新西兰英语 227 Christmas in New Zealand

　　The weeks leading up to Christmas are a busy time for most New Zealanders. We celebrate the end of the school year with concerts or prize giving ceremonies. There are office parties too to celebrate the end of year with work mates². Anyone who belongs to a club – a bridge club, golf club or a choir³ – also celebrates the end of the year with a dinner or a pot luck where everyone brings some food. Sometimes we are asked to bring a plate for an afternoon tea and that means bring some food on a plate!
Most New Zealanders also send Christmas cards to friends at this time of year. Usually people write a message in the card about the year: what the family members have done, who has graduated, got a new job, got married, had a baby or travelled. People are also busy shopping in the weeks before Christmas, buying gifts for family and friends. Post Shops are busy places too as people post gifts overseas or to other parts of New Zealand.
Traditionally, families buy a branch of a pine tree and put it in a bucket or a stand, then decorate it. Most Christmas trees have coloured lights on them too. Some children hang up a stocking for Santa to fill on Christmas Eve. Young children like to visit Santa in a Mall or a shop and tell him what they want for Christmas. While children around the age of eight usually guess that Santa is really their parents, most children like to keep the secret from their younger brothers and sisters.
Of course Christmas is the time for Christians⁴ to remember the birth of Christ¹. Many churches have a service at midnight on Christmas Eve and family services on Christmas Day. Some people who do not go to church regularly, still like to attend a Christmas service. Christmas carols are popular both in and out of church. The most well known carol is ‘Silent Night’.
The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand used to be a leg of lamb, new potatoes and garden peas followed by strawberries and pavlova. Roast turkey has replaced lamb in many households. A barbecue or picnic on the beach are also favourite ways to celebrate Christmas if it is a hot day.
However, the most important thing about Christmas for most New Zealanders is that it is a time for families and friends to get together. It is quite common for sons and daughters who are living and working overseas or in other parts of New Zealand, to make a special effort to come home for Christmas. In this way it is like Asian New Year.

1 Christ   

n.基督，救世主，耶稣

参考例句：

• I regarded him as the Christ.我把他当作救世主。
• Christ preached that we should love each other.基督在布道中说人们应该互爱。

2 mates   

[英]伙伴( mate的名词复数 )； 同伴； （非正式）配偶； （熟练工人的）助手

参考例句：

• He's out boozing with his mates. 他和他的朋友们喝酒去了。
• They've been best mates since school. 他们从上学时期以来就是最要好的朋友。

3 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

4 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。