英文版圣诞节的来历，多一点。
The Originof Christmas
ItisafactthatDecember25wascelebratedforthousandsofyearsbeforethebirthoftheMessiahasthebirthdayofanancientpagangod--THESUNGOD!AlexanderHisloppointsoutthetruthintheseshockingwords--atleast,theyoughttobeshockingtoanybodywithaclear,undefiled,andconscientiousmind:
"Indeed,itisadmittedbythemostlearnedandcandidwritersofallpartiesthatthedayofourLord'sbirthcannotbedetermined,andthatwithintheChristianChurchnosuchfestivalasChristmaswaseverheardoftillthethirdcentury,andthatnottillthefourthcenturywasfaradvanceddiditgainmuchobservance.
How,then,didtheRomishChurchfixonDecemberthe25thasChristmas-day?
Why,thus:Longbeforethefourthcentury,andlongbeforetheChristianeraitself,afestivalwascelebratedamongtheheathen,atthatprecisetimeoftheyear,inhonourofthebirthofthesonoftheBabylonianqueenofheaven.
Itmayfairlybepresumedthat,inordertoconciliatetheheathen,andtoswellthenumberofthenominaladherentsofChristianity,theSAMEFESTIVALWASADOPTEDbytheRomanChurch,givingitonlythenameofChrist.
ThistendencyonthepartofChristianstoMEETPAGANISMHALF-WAYwasveryearlydeveloped....Uprightmenstrovetostemthetide,butinspiteofalltheirefforts,theapostasywenton,tilltheChurch,withtheexceptionofasmallremnant,wassubmergedunderPagansuperstition."
Hislopgoeson,
"ThatChristmaswasoriginallyaPaganfestival,isbeyondalldoubt.Thetimeoftheyear,andtheceremonieswithwhichitisstillcelebrated,proveitsorigin.InEgypt,thesonofIsis,theEgyptiantitleforthequeenofheaven,wasbornatthisverytime,'aboutthetimeofthewintersolstice.'
TheverynamebywhichChristmasispopularlyknownamongourselves--Yule-day--provesatonceitsPaganandBabylonianorigin.
'Yule'istheChaldeenameforan'infant'or'littlechild;'andasthe25thofDecemberwascalledbyourPaganAnglo-Saxonancestors,'Yule-day,'orthe"Child'sday,'andthenightthatprecededit,'Mother-night,'longBEFOREtheycameincontactwithChristianity,thatsufficientlyprovesitsrealcharacter."
