附录: 西方传统节日文化背景:
The Origin of English Holidays
Easter Day
Most English holidays have a religious origin.Easter Day occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox.It is originally the day to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.But now for most people, Easter is a secular spring holiday, while for the children, it means, more than anything else, Easter eggs or chocolate eggs!
On Easter Sunday morning, the breakfast eggs are boiled in several pans in some families.Each containing a different vegetable dye, so that when they are served the shells are no longer white or pale brown in color, but yellow or pink, blue or green.The dyes do not penetrate the shell of course.
Chocolate Easter eggs are displayed in confectioners shops as soon as Christmas is over.The smallest and simplest are inexpensive enough for children to buy with pocket money.
These are of two sorts.Very small ones, perhaps a little longer than an inch in length, are coated thinly with chocolate on the outside and filled with a sweet, soft paste, called fondant.They are wrapped in colored foil in a variety of patterns.Slightly larger eggs, a little bigger, as a rule, than a duck’ s egg, are hollow.There is nothing inside at all-- just a wrapped chocolate shell.You break the shell and eat the jagged, irregular pieces.
As Easter approaches, more elaborate eggs than these fill the sweet-shop windows.They are accompanied by all sorts of small presents designed to appeal to children.They are often decorated with small fluffy chickens, made of wool, and with feet and beaks in card.Lucky children may receive several of these as presents from friends or relations.Easter eggs are meant to give enjoyment-- and they do! They are pretty and decorative, they signal good wishes and shared happine in the changing seasons.
复活节
英国大部分节日都起源于宗教。复活节发生在过了春分月圆后的第一个星期日，原是纪念耶稣复活的日子。而现在对大多数人来说，复活节只是一个人们享受美好春光的普通节日。对于孩子们来说，没有比复活节彩蛋或巧克力蛋更重要的了。复活节早上，有的家里把早餐用的蛋分放在几个盛有不同颜色的植物染料的锅里煮，这样端上来的蛋不再是白色或浅棕色的，而是黄色或粉红色，蓝色或绿色的。当然，染料是不会渗透到蛋壳里去的。
圣诞节一过，复活节巧克力蛋便在糖果店里摆出来了。那些最小和花样最简单的很便宜，孩子们用自己的零花钱就可以买下来。这段时期上市的彩蛋有两种。小的一种叫方旦糖，长一英寸多一点，外面是一层薄薄的巧克力，里面是又甜又软的面团，然后再用彩色的锡箔纸包装成各种形状。另外一种是空蛋，稍为大一点，一般比鸭蛋还大一点。里面什么也没有，只是包着一个巧克力外壳。只需打碎外壳，吃巧克力片。复活节临近时，糖果店的橱窗里会摆满比这些更精美的彩蛋。同时还有各种各样的用来吸引孩子们的小礼物出售。上面装饰有毛绒绒的羊毛做的小鸡，小鸡的嘴和脚都粘在卡片上。幸运的孩子可能从亲友那儿得到好几种这样的礼物。复活节彩蛋是为了给人们带来快乐--确实如此！这些彩蛋精美漂亮且富有装饰性，它们代表着人们的美好心愿，并与你分享季节更替的喜悦。
