When you think of Christmas, what images spring to mind? For many, the classic Christmas image is of Santa Claus climbing down the chimney on Christmas Eve and leaving gifts under a brightly lit Christmas tree. However, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and gift-giving are later additions to the Christmas tradition. They have little to do with the true origins of Christmas, which are religious in nature. The original purpose of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is believed by Christians to be the son of God. The exact date of Christ’s birth, however, is not mentioned in the Bible. In the Roman pagan calendar, late December was already a time of celebration, with several midwinter festivals occurring at that time. The early Church may have decided on December 25 as the date for Christmas simply because everyone was already used to celebrating at this time anyway. Early in the Christmas season, many families decorate their homes with Christmas trees, wreaths, and ornaments in green and red, both traditional colors of Christmas. 當你想到聖誕節時，你腦海中會浮現出什麼樣的景象？對很多人而言，經典的聖誕節景象是聖誕老公公在聖誕夜從煙囪爬下來，並將禮物放在用亮燈布置的聖誕樹下。 然而聖誕老公公、聖誕樹和聖誕禮物都是後來才加進聖誕節傳統的事物，它們與聖誕節的真正起源不太相關，因為聖誕節本身其實是個宗教節日。 聖誕節原始的目的是用來慶祝耶穌的誕生，基督徒相信耶穌是神的兒子。然而，耶穌誕生的確切日期並沒有在《聖經》中載明。在羅馬異教徒的月曆中，12 月底本來就是慶祝的時刻，有許多冬季中期的節慶皆在此時舉辦。有可能早期教會決定把聖誕節定在12 月25日，因為反正大家早已習慣在此時慶祝節慶。 在聖誕佳節的前幾天，家家戶戶會布置房子，用聖誕樹、聖誕花圈、以及紅色和綠色的聖誕飾品，因為這兩個顏色是聖誕節的傳統色。 | 
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