國家地理:Out of the Box 圣誕禮物

For most of us, the season evokes a kind of universal memory.
My strongest memory of Christmas is the tree with all of the presents underneath it.
And usually in the morning I wake up really early like at five o'clock.
And when you come downstairs Christmas morning and the trees lit up, there is piles of presents, there might be a bicycle, there are skis, there is all... there's stuff all over the place.
I really remember the lights, because that to me was the most magical.
And hearing just the Christmas music that you only hear that one time a year.
There is just lots to be happy for.
Is that what you ask from Santa? Yeah.
Christmas comes with a host of vivid images that bombard us from all directions for entire season: candy canes and carolers, stockings and store windows, Nativity scenes and nutcrackers, not to mention entire neighborhoods that explode in a kaleidoscope of light and colors. Then on top of all that, throwing the art character who's the master of ceremonies of this visual feast. Santa Claus.
I'd describe him as fat and jolly.
Big, chubby.
A loving, very generous kind of guy.
A good listener, listens to requests.
I used to think that Santa Claus was probably one of the greatest people in the world.
Merry Christmas!
Santa's origins go back more than 2,000 years, but it took centuries of poetic embellishment and a few things lost in translation before the Santa that we know today emerged. The legend begins with a real figure, Saint Nicholas, a 4th century monk in what is now Turkey, who is famous for his kindness. It's said that he gave away his wealth to help children and the poor.
He believed in, in helping others and doing it secretly, secret giving.
Tim Connaghan, who plays Santa in movies and TV, has studied the evolution of Saint Nicholas from monk to myth. Nicholas was a bishop by the time he died around 350 AD, he was later canonized as a saint and became a revered symbol of generosity throughout Europe and beyond.
There were so many churches, cathedrals and religious locations named after Nicholas. It was a very remarkable thing. The Greek adopted him as a patron saint. The Russians adopted him as a patron saint.
The date of Nicholas' death, December 6th, was honored every year with a popular feast. But in 12th century France, the celebration took on a new twist that quickly became part of the tradition.
Some French nuns decide one year, bake some little treats, go by all the homes, put treats in the shoes of the little children and tell them that Nicholas brought them for being good. And over the next hundred, two hundred years, more people pick up on this idea of giving something to the children.
Because of the proximity of his feast day to Christmas. Saint Nicholas gradually became associated with the holiday as did the notion of a phantom gift giver who doled out rewards to the worthy.
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New Words:
bombard: (v.) To attack with bombs, shells, or missiles. 炮擊
embellishment: (n.) The act of embellishing or the state of being embellished. 裝飾
canonize: (v.) To declare (a deceased person) to be a saint and entitled to be fully honored as such. 宣布為圣徒
proximity: (n.) The state, quality, sense, or fact of being near or next; closeness 接近