你是否注意到，Merry Christmas 经常被简写为Merry Xmas？
Christmas=Xmas，这是为什么呢？
有人说，这是要让圣诞节世俗化，去除当中的“Christ”（基督）以及与之相关的基督教传统和意义。
但这个说法站不住脚。
因为Xmas不是现代才有的拼法，早在公元1100年， X就一直被用来代表 Christ，比如当时 Christianity （基督教）就写成 Xianity ，后又进一步缩略为 Xnty 。
百年前的圣诞节广告
况且，Christmas中除了Christ，mas也大有宗教意味。
Christmas其实是 Christ ’ s Mass （基督的弥撒）的缩写。
其中，Christ来自 Jesus Christ（耶稣基督），Christ并不是Jesus的姓氏，而是基督教对耶稣的专称（或者说头衔），意指上帝所差遣的救世主，原本叫Jesus the Christ，后来简称Jesus Christ。
而Mass也是一个宗教术语，指天主教的圣体圣事仪式，汉语一般译为“弥撒”。（天主教是基督教的一个分支）
把Christmas缩写成Xmas，其实是因为圣经《新约》最初是用希腊语写成的，而Christ在古希腊语中原本就写作Χριστός ，首字母chi写法和英语字母表中的X相似。
同时，一些人也认为 X正好象征十字架。
换句话说，Xmas的写法最初就有宗教寓意，X和mas（由Mass简化而来）本身都是宗教意味很强的符号。
现代人英语用Xmas 替代Christmas，大多还是因为写推文等有字符限制，写圣诞贺卡或报纸大字标题等需要节省篇幅而已，这些额外加强人们使用 Xmas 的动机。
不可否认的是，Christ和X的在发音上也有一定的相似性，这也符合现代人简写的原则，比如以前我们见过的“XOXO”中X代表Kiss。
对了，Xmas可读作/'krisməs/，也可读作/'eksməs/。
老规矩，最后一起来读篇四六级/考研难度的文章：
from BBC
There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, and some British people like to go on holiday, go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. But most people's idea of a traditional Christmas involves spending a few days with their family - sometimes their extended family.
庆祝圣诞节的方式有很多，有些英国人喜欢度假，去餐馆吃午餐，或者和朋友一起度过这一天。但大多数人对传统圣诞节的想法是与家人在一起，有时甚至与大家庭在一起。
高考 四级 考研holiday /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/即可表示“假期，休假日”a time of rest from work, school etc，也可以指“法定假日，公共假日”a day fixed by law on which people do not have to go to work or school ，也可以指“出外度假时期”a period of time when you travel to another place for pleasure【常见搭配go on holiday】相当于go on vacation，take a vacation【词源】欧美历史上的假日基本上都来自宗教节日。holiday 其实就是由 holy day （神圣的日子）组合而成，后来holiday的词义逐渐扩大，到了14世纪 holiday 也指一般休息日，直至最后其宗教色彩消失为止。【近义词辨析】holiday, leave, vacation, festival这组词都有“假日，节日”的意思，但有所区别：holiday: 指按规定不工作的各种假日，时间可长可短。在英国复数形式表示较长的假期。leave: 主要指政府机关工作人员或军队人员获准的休假、假期。vacation: 通常指时间较长的假期，如学校的寒暑假等。festival: 指公众庆祝、欢度的节日。四级 考研 雅思 托福 专四 专八involve /ɪnˈvɒlv/包含；需要if an activity or situation involves something, that thing is part of it or a result of it 【involve doing sth】Running your own business usually involves working long hours.自己经营企业往往要经常加班。 托福 考研extended /ɪkˈstendɪd/延长了的；扩展了的made longer or biggerextended family：（几代同堂的）大家庭a family unit which includes grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles, etc. in addition to parents and children【近义表达】big family，kinship familyThe day is the most exciting for the children. They may have spent weeks or even months dreaming of the presents they want most. Since the beginning of December, they may have opened their advent calendars, finding a new festive picture, chocolate, or small gift, to count down each day until 25th December.
