我找的都是中英文對照的,漢語略. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.ltyc.com.cn/bbs/dispbbs.asp?BoardID=4&id=32 母親節 Mother"s Day was first suggested in the United States in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace. A campaign to establish a National Mother"s Day was begun in 1907. It was successful, by 1911 Mother"s Day was celebrated in almost every state in recognition of[1] the influence mothers have in the making of better citizens. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that the birthday of Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis, the "mother of Mother"s Day[2] ", would become the National Mother"s Day of the United States. And that from then on, the second Sunday in May would be Mother"s Day in memory of the work Mrs. Jarvis had done to bring families together after the Civil war, her work to bring the whole North and South together, her work to honor all the mothers of America throughout history and on into the future, but most of all to honor Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis as America"s National Mother. President Wilson asked that the American people fly the United States flag from public buildings and homes on that day as he said, as a public expression of our love and reverence[3] for the mothers of our country. Well, what value is Mother"s Day now? As the Congress said in 1914, it reminds people of[4] the influence mothers have had in the making of better citizens. Jarvis was one such mother. On Mother"s Day much attention is given to the important part that each mother plays in giving her children a sense of what is right and what is wrong, what is good behavior and what is bad. If the observances[5] of Mother"s Day can even in a small way remind mothers of this, then this day will help both the families and the whole country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.lgyclt.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=98&id=5035 聖誕節 Origin of Christmas The name Christmas is short for "Christ's Mass". A Mass is a kind of Church service. Christmas is a religious festival. It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus. There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world. But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion. Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas in the orld. The birth of Jesus had a story: In Nazareth, a city of Galilee. The virgin's name was Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was minded to put her away secretly. While he thought about these things, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him did not be afraid to take Mary as wife. And Mary will bring forth a Son, and he shall call his name, Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Before Jesus births, Joseph and Mary came to Quintus was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And that, Christmas is the feast of the nativity of Jesus, is on 25th, December every year. But nobody know the actual birthday of Jesus. And the Christmas has become popular when Christmas cards appeared in 1846 and the concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in nineteenth Century. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.all.com/files/Articles/6/1/1431/1431362_20210527174649022.html 萬聖節 Halloween October 31st (western countries)Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain,to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts (凱爾特人), who worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. They celebrated their New Year on November 1st which was made every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold. "On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). They would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin. When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.The November 1st festival was called Samhain pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween. The Celtics would carry a lantern when they walked on the eve of October 31. These lanterns were carved out of big turnips (大頭菜) and the lights were believed to keep the evil spirits away. Children would carve faces in the turnips. These carved turnips were called "jack-o-lanterns. It is said that the jack-o-lantern" got its name from a stingy and mean old man, named Jack, who when he died was too mean to get into heaven. When Jack went to hell he was meet by the Devil who gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack placed the burning coal in a turnip to use as a lantern to light his way. The legends claim that Jack is still walking with the lantern looking for a place to stay.When the early settlers came to America they found the big round orange pumpkin. Being larger and much more colorful than turnips, the pumpkin made great "jack-o-lanterns". Eventually the pumpkin would replace the turnip. Eventually the Pumpkin would become the most widely recognized symbol of the Halloween holiday. The history of "Trick'O'Treating" can be traced back to the early celebrations of All Soul's Day in Britain. The poor would go begging and the housewives would give them special treats called "soulcakes". This was called "going a-souling", and the "soulers" would promise to say a prayer for the dead.Over time the custom changed and the town's children became the beggars. As they went from house to house they would be given apples, buns (圓形的小甜麵包), and money. During the Pioneer days of the American West, the housewives would give the children candy to keep from being tricked. The children would shout "Trick or Treat!".