Christmas is to England what spring festival is to China. It is a time for family, for reunion, and for a communal sense of togetherness but for an international student far from family and new to British culture the question arises; how can they be a part of this?

圣诞节在英国类似中国的春节一样重要。是个象征家庭团聚的节日。问题来了，对于一个远离家人、刚刚接触英国文化的留学生来说，如何融入圣诞氛围呢?

Christmas is a very enjoyable time for those taking part but for many Chinese students it is just simply another day. To not truly experience Christmas whilst studying in UK is too miss out on a vital chance to experience British culture and community at its best so here is a short guide on how Chinese students can make the most of the festive period whilst in England.

圣诞节对于当地人来说是炒鸡有趣的，但是对于很多中国学生来说就只不过是另一个再普通不过的日子。如果在英国学习期间不真正体验原汁原味的圣诞节的话，那你可就真错过了一个体验英国文化、融入英伦社群的最好机会。所以这篇文章将会告诉大家如何在英国最大限度利用好这个假期。

The Events 推荐活动：

Events leading up to Christmas can be incredibly varied and differ depending on region so it is advised you check out your local news sites or university pages to see what’s going on around you. So here is a list of events and activities that can be found in most places and are definitely worth giving a try to get you into the festive spirit:

英国各个地区圣诞节前后的活动都会有非常大的不同。如果你想了解周围都有什么活动，当地的新闻站点或者是学校的网站都是提供此类信息的最好选择。接下来的项目各地都能找到，是融入圣诞万万不能错过的哦!

.Dry slope skiing - nothing is more festive than getting wrapped up in your warmest clothes to slip down snowy slopes for a couple of hours, but in the UK we have a very British alternative due to our lack of snow! Dry slope skiing is indoors and facilities can be found throughout the UK. Whether you have skied before or are completely new take a friend or 10 for a fun day out.

——旱坡滑雪，地道英伦风

在寒冷的冬日裹着厚厚的衣服驰骋雪场自然是最有节日氛围的事，不过因为英国降雪并不充足，人们开发了一个更加英伦的活动 – 旱坡滑雪。旱坡滑雪是室内运动，英国的很多地方都有旱坡滑雪场所。不管你有没有滑过雪，你都可以带上一堆好友到这里乐上一整天。

.Christmas market - Almost every town has a Christmas market but the size and content is as individual as the city itself! You can however be sure to find lots of delicious Christmas food and drink as well as beautiful hand crafts that make excellent gifts some of the larger markets even include fun fair rides. If you can find the time, London\'s winter wonderland is well worth a visit. It is one of the biggest and most exciting Christmas markets in the UK.

——圣诞集市

一般来说每个城镇都会有圣诞集市，但是集市的大小和内容都会有天壤之别!可以肯定的是，在各地的集市上你都一定能发现同样的圣诞美食以及可以作为完美伴手礼的各式各样的手工工艺品。特别值得一提的是，大型的圣诞集市还会有游乐场。如果你有时间的话，伦敦的冬季欢乐园(Winter Wonderland)绝对是圣诞的最佳去处。堪称全英国最大、最超值、最好玩的圣诞集市

.Volunteering - Christmas is time for giving so why not give your time to those less fortunate this holiday season? Many charities or organizations run Christmas events and would be very grateful to anyone who helps out. Look for charities or events such as Christmas meals for the homeless that are running near you. It’s a great way for international students to make friends with people from all backgrounds and can help you to get into the Christmas spirit.

——志愿活动

圣诞节是一个付出和给与的节日，那么这个假期为什么不把一些时间赠予那些不那么幸运的人呢?很多慈善机构都会在圣诞期间开展圣诞主题活动，他们会很感激能够在圣诞施予援手的人。有兴趣的话可以搜索周边的慈善机构或是发放圣诞大餐给流浪者的慈善活动。参与慈善活动不仅能够帮助学生认识到各种背景的人，也更能体会到圣诞的精神。

.Meet Santa - Who doesn\'t want a selfie with Santa? Get down to your local shopping centre and find Santa in his Christmas grotto.

——和圣诞老人巧遇?
会有人不想和圣诞老人来张自拍吗?到当地购物中心的圣诞洞穴和圣诞老人来个巧遇吧。

The food and drink 美食相关

Food and drink are a big part of Christmas in UK so make sure that you celebrate with a delicious Christmas dinner and snacks. Here are a few ideas on where you can get some and what’s good to eat.

丰盛的圣诞美食是这个节日十分重要的一部分，这个节日人们会准备各种美味的圣诞大餐。下面盘点圣诞特色美食以及好去处。

Where to eat 圣诞哪里吃

.Home cooking - invite some friends round and search for some recipes. Whether you want to go with a traditional roast turkey or a more modern twist you can find lots of information online or in recipe books.

——在家自己动手 ?
邀请三五好友并找些美食菜谱。不管你是想烹制传统火鸡大餐还是更潮流的现代美食，你都能在网上找到相应的美食菜谱。

.Restaurant - you\'ll need to book well in advance, but a top quality Christmas meal at your favorite restaurant can be a delicious way to experience British Christmas food.

