卡茨家庭的圣诞节

A Cutts Family Christmas

美国人怎样庆祝圣诞节？

What is Christmas like in the USA?

马太福音 1:18-25 (Chinese Standard (Simplified)

基督降生

18 耶稣基督的诞生是这样的：耶稣的母亲玛丽亚已经许配给约瑟，在他们成婚[a]以前，玛丽亚就由圣灵怀了孕。 19 她的丈夫约瑟是个义人，不愿意公开羞辱她，想要暗中把她休了。

20 约瑟思考这些事以后，忽然主的一位天使在约瑟梦中显现，说："大卫的后裔约瑟，不要怕迎娶玛丽亚做你的妻子，因为她里面所怀的是由圣灵而来的。 21 玛丽亚将要生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫耶稣，因为他将要把自己的子民从他们的罪孽中拯救出来。"

22 不过这整个事的发生，是为要应验主藉着先知所说的话：23 "看哪，那童贞女要怀孕，她要生一个儿子，人们将称他的名为以马内利。""以马内利"翻译出来就是"神与我们同在"。

24 约瑟从梦中醒过来，就依照主的天使所吩咐他的去做，把他的妻子迎娶过来， 25 只是在她生儿子[c]以前，一直没有与她同房。约瑟给孩子起名叫耶稣。

Matthew 1:18-25 New International Version

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

我们的家庭圣诞节

Our Family Christmas

Baby Jesus is born in a barn , but had all the animals come to worship him in our Bethlehem scene.

婴儿诞生在一个牲畜棚里，

我摆放这些动物来设置一个当时伯利恒的场景

The baby was born in a barn, but I had all the animals come to worship him in our Bethlehem scene.

你们有的人曾经问过我美国人是怎样庆祝圣诞节的，跟中国相比有什么不同。既然我今年拍了不少过圣诞节的照片，我就想跟大家一起分享我们家庭过圣诞的传统吧。圣诞节在全世界都是一个神圣的节日，因为它是为了庆祝创世主的儿子诞生的节日。（参看上面附的经文）

Some of you have asked what Christmas in the USA is like compared with China. Since I have lots of pictures of our Christmas celebration this year posted on Pinterest, I thought I would share them with you and tell you something about our special traditions in our family. Christmas is a special holy holiday all over the world because it celebrates the birth of the son of the creator (see the verses above).

在中国没有任何官方认可的与宗教有关的节日，所以就算是圣诞节也没有庆祝的意义。在我们这里，圣诞老人、驼鹿、雪花、美妙的圣诞歌曲和赠送礼物都是圣诞节的特征。这是一个向世界表达爱和欢乐的节日，因为在这一天一个把我们从死亡和罪恶中拯救出来的主诞生了。

China does not have any official holy holidays, so even Christmas there makes no mention of the reason for the day. Here Santa Claus, reindeers, and snow are also featured along with wonderful Christmas songs and gifts to give. The merchants here and in China love to sell Christmas gifts. But there is a better reason for the season. It is a time to show love and joy to the world, because the one who will save us from death and our own evil has been born.

圣诞平安夜

Christmas Eve

圣诞树上的装饰
Chrismon Tree symbols

圣诞平安夜我去参加了社区一个团体活动，大家欢唱圣诞颂歌，举行了圣诞特别的庆祝仪式。整座建筑都点缀着各种圣诞的神圣的装饰品。室内每排座椅旁都摆上了美丽的蜡烛。在仪式结束的时候，我们都点燃蜡烛，高举着唱"平安夜"的颂歌。

I went to a fellowship meeting on Christmas Eve to sing Christmas Carols and take a special rite with all the others there that night. The building was decorated with Christmas trees with holy symbols on them. The room was full of candles on each row of seats. At the end of the service we all lit candles and raised them high to sing the Christmas song

Silent Night.

很多家庭带着孩子全家一起参加圣诞庆祝仪式。祖父母、父母亲都参加，室内没有空的座位。牧师穿着特别的袍子主持特别的仪式，为的是让大家都记住创世主那为了拯救世人而降生的儿子。

Whole families where there with their little children. Grandparents came as well as mothers and fathers. There were no empty seats in the place. The minister wore special clothes and did special things to remind us of the birth and death and coming to life again of the son of the creator.