过去，在多数西方国家里，复活节一般要举行盛大的宗教游行。游行者身穿长袍，手持十字架，赤足前进。他们打扮成基督教历史人物，唱着颂歌欢庆耶稣复活。如今节日游行已失去往日浓厚的宗教色彩。节日游行洋溢着喜庆的气氛，具有浓烈的民间特色和地方特色。在美国，游行队伍中即有身穿牛仔服踩高跷的小丑，也有活泼可爱的卡通人物米老鼠( Micky )。在英国，游行多以介绍当地的历史和风土人情为主，游行者化装成为苏格兰风笛乐队以及皇宫卫士，吸引了众多的游客。复活节的到来还使人们纷纷换上新衣。过去基督教教徒会在节前去教堂行洗礼，然后穿上自己的新袍，庆祝基督的新生。穿戴一新的习俗保留至今，因为人们认为节日里不穿新衣是要倒运的。复活节期间，人们还喜欢彻底打扫自己的住处，表示新生活从此开始。
节日期间,人们按照传统习俗把鸡蛋煮熟后涂上红色,代表耶稣受难后流出的鲜血 ,也表示复活后的快乐.大人孩子三五成群地聚在一处,用彩蛋作游戏.他们把彩蛋放在地上或土坡上滚,最后破裂者即为获胜.胜利者可以得到所有游戏者的彩蛋 .该活动非常普通.即使是白宫,也要在复活节中组织这种游戏,不过这里是将彩蛋放在草坪上滚.人们相信,彩蛋在地上来回滚动可以使恶魔不断惊颤、倍 受煎熬.这种风俗历史悠久.鸡蛋是复活节的象征,因为它预示着新生命的降临.基督徒们把它看作是耶稣的象征,相信新的生命一定会从中冲脱出世。
复活节中美国人的食品也很有特点,多以羊肉和火腿为主.据传说,有一次上帝为考验亚伯拉罕的忠诚之心,命令他把独生子以撒杀掉作祭 品,亚伯拉罕万分痛苦,最后,他还是决定按上帝的旨意去做.就在他举刀砍向儿子的一瞬,上帝派天使阻止了他.亚伯拉罕便将一只公羊为祭献给了上帝.从那以后,用羊作祭品祭祀上帝就成了该节的习俗.吃火腿的习惯,据说是英国移民者带入的.当初,英国人用吃火腿表示对犹太人禁忌肉食的蔑视,今天已发展成纪念耶稣的传统食物.不过，现在人们在复活节期间经常吃复活节罐头。
复活节的另一象征是小兔子,原因是它具有极强的繁殖能力,人们视它为新生命的创造者.节日中,成年人会形象生动地告诉孩子们复活节彩蛋是兔子生下的.许多家庭还会在花园草坪里放些彩蛋,让孩子们玩找彩蛋的游戏.复活节小兔和彩蛋也成为节日期间抢手的商品.商场出售各式各样的小兔和彩蛋状商品,大大小小的食品店和糖果店摆满了用巧克力制成的小兔和彩蛋,这些\"食品小兔\"神态可爱,彩蛋形状不一,吃 起来味道香甜,送给朋友也很适宜。
Thanks giving Day
Thanksgiving Day is a day set aside each year for giving thanks to God for bleings received during the year.On this day, people give thanks with feasting and prayer.The holiday is celebrated in the United States and Canada.Thanksgiving is usually a family day, celebrated with big dinners and joyous reunions.The very mention of Thanksgiving often calls up memories of kitchens and pantries crowded with good things to eat.Thanksgiving is also a time for serious religious thinking, church services, and prayer.The First Thanksgiving observance in America was entirely religious and did not involve feasting.On Dec.4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation, on the James River near what is now Charles City, Va.The group\'s charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.The First Thanksgiving in New England was celebrated in Plymouth le than a year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in America.The first dreadful winter in Maachusetts had killed about half the members of the colony.But new hope arose in the summer of 1621.The settlers expected a good corn harvest, despite poor crops of peas, wheat, and barley.Thus, in early autumn, governor William Bradford arranged a harvest festival to give thanks to God for the progre the colony had made.