——餐厅

毫无疑问，圣诞期间在餐厅用餐需要提前预定，不过也没关系啦，因为在你最爱的餐厅享用圣诞大餐一定能让你度过一个心情美味的圣诞。

.Host family - Many British families open their homes to international students at this time of year and it can be a wonderful opportunity to experience a true British Christmas with a family feel.

——寄宿家庭 ?
很多英国的家庭会在圣诞期间为国际学生提供临时住所，这也意味着学生能够在一个家庭的氛围下体验正宗的英式圣诞。

What to eat 吃什么?

. Classic - Roast turkey with stuffing, roast vegetables, potatoes, sprouts, gravy and a variety of sides followed by a traditional Christmas pudding

——经典美食

配有填料的烤火鸡，各种烤蔬菜，烤土豆，水煎甘蓝，还有各种美味的配餐，最后享用传统的圣诞布丁。

. Traditional - In the past Goose was a more popular option than turkey so to go for an \'England past\' themed meal try Roasted Goose instead of turkey with goose fat roasted potatoes, sprouts, parsnips and gravy.

——传统美食

在以前鹅是比火鸡更流行的食材，所以想要尝试古英伦主题大餐的话，选择烤鹅与鹅脂烤制的土豆、甘蓝、防风草再配以特调肉汁将是比火鸡更正宗的选择。

. Vegetarian - keep the sides the same but switch the meat for a nut roast or \'tofurkey\'(tofu turkey) for a healthy and delicious meat free meal. Vegetarian gravy and stuffing is easily found too so there\'s no need to miss out if you don\'t want the meat this year.

——素食

配菜和正常大餐一样，把主食的肉换成烤混合坚果团或者tofukey(素火鸡)是健康美味的素食大餐。蔬菜调配的“素肉汁”和填料在英国也是很常见的，所以即使是不愿吃肉的你也能找到心仪的料理。

. Modern - Modern interpretations of the Christmas meal vary hugely, from Spanish tapas to steak, as long as it’s special and tasty to you it can be a Christmas meal. Bacon wrapped ham or beef wellington are two popular options.

——现代版

现代的圣诞料理和传统的区别很大，从西班牙的餐前小食到牛排。不管是什么样的料理，只要它对你来说是特别的美味，它就可以作为圣诞大餐来享用。培根火腿卷或是惠灵顿牛肉是两道特别值得称道的选择。

. Desert - Christmas pudding, fruit cake, mince pies or Yule log, there’s a whole range of Christmas themed deserts in the UK and you can choose whichever suits you best.

——餐后甜点

不管是圣诞布丁、水果蛋糕、圣诞百果馅饼还是树根蛋糕，对于爱吃甜点的人，英国总有一款圣诞糕点适合你。

. Snacks - gingerbread, dried fruits, marzipan and chocolate liquors are all associated with Christmas. For those with less of a sweet tooth try a range of British cheeses or a selection of cold meats, all make for tasty and indulgent Christmas snacks.

——零食

小姜饼、英式果脯、杏仁蛋白软糖以及巧克力浆都是圣诞的特色小食。如果是不嗜甜食的人，不妨尝试一下英式奶酪，或者是精选冷盘肉，会给你意外的惊喜。

. Drinks - for those over 18 mulled wine and egg nog have long been the drinks of choice at Christmas, for those a little younger try some ginger \'wine\' or special Christmas juices.

——饮品

成年的同学在圣诞期间一定不能错过香料红酒热饮以及蛋奶酒，未成年的同学可以尝试一下姜汁酒或是圣诞特调果汁。

Traditions 圣诞传统

There are some traditions that make Christmas and for British people we can\'t do without. While each family and household has their own I will share some of the most common along with some from my family:

这些传统习俗是圣诞节的重要组成部分，对于英国人来说，哪里有圣诞，哪里就有这些习俗。每家每户也都有自己庆祝圣诞独特的方式。下面我会和大家分享一下在我家是怎样过圣诞的：

.Christmas tree - you\'ll find these in almost every British household and work place, they can be bought from most supermarkets or garden centers and are great fun to decorate. While you might not want to go through the hassle of buying a tree it is a great way to bring Christmas into your home and if you can decorate it with friends or roommates it’s a great way to bond. As well as baubles, decorate your tree with tinsel, a star and fairy lights.

圣诞树 – 基本上在每家每户甚至是每一个工作场所你都能找到圣诞树的存在。圣诞树可以在超市或者是花圃买到，装扮圣诞树是一件特别好玩的事。如果你不想折腾的话，

. Advent Calendar - Buy an advent calendar before the first of December and open a door every day until Christmas to find a small chocolate for each day. They general have a Christmas themed picture behind each door as well and are a great way to build excitement as well as let you know how close it is until the big day itself. On top of that the chocolates taste really good!

圣诞日历 – 圣诞日历一本是要在12月前准备就绪的，从12月1日起每天可以打开日历上的一扇小窗，里面都会有一小块美味的巧克力。一般来说每一天对应的小窗背后都会有圣诞主题的图片，在你每天清晨查看日历之后都会酝酿兴奋的情绪，因为你会知道圣诞就在眼前。除此之外，日历中的巧克力真的非常好吃!

