聖誕冷知識!

Are you ready for some Christmas trivia?

準備好挑戰關於聖誕節的冷知識大考驗了嗎？

Test you friends on these tidbits of Christmas knowledge. How many did you get right?

考考你朋友有關聖誕節的趣聞知識，你答對了幾題?

祝同學聖誕節快樂🎄🎁🎅

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1. Out of every 10 people, how many Americans celebrate Christmas?

美國人當中每十人有幾個慶祝聖誕節？

Answer: Nine in 10 Americans celebrate Christmas, according to a 2017 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, and around 55% consider it a religious holiday, while 33% think of it as more of a cultural celebration.

皮尤研究中心於2017年進行的一項調查顯示，十分之九的美國人慶祝聖誕節；大約55％的人將其視為宗教節日，而33％的人則將其視為一種文化慶祝活動。

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2. Has Christmas ever been illegal to celebrate?

慶祝聖誕節曾經是非法的嗎？

Yes. The Massachusetts-Bay Colony ordinance of 1659 made Christmas illegal to celebrate in that specific colony. The law was repealed in 1681. Christmas didn’t become a state holiday in Massachusetts until 1856, though.

沒錯。 1659年的馬薩諸塞州灣殖民地法令讓在那個殖民地慶祝聖誕節是非法的，該法律於1681年被廢止。聖誕節直到1856年才成為馬薩諸塞州的國定假日。

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3. How did red and green become Christmas colors?

紅和綠是如何成為聖誕節代表色？

We mostly have holly and Coca-Cola to thank for the rise of red and green as Christmas colors. Holly, obviously, has bright red berries and dark green leaves. It was used long ago by the ancient Celts for winter solstice celebrations as a symbol of protection and good luck. Coca-Cola’s role in making the colors a widespread combo for the holiday began in 1931 with ads featuring Santa Claus in a red and white suit surrounded by a green background and accents.

拜冬青樹和可口可樂所賜，紅色和綠色逐漸成為聖誕節的顏色。顯然地，冬青有鮮豔的紅色漿果和深綠色的葉子；古代凱爾特人很早以前就用它作為冬至慶祝活動，冬青有保護和好運的象徵。可口可樂讓這兩個顏色成為聖誕節廣為人知的組成則始於1931年，廣告中聖誕老人穿著紅色和白色的西裝，周圍環繞著綠色背景和符號點綴。

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4. True or false: "Jingle Bells" was written to be a Christmas song.

「鈴兒響叮噹」是為了聖誕節而寫的對嗎？

False! The song wasn’t intended to be attached to the holiday. Some historical reports say it was first performed at a Thanksgiving church service. In any case, the lyrics don’t mention any holiday at all.

錯！這首歌當初和這節日沒有關聯。有歷史報導說這首歌第一次是在感恩節教堂第一次被表演。總之，歌詞當中根本沒有提到任何節日。

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5. How many Americans use artificial Christmas trees?

多少美國人會用人造聖誕樹？

A survey conducted by Nielsen for the American Christmas Tree Association found that nearly 94 million U.S. households will display a Christmas tree this year. Of those, 85 percent are artificial.

尼爾森為美國聖誕樹協會所做的一項調查發現，今年有將近9,400萬的美國家庭展示聖誕樹，其中85％是人造的。

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6. How much do Americans spend on holiday shopping?

美國人在聖誕節會花多少錢買東西？

The National Retail Federation reports that Americans plan to spend an average of about $998 this year on holiday shopping. That’s down from last year’s average of around $1,048.

全美零售聯合會指出，美國人預計在這個聖誕節平均花費大約998美元消費，相較去年的平均值1,048美元有所下滑。

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7. True or false: People no longer send out Christmas cards.

人們不再寄聖誕卡片了對嗎？

False! The rate of sending any greeting card has gone down over the years, but this year especially, people are sending holiday cards as a way to connect with others during the pandemic.

錯！這些年來發賀卡的速度不斷下降，但特別是在今年，為了在流行病期間與他人聯繫，人們會發送節日賀卡。

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8. What's the most popular Christmas song of all time?

歷史上最受歡迎的聖誕節歌曲為何？

Answer: The most recorded Christmas song of all time is "Silent Night," according to Time, whereas "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single.

答：根據《時代》雜誌，有史以來錄製最多次的聖誕節歌曲是《寂靜的夜晚》，而Bing Crosby的《白色聖誕節》則維持吉尼斯世界紀錄的最高銷量。

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9. Why do we hang Christmas stockings?

為什麼我們要掛聖誕襪？

Answer: The tradition came about thanks to a legend that states the generous Turkish bishop St. Nicholas helped a set of three poor sisters avoid a life of indentured servitude by paying for their dowries. For three nights, the bishop threw gold down their chimney, which landed in their stockings hung by their fireplace to dry. Now we carry on the tradition by hanging stockings to fill with gifts and small treats.

答：這個傳統來自於一個傳奇。故事說道，慷慨的土耳其主教聖尼古拉斯支付嫁妝幫助一組可憐的三個姐妹免除奴役。主教把煙囪裡的金子扔了下來共三晚，而金子掉入壁爐旁掛著的長襪中晾乾了。現在，我們透過掛襪子來放禮物和小點心來延續傳統。

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10. True or false: There was once a real-life Santa Claus.

現實生活中曾有聖誕老人對嗎？

Answer: True! The Christian bishop Saint Nicholas was the inspiration behind the jolly man we all know and love. St. Nicholas, a generous, gift-gifting clergyman, lived in modern day Turkey and devoted his life to helping the poor, according to Biography.

答：沒錯！基督教主教聖尼古拉是我們大家都知道並且喜歡的歡樂男人（聖誕老人）背後的靈感來源。根據傳記，聖尼古拉斯是一位慷慨、會送禮的神職人員，住在現代土耳其，一生致力於幫助窮人。

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Bonus Question: Can you still say Merry Christmas?

I will leave this question to you.

你還能再說「聖誕快樂」嗎？還是要講別的說法? 這問題的答案留給你好好思考。

社論:
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/using-merry-christmas-or-happy-holidays-no-longer-about-putting-ncna1106181

https://this.deakin.edu.au/society/are-we-allowed-to-say-merry-christmas-anymore

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/merry-christmas-happy-holidays-war-on-christmas-20191211.html

https://www.history.com/news/the-war-of-words-behind-happy-holidays

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資料來源:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/entertaining/holidays-celebrations/a35016633/christmas-trivia/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g2972/surprising-christmas-facts/

圖片來源:
https://icebreakerideas.com/christmas-trivia/

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生活美語: https://bit.ly/2H42k8T

批判性思考問題大全: http://bit.ly/34rdtJ7

1.雪絨花/美國 2. 藍色多瑙河/美國電影3.伏爾加船夫曲/俄羅斯 4.拉網小調/日本 5.拉茲之歌/印度 6.紅河谷/加拿大 7.鈴兒響叮噹/美國 8.草帽歌