我们家里的圣诞树

Our Home Christmas Tree

我们的圣诞树
Our Christmas Tree

我们在家里也摆放了圣诞树，装饰着银色和金色的各种装饰品。在房子外面我们也装饰了彩色灯饰来欢迎客人。我把家庭圣诞信放在网上回赠给写信给我的人。

At home we have a Christmas tree with silver and gold decorations, and I put up lights outside our house to welcome guests. We also send out Christmas cards to our friends and relatives. I send a family Christmas letter online to people who write me.

我们给家庭每个成员都准备了礼物并包装好放在圣诞树下。孩子们会在拆开礼物前先晃一晃，试图猜测是什么礼物。

We wrap up gifts for everyone and put them under our Christmas tree. The kids like to shake them and try to guess what is in the packages before they get to open them.

当我还是孩子的时候，我们通常会去外面的山坡砍下一棵小松树搬回家来做圣诞树。通常我们都会觉得那是一种冒险的经历，还常常为了选哪一棵树而争辩。每次扛回家后都发现树太大了，因为在外面看起来树通常会显得小一些。

When I was a child on our family farm, we used to go out to the fields and cut down our own live Christmas tree to put in our house. It was always an adventure and an argument about which tree to select. Then when we got it inside, it was always too big since it looked smaller outside before we cut it.

赠送礼物

Gift Giving

我做了南瓜面包送给朋友，有的人会赠送象圣诞装饰品或卡片之类的小礼物。我的丈夫送给我各种餐馆的礼金卡，如麦当劳的。我中餐馆的朋友也送了他们参观的礼金卡给我，我平时教他们学习英语。过完圣诞节我有很多餐慢慢吃了。今年圣诞我们的儿子马修送给我们电子书籍。他感恩节时从加州回来跟我们团聚，所以圣诞没有回来。他通常和妻子辛迪去她父母家过圣诞。

I made pumpkin bread to give to my friends, but others give small gifts like Christmas decorations or gift cards. My husband gave me a lot of gift cards for McDonald's and other restaurants. That way we can enjoy a night out to eat together all year. My friends at the local Chinese restaurant also gave me gift cards to eat there. I will have plenty of meals after Christmas. Our son Matt gave us Chromebooks this Christmas. He came from California for Thanksgiving, so he did not come back for Christmas. He usually goes with his wife Cindy to his in-laws for Christmas

我们的大儿子罗斯和妻子瑞秋带着孩子们回来跟我们提前庆祝圣诞，然后他们去宾州孩子们的外公外婆家过圣诞。孩子们得到叔叔和婶婶送的魔幻积木。我们给他们送的是玩具、游戏、拼图和衣服。约西亚得到了一辆蜘蛛侠玩具滑板车，爱不释手。

Our older son Ross and his wife Rachel brought our grandchildren for an early Christmas before going to Pennsylvania to their other grandparents' home. They got magnetic blocks from Uncle Matt and Aunt Cindy. The grandkids of course got toys, games, puzzles, and clothes. Josiah got a Spiderman scooter he could hardly put down.

Josiah shares his Spiderman Scooter

约西亚和妹妹分享

他的滑板车

艾丽需要人帮助来一起玩拼图游戏。她三岁了，喜欢玩乐高游戏，和妈妈一起做菜，也喜欢书籍。

Ellie wanted help with her new puzzle. She is three years old and loves legos, cooking with Mom, and books.

Uncle Matt gave them magnetic wooden blocks

马修叔叔和辛迪婶婶送

的魔幻木头积木

Uncle Matt and Aunt Cindy gave them magnetic wooden blocks

艾丽在玩拼图

Ellie works a puzzle

姜饼房子

Gingerbread House

孙子孙女在装饰姜饼屋 The grandkids decorated this gingerbread house.
我们今年最有意思的是和外孙们装饰姜饼房子。他们喜欢添手指头上的甜酱。姜房子是用黏糊糊的甜酱粘起来的，各种糖果也是用甜酱粘在房子上做装饰。不幸的是，房顶第二天就滑倒下来了。孩子们以为也许老鼠想溜进去导致屋顶倒塌，我们顺便就教给他们地球重心引力的知识。

The most fun we had this year was decorating a gingerbread house with our grandchildren. They loved to lick the icing off their fingers. The house is held together with the sticky icing, and candy is also "glued" to the house with it. Unfortunately, the roof slid off over night. The kids thought maybe a mouse wanted to get inside, but we taught them about gravity.

