托福閱讀背景材料：圣誕節(jié)的由來

　　每年12月25日是全世界大多數(shù)基督徒紀念耶穌誕生的日子。

　　教會開始并無圣誕節(jié)，約在耶穌升天后百余年內才有。據(jù)說：第一個圣誕節(jié)是在公元138年，由羅馬主教圣克里門倡議舉行。而教會史載第一個圣誕節(jié)則在公元336年。由于圣經未明記耶穌生于何時，故各地圣誕節(jié)日期各異。直到公元440年，才由羅馬教廷定12月25日為圣誕節(jié)。公元1607年，世界各地教會領袖在伯利恒聚會，進一步予以確定，從此世界大多數(shù)的基督徒均以12月25日為圣誕節(jié)。十九世紀，圣誕卡的流行、圣誕老人的出現(xiàn)，圣誕節(jié)也開始流行起來了。

　　由于圣經記載耶穌生于夜間，故傳統(tǒng)稱12月24日夜為“圣誕夜”或“平安夜”。

　　Every year on December 25 in the world the majority of Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus day.

　　Christmas did not start the church, about 100 years after Jesus ascended to heaven only. It is said: the first Christmas in the year 138, by the Bishop of Rome, St. Clement held the initiative. The church contains the history of the first Christmas in the year 336 AD. As the next remember not in the Bible when Jesus was born, it is different all over the Christmas period. 440 years until the year before by the Holy See will be in December

　　25, for Christmas. Year in 1607, church leaders around the world gathered in Bethlehem, to be further identified, from most parts of the world's Christians are on December 25 for Christmas. In the nineteenth century, the popularity of Christmas cards, Santa Claus, Christmas began to pop up.

　　As the Bible records Jesus was born at night, so that the traditional December 24 for the day and night "Christmas" or "Silent Night."