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PanoramaChristmasisafestivalforthecelebrationofNativitybyChristianity.However,no—oneknowstheexactdateonwhichJesuswasborn.HistorianshavediscoveredaIineinacalendarusedbyChristiansinRome，whichstatesonthepageofDecember25th354A.D.：”JesuswasborninBethlehem.”Anoth—erstatementsaysthatthe25thDecemberisthebirthdateofMithras，anancientPersianGod.1tisalsothedateofthewintersolsticeintheRomancalendar,adaywhenworship—ersofMithrashopeforagoodspringandfortherevivalofalIonEarth.Therefore.theCatholicChurchsetthedateforChristmastobethe2SthDecember.Althoughthemajor—ityofchurchesacceptedthisdate，insomeIocalchurchesthedateisvariedduetothedifferentcalendars.Yuletidewastheperiodbetweenthe24thDecemberandthe6thJanuary,andiscelebratedbylocalchurchesaccordingly.ThefourSundaysbeforeChrist—masaretitledAdvent.OnthefirstAdvent，householdslightthefirstcandleonanAd—ventwreath，andtheremainingthreearelitonthefollowingthreeAdventsinorder.The亓fthandIastcandleisIitonChristmasEve.IntheFarEast，themostelaboratetradition—alfestivalistheSpringFestival，thefirstdayoftheyearaccordingtotheChineselunarcalendar.Thenextdayisthebeginningofanewspringandsymbolizesthearrivalofanotheryear.Itisalsoaholidaytobidfare—welItotheoldandwelcomelntheNewYear.Therearealwaysmanynewhopesforthefuture.Accordingtohistoricrecords，thehis—toryoftheSpringFestivaldatesbackoverfourthousandyears.backtoYuandShun—twolegendarymonarchsofancientChina.ItissaidthatJesuswasbornatnight，thusformany,theChristmascelebrationsstartfromtheeveningofthe24thDecemberandreachtheirpeakatmidnight.PeopletakepartinmanyactivitiesonChristmasEve—goingtopubs，discosandclubs；somefamiliesmayhaveaspecialmealandthensitdownaroundaraginglogfire，playinggames，singinghymns，orjustenjoyingbe—ingtogetherwiththeirfamilies.ManyChris—tiansattendtheMidnightMassinchurchtocommemoratethebirthofJesus.Alsopopu—laristhere—creationofsmallmangerscenesinhouses.AtChristmas，oneofthemosten—joyableactivitiesisChristmasWaits，whichissupposedoriginallytorepresenthowtheangelsspreadthemessageofthebirthofJesustotheshepherdsoutsideBethlehem.Manygroupsoffestivewell—wishers，fromchurchchoirgroupsdowntolittlegroupsofschoolfriends，gofrOmhouse—to—housetosingChristmascarols，withthehouseOCCU—pantsoccasionallyjoiningin.Asmalldona—tionisusuallyexpected.Traditionally,whenthechoirhadfinishedtheirsong，thehostwouldhaveescortedthemintohisorherhouseandtreatedthemwithcakeandtea.Afterthiswelcomerefreshment，thechoirwouldhaveleftandcontinuedtheirsingingoutsidethenexthouse.onChIneseNewYear。sEve.thereisaCUS—tomforpeopletooftenstayupuntilaftermidnight.Suchacustomsignifiesthenos—talgiafortheyearpassedby,aswellastheexpectationsfortheapproachingyear.OnChineseNewYear’sEve，therearethreema—jorfestivities：afamilyreuniondinner,an—cestorworshipandstayingupuntillateatnight.Butthemostexcitingofallistheset—tingoffoffirecrackersallnight.Atmidnight，peoplesetofffirecrackersinfrontoftheirhouse，whichistraditionallynamed”qiangsui”(1iterallytranslatedas”catchinguptheage”)Itissaidthattheclosertomidnightahouseholdfiresoffafirecracker,theearliertheywilltheyembracethespring，indicatingprosperityandsuccessforthewholefamily.ThesefirecrackersaremeantsymbolicallytobeatawayalIdiseasesanddisasters.DinnerSimilartoChinesepeoplewhohaveafamilydinnerduringSpringFestival，thetraditionalChristmasDaydinnerisoneofthefocalpointsofChristmas.Thewholefamilysitsdowntoroastturkey,atraditionwhichstartedin1620intheUnitedStates.InGreatBritain，thefeasthastraditionallybeenofroastedgoose，insteadofturkey.AustrianslovetohaveadinnerpartywithalltheirfamilymembersandfriendsinarestaurantonChristmasEve，whereturkey,friedchicken，beefhamandgoodwinewilIalwaysbefoundinabundanceontheChristmasspread.InChina，themostexcitingmomentonChi—neseNewY仑ar‘sEveiswhenthehouseholdhasafamilyfeast.Withplatesofdeliciousfoodonthetable，thereunitedfamilymem—berssitandenjoythemselves，talkingandeating—formanyaChinesepersonthisoc··casionisthehighlightoftheyear.TherearesomanycustomsforNewYear’sEvefeastsinChina，allvaryingfromoneplacetoanothe~butdumplings，wonton，longnoodlesorricegluebalIsaresomeofthemostcommon.