感恩节的由來
感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日( holiday )，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。
1620年，一些朝拜者乘坐\"五月花\"号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上颠簸了兩个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马莎塞州的普里茅斯登陆。 在第一個冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下來的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到來，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到來的收成。后來庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四個星期四为感恩节。感恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到如今，感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几個月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其他食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡( roast turkey )和南瓜馅饼( pumpkin pie )，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统和最受人喜爱的食品。
人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技术常因家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用什么填料也就很难求得一致。
今天的感恩節是一個不折不扣的国定假日。在這一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年來所受到的上苍的恩典表示感斜，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。
感恩节食火鸡
感恩节是西方国家的传统节日，届时放假三天，合家团聚。在节日宴会上，有一道必不可少的特色名菜——“烤火鸡”。为什么要在感恩节都食火鸡呢？这要从感恩节的由来说起。
1920年，英国一批主张改革的清教徒，因理想和抱负不能实现而退出国教，自立新教，此举激起了英国当政者的仇恨。这些清教徒们不堪承受统治者的迫害和歧视，先逃到荷兰，9月初，乘船远渡重洋，准备流亡美国。船在波涛汹涌的大海中漂泊了65天，于11月终于到达了美国东海岸，在罗得岛州的普罗维斯敦港登陆。当时，此处还是一片荒凉未开垦的处女地，火鸡和其他野生动物随处可见。时值寒冬，来到陌生的地方，缺衣少食，恶劣的环境正在威胁着他们的生命。在这生死攸关的时刻，当地的印第安人给他们送去了食物、生活用品和生产工具，并帮助他们建立了自己的新家园。这些英国人在安顿好新家以后，为感谢在危难之时帮助、支援过他们的印第安人，同时也感谢上帝对他们的“恩赐”，是年11月第四星期四，将猎获的火鸡制成美味佳肴，盛情款待印第安人，并与他们进行联欢，庆祝活动持续了三天。此后，每年11月第四个星期四都要举行这样的庆祝活动，除招待印第安人食烤火鸡外，并在一起举办射箭、跑步、摔跤等体育竞赛，夜晚还围着篝火尽情歌舞，共享欢乐。1941年，美国国会正式将每年11月第四个星期四定为“感恩节”。从此，这一节日在西方国家流行开了。那么火鸡是如何烹制的呢？
火鸡即吐绶鸡(Turkkey)，又称七面鸡，本为野生，现已驯化为肉用家禽。全身被黑、白、深黄等色羽毛。头、颈上部裸露，有红珊瑚状皮瘤，喉下有肉垂，颜色由红到紫，可以变化。公火鸡尾羽可展开呈扇形，胸前一束毛球，母火鸡重为8-9千克，年产火鸡蛋50-80枚，每枚蛋重20-80克。目前饲养品种以“青铜火鸡”和“白色火鸡”为多。
火鸡以其体形大，生长迅速，抗病性强，瘦肉率高而受人瞩目，可与肉用鸡媲美，被誉为“造肉机器”。火鸡肉不仅肉质细嫩、清淡，而且在营养价值上有“一高二低”的优点。一高是蛋白南含量高，在30%以上；二低是火鸡肉在国外被认为是心脑血管疾病患者的理想保健食品，同时，火鸡肉也是益气补脾的食疗佳品。目前，世界上有许多国家以火鸡肉代替牛肉、猪肉、羊肉和鸭肉。
热闹的感恩节的活动
每逢感恩节这一天，美国举国上下热闹非常。城乡市镇到处举行化装游行、戏剧表演和体育比赛等，学校和商店也都按规定放假体息。孩子们还模仿当年印第安人的模样穿上离奇古怪的服装，画上脸谱或戴上面具到街上唱歌、吹喇叭。当天教堂里的人也格外多，按习俗人们在这里都要做感恩祈祷。美国入从小就习惯独立生活，劳燕分飞。各奔东西。而在感恩节。他们总是力争从天南海北归来，一家人团团围坐在一起，大嚼美味火鸡，畅谈往事，这怎不使人感到分外亲切、温暖。
同时，好客的美国人也忘不掉这一天邀请好友、单身汉或远离家乡的入共度佳节。从18世纪起，美国就开始出现一种给贫穷人家送一篮子食物的风俗。当时有一群年轻妇女想在一年中选一天专门做善事，认为选定感恩节是最恰当不过的。所以感恩节一到，她们就装上满清一篮食物亲自送到穷人家。这件事远近传闻，不久就有许多人学着她们的样子做起来。
值得—提的是，感恩节的食品极富传统色彩。每逢感恩节，美国入必有肥嫩的火鸡可吃。火鸡是感思节的传统主菜。它原是栖息于北美洲的野禽，后经人们大批饲养，成为美味家禽，每只可重达四五十磅。现在仍有些地方设有猪场，专供人们在感恩节前射猎，有兴趣的人到猪场花些钱，就能亲自打上几只野火鸡回家。使节日更富有情趣。火鸡的吃法也有一定讲究。它需要整只烤出，鸡皮烤成深棕色，肚子里还要塞上许多拌好的食物，如碎面包等。端上桌后，由男主人用刀切成薄片分给大家。然后由各人自己浇上卤汁，洒上盐，味道十分鲜美。
感恩节的食物除火鸡外，还有红莓苔子果酱、甜山芋、玉蜀黍、南瓜饼、自己烘烤的面包及各种蔬菜和水果等。这些东西都是感恩节的传统食品。