这一天对孩子们来说是最激动人心的。他们可能已经花了几个星期甚至几个月的时间梦见自己最想要的礼物。从12月初开始，他们可能会打开日历，找到新的节日图片，巧克力或小礼物，每天倒计时直到12月25日。
考研 雅思 托福 SAT GRE 专八advent /ˈædvent/ n.①某事物的出现（到来）the advent of something written the time when something first begins to be widely used【比如】the advent of the computer计算机的问世② 降临节（基督教中圣诞节前的四个星期）the period of four weeks before Christmas in the Christian religion【词源】根据基督教的教义，耶稣基督一共两次降临世界，第一次是诞生之时，以自己的生命为人类赎罪。第二次是在世界末日来临之前，他将再度降临世界。为了纪念耶稣基督的降临，在圣诞节前四个星期，从第一个周日到圣诞夜，基督教徒将这段时间称为 “耶稣降临节”（Advent），用于筹备庆祝耶稣的降临。advent来自拉丁语 adventus ，由 ad （ to ）+ venire （ come ）组合演变而成。后来，该词逐渐应用与其他领域，用来表示不同寻常的人或事物的来临或发生。英语单词 adventure（冒险）与此同源，来自拉丁语 adventurus ，是 adventus的未来式，本意是“即将发生的事情，运气”。拓展词汇count down (to sth)倒计时to think about a future event with pleasure or excitement and count the minutes, days, etc. until it happens【例句】Zuijie's already counting down to the big day.最姐已经在为这一重大日子倒计时了。 On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, as well as a carrot for those hungry reindeer.
在平安夜，他们会挂上长筒袜，准备给圣诞老人装满礼物。通常会留下一块肉馅饼和一杯雪利酒作为感谢礼物，还会为那些饥饿的驯鹿准备一根胡萝卜。
Christmas Day itself will be spent eating lots of goodies, opening presents from loved ones, which have been waiting under the Christmas tree, and for most adults, drinking plenty of booze.
圣诞节当天，人们会吃很多好吃的东西，打开一直放在圣诞树下的来自亲人的礼物，对大多数成年人来说，还会喝很多酒。
专八词汇goody/ˈɡʊdi/①n.吸引人的东西；合意的东西；（常指）好吃的东西an object which people want or enjoy, often something nice to eat【例句】Zuijie gave each of the children a goody at snack time.点心时间，最姐分给每个孩子一份好吃的东西。②n.（尤指电影或故事中的）好人，正面人物someone, especially in a film or story, who is good【例句】It's sometimes difficult to tell who are the goodies and who are the baddies.好人和坏人有时很难分清。③int.（表示快乐）好哇，太好了 informal or child's word, used to show pleasure【例句】Oh goody! Chocolate cake. 嘿，太好了！巧克力蛋糕。 专八词汇booze/buːz/ 作动词，指“喝酒”to drink alcohol【例句】Have you been out boozing again? 你是不是又出去喝酒了？作名词，指“酒”（非正式）alcoholic drink【比如】a bottle of booze一瓶酒【on the booze喝酒】 Zuijie’s been on the booze for five days.最姐开怀痛饮了五天。【off the booze戒酒】Zuijie is now off the boozeand she is a different person.最姐现在戒了酒，像换了个人似的。【近义表达】binge drinking，drink like a fishA Christmas lunch of roast turkey with all the trimmings is the main event, complete with crackers, and paper party hats. The meal will finish off with Christmas pudding, a steamed fruit pudding.
最主要的活动是烤火鸡的圣诞午餐，配有各种装饰，包括鞭炮和纸做的派对帽。这顿饭将以圣诞布丁（一种蒸果布丁）结束。
四级 考研 雅思 托福 专四 专八trimming：/ˈtrɪm.ɪŋ/ ① 镶边饰物；花边(a piece of) decorative material added around the edge of something【例句】Zuijie wore my red jacket with the black trim. 最姐穿着我那件镶着黑边的红色夹克。②配饰；装饰品extra things which complete or improve the appearance of something【例句】a big wedding celebration with all the trimmings 布置着各种各样装饰物的盛大婚礼【近义表达】arrangement，decoration， sorting For some, a church service, or the Queen's speech on television will be part of the family custom. For most, the afternoon and evening will be spent playing board games, or perhaps watching a family film on TV.
对一些人来说，教堂礼拜或看女王在电视上发表演讲是家庭习俗的一部分。对大多数人来说，下午和晚上会玩棋盘游戏，或者通过电视看家庭电影。
After the excitement of the big day, most families are happy to spend Boxing Day quietly enjoying their presents, and eating the Christmas leftovers, for example a turkey curry.
兴奋的一天过后，大多数家庭都很开心地度过节礼日，静静地享受他们的礼物，吃圣诞剩菜，比如火鸡咖喱。
Then we can all forget about Christmas until next year… well until next September.
然后就可以忘记圣诞节直到明年……好吧，直到明年9月。
雅思 专四 专八curry /ˈkʌri/① n.咖喱食品a type of food from India, consisting of meat or vegetables in a spicy sauce【比如】 chicken curry咖喱鸡②v.讨好，奉承，拍马屁（含贬义）to try to get sb to like or support you by praising or helping them a lot【curry favor with sb】He is trying to curry favor with the voters by promising a tax cut if he's elected.他在尽力讨好选民，承诺如果当选将减少税收。【词源】①印度南部的泰米尔语 kari ，是当地人对这种酱料的，也叫做masala，如masala chicken② 来自古法语 correier，准备，整理，给马刷毛。