為什么外國人過圣誕節都要吃火雞、布丁、肉餡餅，玩圣誕拉炮，寄圣誕賀卡，掛起長筒襪，唱圣誕頌歌呢？一起了解下這些圣誕傳統的起源。

Discover the fascinating stories behind these festive traditions, from Christmas food and carols to greetings cards and crackers.
從圣誕美食、圣誕頌歌到圣誕賀卡、圣誕拉炮，在圣誕節的傳統節目背后都有什么有趣的故事呢？

Christmas cards 圣誕賀卡

Having helped set up the Public Records Office (now the Post Office), Sir Henry Cole and artist John Horsley created the first Christmas card in 1843 as a way of encouraging people to use its services.
在幫助創建了郵局之后，1843年亨利?柯爾爵士和藝術家約翰?霍斯利一起制作了世界上第一張圣誕賀卡，鼓勵人們使用郵政服務。

Cards cost a shilling (equivalent to almost ￡5.75 now) and stamps a penny (about 40p at modern prices). Advances in printing brought prices down, making cards hugely popular by the 1860s. By 1900 the custom of sending Christmas cards had spread throughout Europe.
當時一張圣誕賀卡價格是一先令（相當于現在的5.75英鎊），一張郵票價格是一便士（相當于現在的40便士）。印刷術的進步讓賀卡和郵票價格降了下來，使得圣誕賀卡在19世紀60年代曾盛行一時。到了20世紀，寄圣誕賀卡的風俗已在歐洲流傳開來。

The Christmas tree 圣誕樹

While Christmas trees have been around for a millennium in northern Europe, the first one did not appear in the UK until the 1830s. When Prince Albert put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, he started what became an evergreen trend.
雖然早在千年之前北歐國家就有圣誕樹了，但是直到19世紀30年代，第一棵圣誕樹才開始在英國出現。1841年，阿爾伯特親王在溫莎堡置辦了第一棵圣誕樹，從那以后圣誕樹就成為了長盛不衰的圣誕傳統。