感恩节餐桌的布置也很有特色。主妇们不是照往常一样摆放鲜花，而是摆放水果和蔬菜。中间还常常放上一个大南瓜，周围堆放些苹果、玉米和干果。有时人们还把苹果或南瓜掏空，中间放满去壳的于果或者点燃蜡烛。平时，女主人可以在饭后把客人让到客厅里，但在感恩节却不这样做。感恩节的聚餐是甜美的，每个人都愿意在饭桌旁多呆一会儿，他们一边吃一边愉快地回亿往事，直到最后一根蜡烛燃尽。感恩节宴会后，有些家庭还常常做些传统游戏。第一次感恩节，人们进行了跳舞、比赛等许多娱乐活动，其中有些一直流传至今。有种游戏叫蔓越桔竞赛，是把一个装有蔓越桔的大碗放在地上，4-10名竞赛者围坐在周围，每人发给针线一份。比赛一开始，他们先穿针线，然后把蔓越桔一个个串起来，3分钟一到；谁串得最长，谁就得奖。至于穿得最慢的人，大家还开玩笑地发给他一个最差奖。还有一种玉米游戏也很古老。据说这是为了纪念当年在粮食匮乏的情况下发给每个移民五个玉米而流传下来的。游戏时。人们把五个玉米藏在屋里，由大家分头去找，找到玉米的五个人参加比赛，其他人在一旁观看。比赛开始，五个人就迅速把玉米粒剥在一个碗里，谁先剥完谁得奖，然后由没有参加比赛的人围在碗旁边猜里面有多少玉米粒，猜得数量最接近的奖给一大筒爆玉米花。
人们最喜爱的游戏要算南瓜赛跑了。比赛者用一把小勺推着南瓜跑，规则是绝对不能用手碰南瓜，先到终点者获奖。比赛用的勺子越小，游戏就越有意思，常常惹得大家捧腹大笑。除去这些活动外，有些家庭在节日里驱车到乡间去郊游，或是坐飞机出去旅行，特别是当年移民们安家落户的地方——普利茅斯港更是游客们向往的所在。在那里，可以看到按照“五月花”号仿制的船和普利茅斯石，还可以花几个小时在移民村里参观。移民村是仿照当年的样子建成的。参观时，还有专门人员扮成请教徒同游客们谈天，给人以身临其境的感觉。多少年来，庆祝感恩节的习俗代代相传，很少发生变化。而且无论是在岩石嶙峋的西部海岸，还是在美丽富饶的夏威夷岛，人们几乎都在以同样的方式欢度感恩节。它是不论何种信仰、何种民族的美国人都要庆祝的传统节日。
Halloween
One story about Jack, an Irishman, who was not allowed into Heaven because he was stingy with his money.So he was sent to hell.But down there he played tricks on the Devil (Satan), so he was kicked out of Hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern.
Well, Irish children made Jack’s lanterns on October 31st from a large potato or turnip, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside.And Irish children would carry them as they went from house to house begging for food for the village Halloween festival that honored the Druid god Muck Olla.The Irish name for these lanterns was \"Jack with the lantern\" or \"Jack of the lantern,\" abbreviated as \" Jack-o-lantern\" and now spelled \"jack-o-lantern.\"
The traditional Halloween you can read about in most books was just children’s fun night.Halloween celebrations would start in October in every elementary school.
Children would make Halloween decorations, all kinds of orange-paper jack-o-lanterns.And from black paper you’d cut \"scary\" designs ---an evil witch with a pointed hat riding through the sky on a broomstick, maybe with black bats flying acro the moon, and that meant bad luck.And of course black cats for more bad luck.Sometimes a black cat would ride away into the sky on the back of the witch’s broom.
And on Halloween night we’d dre up in Mom or Dad’s old shoes and clothes, put on a mask, and be ready to go outside.The little kids (children younger than we were) had to go with their mothers, but we older ones went together to neighbors’ houses, ringing their doorbell and yelling, \"Trick or treat!\" meaning, \"Give us a treat (something to eat) or we’’ll play a trick on you!\" The people inside were supposed to come to the door and comment on our costumes.
Oh! Here’s a ghost.Oh, there’s a witch.Oh, here’s an old lady.
