1，Christmas trees & cards
The tradition of having a pine tree as a Christmas Tree is believed to come from Germany. Since the medieval time, lighting a candle on a tree is common to welcome guests. Such practice has evolved into the Christmas celebration.The formal Christmas Tree was introduced to England about 100 years ago when Queen Victoria married German Albert. The evidence of Victoria's love for Albert is not only expressed through inheriting the German tradition of having a Christmas Tree but also through the goldAlbert Statuesthat Victoria had ordered built for Albert, standing in many places in London. In America, the Christmas Tree idea was brought by German immigrants too.
The custom of sending Christmas cards was initiated in England around 1850. The first cards were decorated with elaborate designs of flowers, birds and landscapes.
2，Christmas celebrations
Cultural celebrations of Christmas include glittering light displays, the ever-present jolly oldSanta Claus（聖誕老人）, group celebrations and singing calledcarolling（聖誕頌歌）, baked holiday cookies and cakes, decorations ofmistletoe（槲寄生，裝飾性植物）and pine wreaths, lighted, ornamented Christmas trees with wrapped presents displayed underneath. The spirit of Christmas at its heart is a festival to celebrate family, love, gratitude to others and giving presents to show appreciation to friends and loved ones.
In Europe, typically, family and friends gather together on Christmas Eve, on Dec 24, for a big turkeydinner, completed with Christmas pudding (a rich cake with brandy source). Everyone shares their stories of the year or brings a newsletter to read out for what has happened during the past year. Games are played after the dinner. On Christmas day, Dec 25, abrunch with family is the norm, followed by some light sporting events, such as a countrywalk, to digest the heavy food.
Dec 26 is called Boxing Day in the UK, which means everyone opens their box of presents - the most joyful day for the children. In the US, having just celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, Christmas Eve dinner is more likely to have ham on the menu with a heavy dessert. Dec 25, the Christmas Day is normally the day all the presents are opened.
3，傳說有個心地善良的沒落貴族，生活非常艱難。三個女兒快要出嫁了，他為沒有錢給她們買嫁妝而難過。喜慶的聖誕夜，三個姑娘早早地蜷在炕上睡覺了，剩下父親在長籲短嘆。聖誕老人決定幫助他們。他在他們家的煙囪裏撒下了許多金子，落進姑娘們烤在火爐旁的長統絲襪裏。從此，他們過上了幸福而快樂的生活……聖誕節的襪子就這樣產生
英語 It is said that there was a goodness man went broke his domain. He lived a hard life and he has three daughters. The three daughters were being married but he didn't have money to buy dower for his daughters. On the happy Chrismas Eve three girls went to bed early. They didn't know that their father was so worried. At last the Chrismas father decided to help them . He besprinkled gold through the stack and the gold fell into the socks of the man's daughters. They lived a happy life from then on... Chrismas socks was origined by this.