The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years.The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals(parades) with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.
圣诞节的历史可以追溯到四千年前。圣诞节的十二天，明亮的灯火，圣诞圆木，馈赠礼物，狂欢（游行）的花车，一个接一个唱圣诞颂歌人，节日盛宴，教堂游行都可以追溯到早期的美索不达米亚。
Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, and as their chief god - Marduk. Each year as winter arrived it was believed that Marduk would do battle with the monsters of chaos. To assist Marduk in his struggle the Mesopotamians held a festival for the New Year. This was Zagmuk, the New Year's festival that lasted for 12 days.
圣诞节传统起源于美索不达米亚的新年庆祝活动。美索不达米亚人信奉神，并把马尔杜克作为他们的主神。他们认为每年冬季到来的时候马杜克就会怪物战斗。为了帮助马尔杜克，美索不达米亚人举行了新年的节日。这就是Zagmuk，历时十二天的新年节日。
The Mesopotamian king would return to the temple of Marduk and swear his faithfulness to the god. The traditions called for the king to die at the end of the year and to return with Marduk to battle at his side.
美索不达米亚国王将回到马杜克神庙，并发誓忠实于神。按惯例国王年底牺牲后，将返回战场与马尔杜克并肩作战。
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To spare their king, the Mesopotamians used the idea of a "mock" king. A criminal was chosen and dressed in royal clothes. He was given all the respect and privileges of a real king. At the end of the celebration the "mock" king was stripped of the royal clothes and slain, sparing the life of the real king.
为了挽救国王，美索不达米亚人用了“假”国王想法。一个罪犯被选中后，让他穿上国王的衣服。他得到了尊重和一个真正的国王特权。庆祝活动结束后，“假”国王的皇室衣服被脱掉，并被杀害了，真正的国王还活着。
The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival called the Sacaea. Part of that celebration included the exchanging of places, the slaves would become the masters and the masters were to obey.
巴比伦人和波斯人有一个类似的节日，叫作Sacaea。庆祝活动的一部分包括交换身份，奴隶将成为主人而主人们就得服从。
Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.
早期的欧洲人相信邪灵，巫婆，鬼，巨魔。随着冬至的临近，其漫长而寒冷的夜晚和短暂的白天，许多人担心太阳不会升起。举行特别仪式和庆典是欢迎太阳回来。
Some legends claim that the Christian "Christmas" celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturanilia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas.
传说基督教的“圣诞节”庆祝活动是为 了与异教徒十二月的庆祝活动相竞争。二十五号对于罗马人和波斯都是人神圣的，虽然密特拉教当时基督教的主要对手之一。
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The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.
基督出生的确切日期从来没有准确的指出。据说自从公元98年以来人们就庆祝这个节日了。公元137年罗马主教下令把基督生日作为一个庄严的节日来庆祝。公元350年罗马的另一位教主，朱利叶斯一世，选择十二月二十五日这天作为的圣诞节。作者: 凉茶 时间: 2010-12-10 09:34
