英语阅读：为什么要过圣诞节
为什么要过圣诞节?
What are the origins of Christmas?
Christmas is the most popular holiday in America. Both the secular and the sacred celebrate it, but for different reasons. Some see it as the greatest business time of the year which is fueled by the buying and exchanging of gifts. Others consider it the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Then again, there are those who don’t care except that they get time off from work and have to buy people gifts. Either way, it is a very important holiday both commercially and spiritually.
圣诞节是美国最受欢迎的节日。无论是平民百姓还是宗教人士都会庆祝这一节日，但是却有各自不同的理由。有人将圣诞节视为一年中做生意最好的时机，因为人们会人们大量购买和互赠礼物。而其他人则将圣诞节视为庆祝耶稣诞辰的日子。但也有一些人对圣诞节毫不在乎(除非自己能够放假)，而且还不得不给别人买礼物。但是无论哪种情况，圣诞节在商业上和精神上来说都是一个非常重要的节日。
The word "Christmas" comes from two old words: Christes maesse. It means, "the Mass of Christ." This comes from the Catholic Mass, the practice where the priest re-offers the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross during the time of Communion.
“圣诞节(Christmas)”这个术语来源于两个词：“Christes” 和 “maesse”，意指“基督弥撒(the Mass of Christ)”。这来自于天主教弥撒，牧师在领圣餐的时候会给十字架上的基督奉献牺牲祭品。
