在聖誕節，我們在祝福他人「聖誕節快樂」的時候會說「Merry Christmas」，你知道Merry一詞的由來嗎？另外，其實還有另外一種說法，即「Happy Christmas」，你知道嗎？它們又有何區別呢？
But have you ever stopped to wonder where the phrase "Merry Christmas" actually comes from? After all, for most other holidays, we use the word "happy." In a world where "Happy Easter" and "Happy Birthday" are the norm, that "merry" part of "Merry Christmas" is unique—to say the least.
你曾有不止一次思考過「Merry Christmas」的真正來源嗎？畢竟，像其他節日我們都會用「Happy」這個詞，比如說「復活節快樂」和「生日快樂」等，已經成為了一種規範。反觀「Merry Christmas」中的「Merry」一詞，著實很獨一無二。
No one is entirely certain of the answer, but there are several interesting theories.
Yes! It's important to note that "Happy Christmas" hasn't faded completely—it's still widely used in England. This is believed to be because "happy" took on a higher class connotation than "merry," which was associated with the rowdiness of the lower classes.
當然，我們需要注意到很重要的一點是「Happy Christmas」並未完全過時，如今在英國依然被廣泛使用。這是因為「Happy」一詞擁有「上層階級」這一寓意，而「Merry」一詞通常與「下層階級」相聯繫。
The royal family adopted "Happy Christmas" as their preferred greeting. In fact, each year, Queen Elizabeth continues to wish her citizens a "Happy Christmas," rather than a merry one.
在發表節日問候語的時候，英國皇室更喜歡說「Happy Christmas」。事實上，每年伊莉莎白女王都會祝英國人民「Happy Christmas」，而不說merry。
可以聽到，英國首相鮑利斯·詹森在聖誕節開頭說了「merry little Christmas」，而在致辭的結尾說了「happy Christmas」。
But "Merry Christmas" has been used since at least 1534—a dated letter from bishop John Fisher to Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell reveals as much. The English carol, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which was introduced in the 1500s, also uses the popular phrase.
不過，「Merry Christmas」第一次被使用要追溯到1534 年，出現在羅馬天主教主教約翰 · 費舍爾（John Fisher）給亨利八世的首席部長託馬斯 · 克倫威爾（Thomas Cromwell）的一封信中。另外，十六世紀的英語頌歌也出現了"We wish you a Merry Christmas"（祝你聖誕快樂）這句歌詞。
Merry Christmas! Blithely do we use this phrase as greeting, farewell or exclamation of joy with little thought to the book that made it famous. Although it was in use from the 16th century, it was Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol –published exactly 175 years ago – that really popularised it.
聖誕節快樂！當我們在問候、告別和歌頌快樂時光說到這句話的時候，我們通常不會想到是哪本書讓這句話出名的。儘管在16世紀才可以被人們使用，但那出自查爾斯·狄更斯的《聖誕頌歌》中，這本書175年前出版，讓「Merry Christmas」真正流行了起來。
So when did "Happy Christmas" become "Merry Christmas"?所以，是從什麼時候起「Happy Christmas」變成了「Merry Christmas」了呢？
Historians believe it might boil down to a simple grammatical lesson. "Happy" is a word that describes an inner emotional condition, while "merry" is more of a behavior descriptor—something active and maybe even raucous. Consider, for example, the free-spirited act of "merry-making" versus the state of simply "being happy."
歷史學家認為，這其實是個簡單的語法問題。「Happy」一詞描述的是人內心的情感狀態，而「Merry」一詞則更多描述的是人的行為，可能是積極的行為，甚至是喧鬧嘈雜的行為。例如，「merry-making」表達的意思是「歡宴、歡慶和尋歡作樂」，而「being happy」表達的意思是「（感到）快樂和高興」。
因此，在了解到了其中的文化因素後，我們就明白了「Merry Christmas」和「Happy Christmas」的實質區別。
不過，也流傳有一種說法，即「Merry Christmas」一詞從它本有的「尋歡作樂」這一層意思中，引申出來「drunk（醉酒、縱情）」的意思。因為英國皇室一貫尊貴，代表著國家形象，這也成為了他們說「Happy Christmas」的原因之一。
而美國則不一樣，美國是一個文化大熔爐，具有極高的包容性和開放性。另外，還有些基督徒認為，可能因為這種說法更適合交際，更適合慶祝耶穌的誕生，所以美國人民更愛說「Merry Christmas」。總之，「Merry Christmas」在全世界使用的頻率更高。
平安夜剛剛過去，在英語中，「平安夜」的表達方式是「Christmas Eve」，對於「Eve」這個詞相信大家都不陌生，「除夕」就是「New Year's Eve」，想表達節日前夕都可以使用這個詞。
在英文中，「聖誕老人」有兩種說法，一種美式的，即Santa Claus；一種英式的，即Father Christmas。
在英文中，聖誕老人的「雪橇」的說法是sleigh，讀作[sleɪ]；而「馴鹿」的說法是reindeer，讀作[ˈreɪndɪə(r)]，你記住了嗎？
4. 「聖誕節」也可以說成「Merry/Happy Xmas」
可能也有同學見過「Merry/Happy Xmas」這種表達方式，其實Xmas是「Christmas」的縮寫，讀音不變，通常在寫作中使用。
今天，又是聖誕節送祝福的日子，來學一些溫暖又別致的聖誕祝福語，向你的好友、同學、家人表達你的祝福、思念和愛意吧！
♥ Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
♥ Best wishes on this holiday season.
♥ Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas this holiday season.
♥ We wish you a merry Christmas.
♥ May peace, happiness and good fortune be with you always.
♥ May the holidays fill your heart with happiness.
♥ Season's Greetings! Be sure to take some time out of your busy life to enjoy the magic of the holidays this season.