我们今年最有意思的是和外孙们装饰姜饼房子。他们喜欢添手指头上的甜酱。姜房子是用黏糊糊的甜酱粘起来的，各种糖果也是用甜酱粘在房子上做装饰。不幸的是，房顶第二天就滑倒下来了。孩子们以为也许老鼠想溜进去导致屋顶倒塌，我们顺便就教给他们地球重心引力的知识。

We don't set off firecrackers as Chinese do. That is reserved for New Years. We did have snow this year, but not enough to cause dangerous roads.

我将要去中国过春节

Coming to China For Chinese New Year

钦州市第一中学学生
Qinzhou No. 1 High School Students

我将要去中国参加钦州一月六日举行的高中生学费助学金发放仪式。我们还将在钦州于一月十八日举行助学金学生的聚餐活动。欢迎任何以前或现在的大学助学金获得者参加。请在下午的五点半先到白豚酒店的大堂集中，然后我们步行到聚餐的餐馆。

I will come to China on January 6th for the Qinzhou tuition gathering of our high

school students. We are also planning a scholarship dinner on the 18th of January in Qinzhou. Any former or present college scholarship student is welcomed and should come to the lobby of the White Dolphin Hotel at 5:30 pm. We will walk together to a nearby restaurant.

我一月二十日去阳朔，并于二十一日举行大学助学金获得者聚餐活动。我预计会住在竹苑假日酒店，地址：541900 阳朔县城中路10号。请以前或现在的大学生助学金获得者下午五点半在酒店大堂集中。

I will go to Yangshuo on the 20st of January and have a scholarship dinner there on the 21st. I expect to stay at the Bamboo House Resort, No.10 Chengzhong Road, Yangshuo County, 541900. Present and alumni college scholarship students can come to the lobby at 5:30 pm.

从阳朔我将前往南宁，然后乘飞机去昆明看望我们在那里的资助项目。我计划在贵州和我们资助的布依族学生过春节。安龙的学生将在二月四日在安龙高中聚会。任何那个地区的大学助学金获得者可以联系南希（黄女士）来了解当天的日程安排。我们希望能看到在当地的小学安装一个净水设备。

From Yangshuo I will go to Nanning and then on to Kunming by plane to see our projects there. I plan to spend Chinese New Year in Guizhou with our Buyi minority students. The Anlong students will gather on Tuesday, February 4th at Anlong High School. Any Blessing Hands college scholarship students in that area can contact Mrs. Nancy Huang about her plans for that day. We also hope to see a water purifier installed at a primary school.

王岭学 Lin Wang School

我将于二月七日回到南宁然后计划在十一日返回美国之前去看望都安瑶族地区学校的孩子们。

I will be back in Nanning on February 7th and plan to go to the Du'an Yao minority schools before leaving for the USA on the 11th. During that time I hope to see my friends who have been visiting scholars at Morehead State University over the years.

小学生住的离学校很近，他们可以回到学校来跟我见面并领取学习用品。我们将会在都安瑶族地区增加两个小学/幼儿园，资助孩子们的学习用品。我希望能去看望韦森宝，并拍下他脖子做手术后的照片。

Some of the students will be on holiday, but some at the primary school students live close enough to come to greet me and get school supplies. We will be supporting two more primary/kindergarten schools in the Du'an mountains for school supplies. I hope to see Wei Senbao and get pictures of him after his operation on his neck.

我衷心送上中美节日的祝福。这是家庭团聚和享受美食的时刻。如果在年底之前你希望给我们"祝福之手"的孩子送上一份礼物，请点击这个捐赠按钮，这个贝宝捐赠在美国和中国都可用。

Blessing to all of you on these wonderful holidays both in China and the USA. They are times for family and good food. If you have a gift to give our kids

before the end of the year, the Paypal donate button works in China or the USA. .

Betty Cutts 贝蒂卡茨

For Blessing Hands "祝福之手"

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