放在袜子内。在西方，扮演圣诞老人也是一种习俗。

Christmas,annualChristianholidaycommemoratingthebirthofJesusChrist.MostmembersoftheRomanCatholicChurchandfollowersofProtestantismcelebrateChristmasonDecember25,andmanycelebrateontheeveningofDecember24aswell.MembersoftheEasternOrthodoxChurchusuallydelaytheirmostimportantseasonalceremoniesuntilJanuary6,whentheycelebrateEpiphany,acommemorationofthebaptismofJesus.EpiphanyalsotraditionallycommemoratesthearrivaloftheThreeWiseMenoftheEastinBethlehem(nearJerusalem,Israel),wheretheyadoredtheinfantJesusandpresentedhimwithgiftsofgold,frankincense,andmyrrh.TheofficialChristmasseason,popularlyknownaseitherChristmastideortheTwelveDaysofChristmas,extendsfromtheanniversaryofChrist’sbirthonDecember25tothefeastofEpiphanyonJanuary6.

ChristmasisbasedonthestoryofJesus’birthasdescribedintheGospelaccordingtoMatthew(seeMatthew1:18-2:12)andtheGospelaccordingtoLuke(seeLuke1:26-56).RomanCatholicsfirstcelebratedChristmas,thenknownastheFeastoftheNativity,asearlyas336ad.ThewordChristmasenteredtheEnglishlanguagesometimearound1050astheOldEnglishphraseChristesmaesse,meaning“festivalofChrist.”ScholarsbelievethefrequentlyusedshortenedformofChristmas—Xmas—mayhavecomeintouseinthe13thcentury.TheXstandsfortheGreekletterchi,anabbreviationofKhristos(Christ),andalsorepresentsthecrossonwhichJesuswascrucified.