節日的問候！從繁忙的生活中透口氣，好好享受聖誕佳節的魔力吧。
♥ May you find all the reasons to smile in this special season. Merry Christmas.
在這特殊的日子裡，願你事事順心，永遠綻放笑容，聖誕快樂。
♥ There is nothing more magical than decorated trees, lights, presents, family and friends to brighten up your life. Merry Christmas!
還有什麼能比閃亮的聖誕樹、燈光、禮物、家人和朋友更能點亮你的生活？聖誕快樂！
♥ A christmas greeting and good wishes to you who is thought about all the year through. Have a beautiful christmas and a happy new year.
始終思念你，捎來聖誕佳節最美好的祝福，祝聖誕快樂，新年如意。
♥ There are so many gifts I want to give to you this Christmas. Peace, love, joy, happiness are all presents I am sending your way.
這個聖誕，我有好多禮物要送你。平安、愛、快樂、幸福全都打包送給你。
♥ Don’t forget to hang up the sock!
♥ We wish the merriest of christmas to you and your loved ones, and we wish you happiness and prosperity in the year ahead.
我們向您及您的家人們致以最美好的聖誕祝福，願您在新的一年裡事業興旺，幸福美滿!
♥ May this Christmas marks the beginning of a wonderful year for us. Have a joyous Christmas.
願這個聖誕節開啟我們嶄新而輝煌的一年。祝聖誕平安喜樂！
♥ This is a joyous season to take a step back from our busy lives and enjoy time with our loved ones. Best wishes to you and yours.
在這個歡樂的節日，願您能放下繁忙的工作，享受和家人摯愛的時光。祝您闔家歡樂。
♥ Workloads come and go. Clients come and go. Monthly business targets come and go, but Christmas comes once in a year and boss like you comes once in a lifetime. Merry Christmas to the best boss in the whole world.
工作壓力轉瞬即逝，客戶來了又去，月度目標達到即過，但聖誕一年只一次，好老闆如你一生只遇一個。聖誕快樂，全世界最好的老闆。
♥ If Christmas is the season to give thanks, my list has to begin with you, my favorite teacher.
如果聖誕是表達感謝的節日，那麼我的感謝名單上第一個就是你，我最愛的老師。
♥ Merry Christmas to a teacher who not only taught me from the English textbook, but taught me to love the English language.
誠摯的聖誕祝福獻給您，您不僅傳授了英語課本上的知識，更教會了我熱愛英語這門語言。
♥ If you ever think that your job as a teacher goes unappreciated, I want to use this Christmas card to tell you that you inspire me every day.
如果您覺得當一名教師毫無成就感，那麼我想借著這張聖誕卡告訴您，您每天都在啟發著我。
♥ As a teacher you taught me math, but as a person you』ve set an example for how to live a respectable life. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
作為一個老師，您教授我數學知識，作為一個人，您樹立了一個榜樣，讓我知道怎樣做一個值得尊敬的人。謝謝您，聖誕快樂！
♥ It may not be snowing, but I know the holiday season is here because I miss you so much more than usual.
雖然沒有下雪，但我知道聖誕已經來了，因為我想你想得格外厲害。
♥ Do you ever think that our love is the perfect holiday present, with or without wrappings? I do.
你覺不覺得，我們的愛就是一個完美的聖誕禮物，無論有沒有精美包裝？我覺得是。
♥ Yesterday I baked a hundred cookies and decorated them with red and green sprinkles. All I need now is you.
昨天我烘焙了100塊小餅乾，撒上了紅紅綠綠的糖末。現在，就差你了。
♥ This holiday assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to be my gift. If you do not accept, this message will self-destruct in thirty seconds.
節日任務：如果你願意接受的話，做我的禮物。如果你不接受，這則消息會在30秒內自動銷毀。
♥ My wishes for you today are simple: warmth, comfort, joy, and me in your holiday stocking waiting for you to open it.
今天，我對你的祝願很簡單：希望你擁有溫暖、舒適、快樂，還有我，裝在你的聖誕襪裡，等著你來打開呢！
♥ I have been waiting all year to get you under the mistletoe. Merry Christmas, baby, let's kiss and snuggle all day.
我一整年都在等待著把你拉到槲寄生下的那一刻。聖誕節快樂，寶貝，讓我們深情擁吻一整天。
（註：按照西方習俗，聖誕節，站在槲寄生下的兩個人必須親吻。）
♥ You are as beautiful as an angel, as sweet as a Christmas cookie, and as loving as the whole season. Thank you for making my Christmas wonderful.
你美貌如天使，甜蜜如聖誕餅乾，愛意滿滿如這美好的時節。謝謝有你在，讓我的聖誕充滿驚喜。
♥ Mom and Dad, you are always in my heart and on my mind. May Christmas fill you with the kind of joy you give me.
爸爸媽媽，你們一直在我心上。願聖誕節能回饋給你們那些你們帶給我的快樂。
♥ Because you are such loving parents, I know how fortunate I am to have you in my life. Thanks for everything. Merry Christmas.
因為你們是這樣溫暖有愛的父母，我知道我有多麼幸運，能在生命中擁有你們。謝謝你們給我的一切。聖誕快樂。
♥ I always felt I had the best parents in the world because you have done so much for me. All my love on Christmas.
我一直認為我的爸爸媽媽是全世界最好的，因為你們為我付出了那麼多。聖誕節請接受我全心全意的愛。
♥ Growing up in a house filled with love has been a splendid experience. Mom and Dad, may you feel my love for you this Christmas.
在這個充滿愛的家庭裡成長是一個太美妙的經歷。爸爸媽媽，聖誕快樂，希望你們能感受到我對你們的愛。