8 Truly Strange Christmas Customs
The holiday called Christmas is an amalgam of many winter holidays from around the world. The name is designated as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, although the date is not recorded in the Bible, and people at that time did not place particular important on birth dates. Scientists say the actual date was June 17th, 2BC because of the appearance of the star that beckoned the Magi. December 25th was set as the date for Christmas in the 4th century by Pope Julius I as an attempt to Christianize midwinter pagan holidays such as Solstice and Saturnalia. Customs such as bringing evergreens inside, eating fat-laden foods, and hanging lights are universal responses to the cold, dark winter season. Some of the stranger Christmas traditions are remnants of those older pagan holidays, and some have been changed over the centuries until their origins are hard to discern. Others were just made up to boost Business!
1. Krampus
St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, or Santa Claus is the weirdest Christmas tradition ever, but he is so well known and so well documented that his origins are beyond the scope of this particular post. As a tool to encourage good behavior in children, Santa serves as the carrot, and Krampus is the stick. Krampus is the evil demon anti-Santa, or maybe his evil twin. Krampus Night is celebrated on December 5th, the eve of St. Nicholas Day in Austria and other parts of Europe. People dress as Krampus and roam the streets looking for someone to beat with a stick. Since it is also a night for drinking, the beatings probably don’t hurt much. (Image by Flickr user salendron.)
圣诞节是全世界冬季节日的集合。之所以取名为圣诞节，是为着纪念耶稣的诞生，尽管《圣经中》并未记载耶稣诞生的具体日期，那个时期的人对出生日期也不甚重视。科学家说，具体日期实为公元前2年6月17日，因为在那一天，昭示东方三博士的星星出现了。公元前4世纪，为了把一些冬至时期的异教徒节日（如冬至日和农神节）基督教化，教皇尤利西斯一世把12月25日定为基督诞生日。而一些传统，如在屋内摆置常绿树，吃油脂丰富的食物，挂小灯，则是在寒冷阴暗的冬季之时，人们的普遍做法。还有一些更为奇特习俗，是古老异教节日的遗留物；一些历经几个世纪后，变化颇大，已难以溯及其源头；另外一些则是受商业利益驱使而生。
(“Krampus游行”
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