吃到天明的圣誕晚宴、給圣誕老人準備點心、在圣誕節(jié)交換書籍……來看看世界各國的不同圣誕習俗。

美國：為圣誕老人準備餅干和牛奶

In the US, families love to set out treats for Santa on Christmas Eve.

美國家庭喜歡在平安夜為圣誕老人準備點心。

Most churches also hold candlelight services or midnight mass, which often include reenactments of the Nativity.

大多數教堂還會在午夜舉行燭光彌撒，通常包含耶穌降生場面的表演。

Nativity[n?'t?v?ti]: n. 耶穌的誕生

加拿大：在平安夜打開禮物

In Canada, families often open presents on Christmas Eve after mass. Others only open one and save the rest for Christmas Day.

加拿大家庭通常在平安夜做完彌撒之后打開禮物。還有些人只打開一個禮物，其余的禮物留到圣誕節(jié)當天打開。

Many French Canadians have a huge feast after Christmas Eve mass, called a Réveillon, which lasts into the wee hours of Christmas morning.

許多法裔加拿大人在平安夜彌撒后會舉行一場巨大的盛宴，這頓名為Réveillon的年夜飯會一直持續(xù)到圣誕節(jié)的凌晨。

wee hours: 凌晨

俄羅斯：在平安夜當天齋戒

The fast typically lasts until after evening service or when the stars come out. After the fast, some might eat a traditional Russian dish called kutya. Kutya consists of grains, honey, and poppy seeds, shared from the same bowl to symbolize unity. No meat is allowed.

齋戒通常持續(xù)到平安夜彌撒之后或星星出來之時。齋戒結束后，俄羅斯人會吃一道名為kutya的傳統(tǒng)俄羅斯菜，包括谷物、蜂蜜、罌粟籽，一家人都從一個碗里吃，以此象征團結。但是不能吃肉。

注：俄羅斯東正教徒一般按照儒略歷法，在1月6日夜間至7日凌晨慶祝圣誕節(jié)。按照東正教教規(guī)，圣誕節(jié)前是圣誕齋戒，在齋戒期40天里，虔誠的教徒只食用浸泡和煮熟的小米、大米、豆類和蔬菜。（資料來源：百度百科）

中國：送“平安果”

Christmas apples wrapped in cellophane are a popular holiday gift in China, which is said to be because the word "apple" sounds similar to "Christmas Eve" in Mandarin.

圣誕節(jié)的“平安果”就是用玻璃紙包好的蘋果，在中國是很流行的一種圣誕禮物。據說是因為蘋果的“蘋”和平安夜的“平”諧音。

cellophane['s?l?'fen]: n. 玻璃紙

意大利：平安夜吃“七魚宴”

A huge seafood and pasta dinner is tradition for Italians on Christmas Eve. The tradition of serving seven different seafood dishes stems from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve.

意大利人平安夜的傳統(tǒng)大餐有海鮮和面食?！捌唪~宴”上有七種不同的海鮮菜肴，吃海鮮的傳統(tǒng)源于羅馬天主教徒在平安夜不吃肉的做法。

abstain[?b'sten]: vi. 自制；放棄；避免

丹麥：圣誕節(jié)是12月24日

In Denmark, people celebrate Christmas Day on December 24. The Danish also countdown to Christmas using Advent wreaths. Wreaths feature four candles, one candle lit every one of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve.

丹麥人在12月24日慶祝圣誕節(jié)。丹麥人用降臨節(jié)花環(huán)來做圣誕節(jié)倒計時。降臨節(jié)花環(huán)上有四支蠟燭，平安夜前的四周，每個星期日點燃一支蠟燭。

Advent['?dv?nt]: n. 到來；出現(xiàn)；基督降臨；基督降臨節(jié)

澳大利亞：圣誕節(jié)吃冷餐

Whereas many picture Christmas as a cozy, snowy holiday, Australians experience Christmas in the middle of summer. Australians often have cold Christmas dinners, and on Christmas Eve, fish markets are packed with people hoping to stock up on seafood before the holiday. Apparently pavlova is also a must as a Christmas dessert.

盡管很多人都將圣誕節(jié)描繪成下雪的溫馨節(jié)日，但澳大利亞人的圣誕節(jié)卻在盛夏。澳大利亞人通常在平安夜吃冷餐，圣誕節(jié)前魚市擠滿了囤海鮮的人。奶油蛋白甜餅是澳大利亞人必吃的圣誕甜點。

pavlova[p?v'lov?]: n. 奶油蛋白甜餅

墨西哥：孩子們扮演瑪麗和約瑟夫

Beginning on December 16, children in Mexico go door-to-door asking if there's a symbolic "room at the inn," and on Christmas Eve, they are invited in to celebrate. The tradition is called posadas, and it concludes in Christmas parties full of food, drinks, and pi?atas.

從12月16日開始，墨西哥孩子挨家挨戶地敲門問有沒有“旅館房間”，到了平安夜，孩子們會被邀請進門一起慶祝。這一傳統(tǒng)叫作波薩達斯巡游，巡游結束后人們會舉行圣誕派對，派對上有食物、飲料，還有傳統(tǒng)墨西哥彩色裝飾品pi?atas，里面裝滿了糖果。

挪威：從平安夜起每夜點一支蠟燭，一直到新年

In Norway, families light a candle every night starting on Christmas Eve and ending on New Year's Day. Norwegians also often exchange presents on Christmas Eve.

挪威家庭從平安夜開始，每夜點燃一支蠟燭，一直到新年才結束。挪威人通常也在平安夜交換禮物。

The gifts are brought by Santa Claus or by small gnomes called Nisse, folkloric characters historically responsible for the prosperity of the farm and family who began being thought of as the bearers of Christmas gifts in the mid 19th century.

給人們送來禮物的有圣誕老人，還有小矮人尼森。傳說尼森小矮人在歷史上給農場和家庭帶來了繁榮，19世紀中期，尼森小矮人開始被挪威家庭視為圣誕禮物的搬運工。

gnome[n??m]: n. 小矮人

冰島：在平安夜交換書籍

Iceland has the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve then spending the evening reading them. The holiday season starts off with the delivery of the Bokatidindi, which is a catalogue of every single book published in Iceland. The tradition began in during WWII. Paper was one of the few commodities not rationed, and Icelanders could indulge in their love of books (and in giving books as gifts) as they weren't in short supply.

冰島有在平安夜交換書籍和看書的傳統(tǒng)。冰島人的圣誕節(jié)是以寄出Bokatidindi開始的，Bokatidindi是在冰島出版的每一本書的商品目錄。該傳統(tǒng)是從二戰(zhàn)期間開始的。當時紙張是少數幾種沒有定量配給的商品，因為書籍供應充足，冰島人就可以盡情地讀書和送書當禮物。

ration['r???n]: vt. 配給；定量供應

英文來源：Insider

編譯：丹妮