英语文化：美国的圣诞节习俗与圣诞音乐
Millions of Americans will celebrate Christmas on December twenty-fifth. Itis the most widely celebrated religious holiday in the United States.
People buy gifts to give to family members and friends. They fill homes and
stores with evergreen1 trees and bright, colored lights. They go to parties and
prepare special Christmas food. Many people think Christmas is the most
wonderful time of the year.
Many Christians go to church the night before the holiday or on Christmas
Day. They celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Christian2
ministers3 speak about the need for peace and understanding in the world. This
is the spiritual4 message of Christmas. Church services include traditional
religious songs for the holiday. One of the most popular is "Silent Night."
Many other Americans celebrate Christmas as an important, but non-religious
holiday. To all, however, it is a special day of family, food, and exchanging
gifts.
Christmas is probably the most special day of the year for children. One
thing that makes it special is the popular tradition of Santa Claus5.
Young children believe that Santa Claus is a fat, kind, old man in a red
suit with white fur. They believe that-on the night before Christmas-he travels
through the air in a sleigh6 pulled by reindeer7. He enters each house from the
top by sliding down the hole in the fireplace8. He leaves gifts for the children
under the Christmas tree.
Americans spend a lot of time and money buying Christmas presents. The
average American family spends about 800 dollars. Stores and shopping centers
are crowded at this time of year. More than 20% of goods sold during the year
are sold during the weeks before Christmas. This is good for stores and for the
American economy.
Some people object to spending all this money. They say it is not the real
meaning of Christmas. So, they celebrate in other ways. For example, they make
Christmas presents, instead of buying them. Or they volunteer to help serve
meals to people who have no homes. Or they give money to organizations that help
poor people in the United States and around the world.
Home and family are the center of the Christmas holiday. For many people,
the most enjoyable tradition is buying a Christmas tree and decorating9 it with
lights and beautiful objects. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, people
gather around the tree to open their presents.
Another important Christmas tradition involves food. Families prepare many
kinds of holiday foods, especially sweets. They eat these foods on the night
before Christmas and on Christmas day.
For many people, Christmas means traveling long distances to be with their
families. Another Christmas tradition is to go "caroling10."A group of people
walk along the street. At each house, they stop and sing a Christmas song,
called carol. Student groups also sing carols at schools and shopping
centers.
Not everyone in the United States celebrates Christmas. Members of the
Jewish11 and Muslim12 religions, for example, generally do not. Yet many
Americans do take part in some of the traditional performances of the season.
One of the most popular is a story told in dance: "The Nutcracker13" ballet14.
The music was written by Russian composer15 Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky in 1891.
The ballet is about a young girl named Clara. Clara is celebrating
Christmas with her family and friends. One of her Christmas presents is a little
device16 to open nuts-a nutcracker. It is shaped like a toy soldier. She dreams
that the nutcracker comes to life as a good-looking prince.
Professional17 dance groups in many American cities perform the ballet at
this time of year. They often use students from local ballet schools to dance
the part of Clara and the other children in the story. This gives parents a
chance to see their children perform.
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