由于今年的疫情，西方国家的人们庆祝圣诞节也比较特殊，呆在家里，远离人群，然而这些也并未阻挡他们对于圣诞节的重视，仪式感仍然满满哒～今天来讲一下西方国家过圣诞节都有哪些习俗和他们的起源吧！
1. 圣诞卡片 Christmas Card
Having helped set up the Public Records Office (now the Post Office), Sir Henry Cole and artist John Horsley created the first Christmas card in 1843 as a way of encouraging people to use its services.
在协助成立了公共档案室（后发展成现代邮局）之后，亨利·科尔爵士和艺术家约翰·霍斯利在1843年一起制作了世界上第一张圣诞卡片，以此来鼓励人们使用公共档案室的服务。
2. 圣诞树 The Christmas Tree
While Christmas trees have been around for a millennium in northern Europe, the first one did not appear in the UK until the 1830s. When Prince Albert put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, he started what became an evergreen trend.
尽管圣诞树已经在北欧流行了近千年，但英国直到19世纪30年代才有了第一棵真正意义上的圣诞树。1841年，当阿尔伯特亲王在温莎城堡上第一次竖起圣诞树的时候，他开启了这一长青不衰的传统。
3. 百果馅饼 Mince Pies
Early mince pies were made of meat, fruit and spice and inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine brought back by the Crusaders.
受十字军东征带回的中东饮食启发，早期的百果馅饼包含了肉馅、水果和香料。
They commonly had 13 ingredients representing Christ and the Apostles, and were formed in a large oval shape to represent the manger. Meat had disappeared from the recipe by Victorian times, although beef suet is often still included.
通常来说，百果馅饼包含13种原料，分别代表着耶稣和十二使徒。而馅饼的椭圆形状则代表着耶稣降生的马槽。自维多利亚时期起，配料就不再包含肉馅了，但牛油仍然是常用原料。
4. 圣诞长袜 Stockings
Leaving stockings out at Christmas goes back to the legend of St Nicholas. Known as the gift giver, on one occasion he sent bags of gold down a chimney at the home of a poor man who had no dowry for his unmarried daughters. The gold fell into stockings left hanging to dry. St Nicholas was later referred to by the Dutch as Sinterklaas and eventually, by English-speakers, as Santa Claus.
在圣诞节摆放圣诞长袜的传统，要追溯到圣·尼古拉斯的事迹。他是一个乐善好施的人。曾经有个穷人付不起女儿的嫁妆，他就顺着那家人的烟囱，往他家里扔了几包黄金。黄金正好掉进了挂在壁炉烘干的袜子里。圣·尼古拉斯后来被荷兰人称作“Sinterklaas”，最终被英语国家的人称作“圣诞老人”。
1. 圣诞卡片 Christmas Card
Having helped set up the Public Records Office (now the Post Office), Sir Henry Cole and artist John Horsley created the first Christmas card in 1843 as a way of encouraging people to use its services.
在协助成立了公共档案室（后发展成现代邮局）之后，亨利·科尔爵士和艺术家约翰·霍斯利在1843年一起制作了世界上第一张圣诞卡片，以此来鼓励人们使用公共档案室的服务。
2. 圣诞树 The Christmas Tree
While Christmas trees have been around for a millennium in northern Europe, the first one did not appear in the UK until the 1830s. When Prince Albert put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, he started what became an evergreen trend.
尽管圣诞树已经在北欧流行了近千年，但英国直到19世纪30年代才有了第一棵真正意义上的圣诞树。1841年，当阿尔伯特亲王在温莎城堡上第一次竖起圣诞树的时候，他开启了这一长青不衰的传统。
3. 百果馅饼 Mince Pies
Early mince pies were made of meat, fruit and spice and inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine brought back by the Crusaders.
受十字军东征带回的中东饮食启发，早期的百果馅饼包含了肉馅、水果和香料。
They commonly had 13 ingredients representing Christ and the Apostles, and were formed in a large oval shape to represent the manger. Meat had disappeared from the recipe by Victorian times, although beef suet is often still included.
通常来说，百果馅饼包含13种原料，分别代表着耶稣和十二使徒。而馅饼的椭圆形状则代表着耶稣降生的马槽。自维多利亚时期起，配料就不再包含肉馅了，但牛油仍然是常用原料。
4. 圣诞长袜 Stockings
Leaving stockings out at Christmas goes back to the legend of St Nicholas. Known as the gift giver, on one occasion he sent bags of gold down a chimney at the home of a poor man who had no dowry for his unmarried daughters. The gold fell into stockings left hanging to dry. St Nicholas was later referred to by the Dutch as Sinterklaas and eventually, by English-speakers, as Santa Claus.
在圣诞节摆放圣诞长袜的传统，要追溯到圣·尼古拉斯的事迹。他是一个乐善好施的人。曾经有个穷人付不起女儿的嫁妆，他就顺着那家人的烟囱，往他家里扔了几包黄金。黄金正好掉进了挂在壁炉烘干的袜子里。圣·尼古拉斯后来被荷兰人称作“Sinterklaas”，最终被英语国家的人称作“圣诞老人”。