Sometimes they would play along with us and pretend to be scared by some ghost or witch.But they would always have some candy and maybe an apple to put in our \"trick or treat bags.\" But what if no one come to the door, or if someone chased us away? Then we’d play a trick on them, usually taking a piece of soap and make marks on their windows..And afterwards we would go home and count who got the most candy.One popular teen-agers’ Halloween trick was to unroll a roll of toilet paper and throw it high into a tree again and again until the tree was all wrapped in the white paper.The paper would often stay in the tree for weeks until a heavy snow or rain washed it off.No real harm done, but it made a big me of both the tree and the yard under it.One kind of Halloween mischief. Origin of Christmas
The name Christmas is short for \"Christ’s Ma\".A Ma is a kind of Church service.Christmas is a religious festival.It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus.
There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world.But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion.Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas in the world.
The birth of Jesus had a story: In Nazareth, a city of Galilee.The virgin’s name was Mary was betrothed to Joseph.Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband was minded to put her away secretly.While he thought about these things, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him did not be afraid to take Mary as wife.And Mary will bring forth a Son, and he shall call his name, Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Before Jesus births, Joseph and Mary came to Quintus was governing Syria.So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.And that, Christmas is the feast of the nativity of Jesus, is on 25th, December every year.But nobody know the actual birthday of Jesus.And the Christmas has become popular when Christmas cards appeared in 1846 and the concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in nineteenth Century.
关于万圣节有这样一个故事。是说有一个叫杰克的爱尔兰人，因为他对钱特别吝啬，就不允许他进入天堂，而被打入地狱。但是在那里他老是捉弄魔鬼撒旦，所以被踢出地狱，罚他提着灯笼永远在人世里行走。
在十月三十一日爱尔兰的孩子们用土豆和罗卜制作\"杰克的灯笼\"，他们把中间挖掉、表面上打洞并在里边点上蜡烛。为村里庆祝督伊德神的万圣节，孩子们提着这种灯笼挨家挨户乞讨食物。这种灯笼的爱尔兰名字是\"拿灯笼的杰克\"或者\"杰克的灯笼\"，缩写为Jack-o-lantern现在拼写为jack-o-lantern。
现在你在大多数书里读到的万圣节只是孩子们开心的夜晚。在小学校里，万圣节是每年十月份开始庆祝的。
孩子们会制作万圣节的装饰品：各种各样桔黄色的番瓜灯。你可以用黑色的纸做一个可怕的造形--一个骑在扫帚把上戴着尖尖帽子的女巫飞过天空，或者是黑蝙蝠飞过月亮。这些都代表恶运。当然黑猫代表运气更差。有时候会出现黑猫骑在女巫扫帚后面飞向天空的造形。
在万圣节的晚上，我们都穿著爸爸妈妈的旧衣服和旧鞋子，戴上面具，打算外出。比我们小的孩子必须和他们的母亲一块出去，我们大一点的就一起哄到邻居家，按他们的门铃并大声喊道?quot;恶作剧还是招待！\"意思是给我们吃的，要不我们就捉弄你。里边的人们应该出来评价我们的化装。
\"噢！这是鬼，那是女巫，这是个老太婆。\"
有时候他们会跟我们一起玩，假装被鬼或者女巫吓着了。但是他们通常会带一些糖果或者苹果放进我们的\"恶作剧还是招待\"的口袋里。可是要是没人回答门铃或者是有人把我们赶开该怎幺办呢？我们就捉弄他们，通常是拿一块肥皂把他们的玻璃涂得乱七八糟。然后我们回家，数数谁的糖果最多。
还有一个典型的万圣节花招是把一卷手纸拉开，不停地往树上扔，直到树全被白纸裹起来。除非下大雪或大雨把纸冲掉，纸会一直呆在树上。这并不造成真正的伤害，只是把树和院子搞乱，一种万圣节的恶作剧
Greetings Collection :
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year! Beautiful dreams come true.We bring you Good wishes of happine.This Christmas and in the coming year.During this Season may the joy and love of Christmas be yours.Each Christmas brings me wonderful thoughts and memories...and you get lots of presents, Merry Christmas.We greet you warmly with a wish that’s sincere for a healthy, happy, and wonderful days.Have a heartwarming holiday! Warmest wishes for a very merry Christmas