. Reef - Buy or build a Christmas reef out of leaves, twigs or whatever else you like and put it on your front door to invite Christmas inside.

圣诞花环 – 直接购买或者用槲寄生叶子和冬青树嫩枝亲手打造自己的花环，然后将花环挂在大门上，这样就能将圣诞请进屋啦!

. Stockings - If you live with a roommate see if they want to do Christmas stockings, you put them out at night and Santa will come and fill them with small gifts. As Santa may need a little help at times you can agree with a roommate to buy some small gifts and fill each others. Just make sure the other person doesn\'t catch you filling it up at night!

圣诞袜礼物 – 如果你有室友，并且大家都想体验圣诞袜礼物的话，你们需要将大大的圣诞袜在平安夜的晚上放在屋子里，这样圣诞老人就会来给袜子里装满小礼物。不过圣诞老人可能会需要你和你的室友帮个小忙：提前准备好一些小礼物并放到对方的袜子里。一定要切记方礼物的时候千万不能让对方看到!

. Food and drink for Santa - When I was young we would always leave a mince pie and a small glass of sherry for Santa and Carrots for his Reindeer. We would leave them by the fire place and in the morning I would find they had gone while my father looked a little fatter! While this isn\'t something you need to do as adults it is fun to do if you are visiting a house with small children.

为圣诞老人准备食物 – 我小时候经常会留一小块圣诞百果馅饼和一小杯雪莉酒给圣诞老人，另外还有一些胡萝卜给他的驯鹿们。我们会把这些食物放在壁炉旁，第二天早上的时候我会发现食物全都不见了，不过我父亲看上去更胖了!虽然这些不是成年人必须要做的，但是当你拜访有小朋友的亲朋好友家的时候，这样会特别有趣。

. Visiting family - While international students may not have family in UK you can take this opportunity to visit older people who have no family. Many older people feel especially lonely at Christmas so if you are feeling charitable contact a local hospital, care home or the charity age concern and see if there are any older people who would like some company this Christmas. Bringing a small gift or just having a chat can really make their day and it’s a good chance to practice English too.

探亲 – 虽然留学生不一定会有亲人同在英国，你可以在此期间去探访失去亲人的老人。很多老年人在圣诞会感到特别的孤独。如果你特别有爱心，可以联系当地的医院，老人院或者是慈善机构，他们那里会有很多老人希望在这个圣诞得到陪伴。带上一份小小的礼物甚至只是去和他们聊聊天会让他们觉得特别温暖，在帮助别人的同时这也是很好的练习英语的机会。

Other Celebrations 其他的节日：

Its not just Christmas that falls in December there are plenty of other festivals happening too:

十二月的节日不仅仅只是圣诞节，还有不少其他的节日：

Hanukkah - This Jewish festival of lights lasts for 8 days and usually starts close to Christmas, as with Spring festival the date changes every year so check when it is the year you would like the join. It is one of the only Jewish festivals that non-Jews can participate in so it is a great way to find out more and experience part of a unique culture. Find out what events are happening in the Jewish community or synagogue near you. People will be happy to share insight into their faith and the festival of Hanukkah while lighting the beautiful candles that form a central part of this celebration. There are many Jews in the UK and they tend to be very welcoming.

光明节 - 这个关于光明的犹太节日会持续8天时间，一般于圣诞前开始。和中国的春节一样，光明节的日期每年也会变化，所以如果你想体验光明节的话一定要提前看好日期。这是非犹太人唯一能参与的犹太节日，所以这是一个体验独特文化的绝佳机会。提前查明犹太社区和犹太教堂的活动，人们会很开心的和别人分享他们关于信仰以及光明节的认识。与此同时，点亮美丽的蜡烛是这个节日最重要的仪式。在英国有很多犹太人，他们也都非常的热情。

Winter Solstice - Falling between the 21st and 22cd of December this marks the longest night of the year. It is revered by a number of traditional British people such as Pagans, Wiccans or those who enjoy nature. Many people aim to visit stone henge on this day to see the sun coming up on the morning of the 22cd as it is renowned to be one of the most beautiful sights in England. Join them to enjoy a unique view of British culture and heritage.

冬至 – 十二月的21和22日是一年之中夜晚最长的日子。无宗教信仰者、威卡教信仰者以及其他热爱大自然的英国人都特别敬畏冬至。很多人会在这一天去巨石阵看日出。因此每年十二月22日巨石阵的美丽日出景色享誉国内外。加入他们并体验这一独特的美景和传统吧。

Remember请注意:

All the shops are closed and transport is highly limited. Ensure you stock up on food and don\'t need to travel between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day!

很多商店和公共交通在圣诞节期间并不会照常运营，所以要确保在节前囤上一大堆食物，并且不要在平安夜和节礼日这三天内出行。

Whatever you end up doing for the holidays in the UK I hope you enjoy this opportunity to enjoy the people and culture at their best.

不管你最终在这个节日有什么安排，我衷心的祝福你能在这个节日享受身边的美好。

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