Podcast│Strange Christmas Customs (1)

Christmas is the grandest festival in western countries. Its importance is equivalent to that of China’s Spring Festival. So are there any different and interesting traditional customs on this important day in different countries?

Yīnɡɡuó：Shènɡdànlāpào

英国：圣诞拉炮

Britain: Christmas crackers

Shènɡdànlāpào shì yīnɡɡuórén qìnɡzhù Shènɡdàn shí bǐjiào xǐhuɑn wán de yí ɡè yóuxì。Xiànzài liúxínɡ de shènɡdànlāpào xínɡzhuànɡ rú tónɡ yí ɡè dà de shuíɡuǒtánɡ。

圣诞拉炮是英国人庆祝圣诞时比较喜欢玩的一个游戏。现在流行的圣诞拉炮形状如同一个大的水果糖。

The British like to play crackers when celebrating the Christmas Festival. Nowadays, the popular cracker looks like a big sweet. 

Liǎnɡ rén yì rén lā yì tóu，zhǐtǒnɡ duàn kāi shí fā chū xiǎo xiǎo de bàozhà shēnɡ，ná dào dà tóu de rén huòdé qízhōnɡ de xiǎo lǐwù。Yí dìnɡ hěn hǎo wán bɑ！

两人一人拉一头，纸筒断开时发出小小的爆炸声，拿到大头的人获得其中的小礼物。一定很好玩吧！

When it is pulled apart by two people, the cracker makes a bang. The one that keeps the longer part would get the little present contained. It must be great fun!

Rìběn ： Shènɡdàn Jié = Kěndéjī

日本：圣诞节=肯德基

Japan: Christmas = KFC

Rìběnrén jué dé Shènɡdàn Jié jiù xiànɡ Qínɡrén Jié yíyànɡ，yīncǐ qínɡlǚmen dōu xǐhuɑn zài nà tiān dào Kěndéjī chī zhàjī qìnɡzhù。

日本人觉得圣诞节就像情人节一样，因此情侣们都喜欢在那天到肯德基吃炸鸡庆祝。

In Japan, Christmas seems to be the Valentine’s Day. A couple prefers to eat fried chicken in KFC to celebrate the festival, 

Suóyǐ dào Shènɡdàn Jié de shíhou，Kěndéjī jiù huì jǐ mǎn rén，hái dé tíqián yùyuē ne！

所以到圣诞节的时候，肯德基就会挤满人，还得提前预约呢！

so the KFC restaurants across Japan would always be full of people on the Christmas Eve, and one even has to make a reservation in advance.

Hǎidì: zhuānɡ mǎn dàocǎo de xiézǐ

海地: 装满稻草的鞋子

 Haiti: a shoe full of straw

Zài Hǎidì de xiǎopénɡyoumen bìnɡ búshì yònɡ ɡuà zhe de wàzi lái shōuqǔ lǐwù，ér shì bǎ xiézǐ sāi mǎn dàocǎo hòu fànɡ dào Shènɡdànshù xià，zhè yànɡ Shènɡdàn lǎoɡōnɡɡonɡ jiù huì bǎ xiézǐ ná zǒu，rán hòu zài nà fànɡ shànɡ Shènɡdàn lǐwù lā！

在海地的小朋友们并不是用挂着的袜子来收取礼物，而是把鞋子塞满稻草后放到圣诞树下，这样圣诞老公公就会把鞋子拿走，然后在那放上圣诞礼物啦！

On the Christmas Eve, children in Haiti don’t hang a stocking for presents. Instead, they would put a shoe full of straw under the Christmas tree. Then the Santa Claus would take away the shoe, and leave the Christmas present there!

Yìdàlì：cǎisè nèikù

意大利：彩色内裤

Italy: colorful underwear

Yìdàlìrén zài Pínɡānyè huì chuān shànɡ ɡānjìnɡ de cǎisè nèikù，wèi le qíqiú lái nián shùnlì，zhùyì ò，yídìnɡ yào fēichánɡ ɡānjìnɡ cái yǒuxiào！Zhè hěn xiànɡ zhōnɡɡuórén wèi le yǒu hǎoyùn ér chuān hónɡnèikù de xísú！

意大利人在平安夜会穿上干净的彩色内裤，为了祈求来年顺利，注意哦，一定要非常干净才有效！这很像中国人为了有好运而穿红内裤的习俗！

In Italy, both men and women would wear clean and colorful underwear on the Christmas Eve to bring good luck for the year ahead. Those hoping to get really lucky should ensure the underwear is absolutely clean. It sounds like the custom of Chinese wearing red underwear for good luck.

Pútɑoyá：duō fànɡ zhuōyǐ

葡萄牙：多放桌椅

Portugal: put more chairs around the table

Zài Shènɡdàn Jié nà yì tiān，Pútɑoyárén de zǎocān cān zhuō biān shànɡ huì duō fànɡ yìxiē yǐzi lái jìniàn yǐjīnɡ ɡù qù de qīnrén，hǎo rànɡ tāmen de línɡhún yě nénɡ hé dàjiā yìqǐ qìnɡzhù jiérì。

在圣诞节那一天，葡萄牙人的早餐餐桌边上会多放一些椅子来纪念已经故去的亲人，好让他们的灵魂也能和大家一起庆祝节日。

On Christmas Day, the Portuguese would put more chairs around the table in memory of their deceased relatives when they have breakfast. In this way, they believe their ghosts are celebrating the festival together with them.

So, there are not only Christmas tress, the Santa Claus, and turkeys on Christmas. However, it is a festival full of people’s best wishes for their future. Christmas of this year is approaching. Have you got any good idea to celebrate the festival?

Key words

怪异（ɡuài yì ）-strange, 

圣诞（shènɡ dàn）-Christmas,

习俗（xí sú）-custom,

祝愿（zhù yuàn）-wish,

庆祝（qìnɡ zhù）-celebrate

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The article is translated and editted by Chinlingo. Please indicate the source for any use, reproduction or transfer. 

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