，事情都是新的和有趣的，什么最令人印象深刻的是世界各地的文化的一致性。第二阶段是真正的文化冲击。差异将累积，直到我们看到的是差异。第三阶段是逐步调整这些差异。第四阶段，理想的阶段是，当我们学会成功地过渡我们自己的文化态度和东道国的态度。在这个阶段，我们甚至可能喜欢或喜欢我们的许多新文化态度和行为。在这个阶段，在回家时经历逆向文化冲击是很常见的。

这本书不是学术论文。它是以非正式易于阅读的格式编写的。它旨在为计划在国外工作的个人或团体的工作簿。有很多问题与空间，你给你自己的反思。我认为，在2017年，我们大多数人都知道“丑陋的美国”刻板印象，我们知道如何将其他文化看作“原始”是不能接受的。但是，因为即使我们都知道这些固有的偏见，我们仍然有罪的展示他们。因此，这本书与40年前第一次出版时一样重要。

L. Robert Kohls classic book "Survival Kit for Overseas Living: For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad" was first published in 1979. I have the Fourth Edition in my hands now. The book is used mostly by businessmen and women working abroad, but can be of value to anyone traveling abroad. The book is not a practical guide on how to find housing or a job though. Rather, it is intended as a lesson in conduct and principles for international travelers. The book begins with several chapters on stereotypes of Americans. It then proceeds to discuss American, and Westerners in general, view of so-called "Third World" countries. Generally Kohls' principal is that Americans should avoid directly representing the common stereotypes they are seen to embody, at least until they feel comfortable in their new surroundings, and even then they should try to express themselves in a socially acceptable way. Secondly, Kohls emphasizes how Americans should avoid casting judgement on other cultures different from their own. He says we should not view other cultures as being inferior or superior, rather, we should try to understand their way of life. Kohls then gives a series of specific examples on how Americans are different from other cultures in their perception of human goodness, their relationship to time and nature, as well as their understanding of the purpose of life.

Chapter 14 has a useful set of questions you can ask to help get a better sense of your home abroad:

What kind of government does your host country have?
What are your country's national heroes?
What is your country's attitude towards trash?
What languages are spoken?
What is the predominant religion?
What are the most important ceremonies?
How are animals treated?
What are marriage ceremonies like?
Historical relationship of country towards the US?
How many people have emigrated to the US?
Many Americans expats in country?
Quality of health care?
Home remedies?
Education? Free or compulsory?
Racial segregation?
Quality of education?
Rote learning?
Best universities?
Strong belief in fate?

His writing on culture shock is also helpful. Kohls describes culture shock as something that does not occur suddenly, but gradually. It is the result of a slow build-up of difficult to identify irritations with the culture one is living in. These usually involve working in situations where the actions and expectations are not exactly what one would expect them to be. Kohls emphasis on the unknowability of the causes of culture shock is something that I can relate to. He describes several stages of culture shock. The first, pre-stage, is one of euphoria. At this time things are all new and interesting and what mostly impresses us is the sameness of cultures around the world. Stage two is when true culture shock hits. The differences will accumulate until all we see is differences. Stage three is the gradual adjustment to these differences. Stage four, the ideal stage, is when we have learned to successfully transition between our own cultural attitudes and those of our host country. At this stage we may even come to like or prefer many of our new cultures attitudes and behaviors. It is common, at this stage, to experience reverse culture shock upon returning home.

The book is not an academic treatise. It is written in an informal easy to read format. It is intended to a work book for either individuals or groups planning to work abroad. There are plenty of questions asked with space for you to give your own reflections. I would think that in 2017 most of us are aware of the "Ugly American" stereotypes as much as we are aware of how unacceptable it is to view other cultures as "primitive." Still, because even though we are all aware of these inherent biases we are still all guilty of exhibiting them. For that reason, the book is as valuable now as it was when first published almost 40 years ago.