圣诞节给我的馈赠Christmas Treat

jinfanyi

圣诞节给我的馈赠Christmas Treat

    A Christmas Treat
    Christmas is one of the most sacred holidays in the world. People everywhere gather together to celebrate all December long. Although we may love our friends and families endlessly, something about the Christmas spirit makes love more visible. No doubt, the story behind the holiday reminds us what love is supposed to be all about. At Christmas, when we express our love, we build our own Christmas memories and stories.
    Each year, on December 25, in homes throughout the world, children awake to the delightful anticipation of opening gifts in celebration of Christmas. Parents wrap themselves in wool robes of white, and sip coffee as they watch their family tear away colorful paper, secured by ribbons and bows. The holiday season can entail an amazing series of events- which is saying a lot about the importance of Christmas since it technically only lasts for one day. Regardless, the entire month of December, lead to by the pre-parties of late November, is cause for rejoice; and people the world over employ their own special rituals to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
    Christmas is, understandably, a hectic time of the year. There are presents to buy, trees to decorate, and cookies to bake. It is a whirlwind of events all leading up to Christmas Eve, and eventually Christmas Day. The activities and family traditions surrounding Christmas are beautiful and unique for each family- including my own.
    Ever since I was a child I've spent most my Christmases with my mother's side of the family. My mother is the only person in her family who does not live in the town of Santa Barbara, and so we travel by car for six hours from our home to be with my aunts, uncles, and extended family. My grandparents open their sunny Southern California home to us, and we begin our stay about a week before Christmas day actually arrives. The time in that week is spent carefully, and skillfully, between shopping, cooking, and visiting relatives. It seems as if we need a time schedule to make it all work because there are so many aunts, uncles, and cousins to visit. Nonetheless, everything gets done: cakes get made, a tree is lit, and cotton balls of fake snow are carefully placed in the window-sills.
    Though there is much to be accomplished in the short span of the week leading up to Christmas day, it is all worth the rush and worry. The sore hands from rolling gingerbread men; the aching back from lugging heavy bags full of gifts around the malls; the tired eyes from staying up late to write Christmas cards- all of it is special because all of it is done with family.
    Christmas shopping for my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandfather is always done by mother, grandmother, and me. The three of us head out to the stores early in the morning and spend a full day picking up odds and ends that remind us of those we love. I cherish this time more than anything. My grandmother is loud and silly, and my mother is witty and intelligent. When they get together they crack hysterical jokes and poke fun at one another all day- always keeping me entertained. I cherish our time spent together. Because I've never lived near my grandparents it is seldom I see my grandmother. Since going away to college I have seldom seen my mother. Every Christmas holds the guarantee that I will get to spend time with the both of these women who I love and respect with all my heart. It's a real treat for me. A treat only Christmas can bring.
    Every Christmas my grandfather attends The Christmas Ball for World War II Veterans. When I was younger my father would take either my grandmother or one of my aunts as his "date." For the past three years my grandfather has taken me. Though it is a newer tradition, it is something I can look forward to each season. I meet and mingle with grandpa's buddies from the war, and socialize with their wives and grand-children. My grandfather and I were very close when I was younger, but then lost that connection with the pain of puberty and my need to surround myself by women who understood all my teenage girl-problems. Now that I am older, I enjoy any moment spent with my grandfather. He loves to tell me heroic stories of the war and introduce me to his old pals with pride. The Christmas Ball is something I have to look forward to every year. It's a real treat for me. A treat only Christmas can bring.
    At Christmas time I have the opportunity to visit with my extended family- whom I don't even see during my annual week-long visit in the summer. Within my extended family are a handful of cousins, aunts, great aunts, uncles and close family friends. I am especially close to my second cousin Brittany who is only two years younger than I. In the past few past, Brittany and I have formed a very tight bond. Brittany is a gifted musician and vocalist, but during the year I never get to see her performances.
    During the Christmas holiday, however, I go to her evening concerts at various coffee houses and smaller music theaters throughout town. Brittany has a sultry and passionate voice, and always draws large crowds anytime she performs. She has made her dreams of singing for others become a reality, and I take much pride in that because she is my cousin and someone very dear to me. When Brittany sings Christmas songs, especially "Silent Night", I get chills from the beauty of her voice. It is a real treat for me. A treat only Christmas can bring.
    There are so many wonderful things about Christmas. While the holiday is a Christian one- meant to celebrate the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ- is has become so much more than that. As a family, we do acknowledge our Catholicism and thank God for sending His son, but Christmas has become so much more than just going to church and learning about Mary, the baby she had in a manger, and the three wise men who came to visit. Some say Christmas has been devalued since the focus of the holiday no longer lies in its religious connotations. I feel that the sacred meaning of the holiday has not been lost. Rather, the meaning of the holiday has expanded into something even greater. For me, that meaning is being with family. I do not get to see them all year long. I do not get to tell them I love them everyday of the week. Christmas is the one time of the year when I can spend as much time with my family as I want- when I can see the affection of their love and they can feel the depth of mine. The love that surrounds Christmas is a real treat for me.
    我一个在翻译公司上班的同学写的，我是看不懂，他是北京金橄榄外文翻译中心http://www.goldenolive.net.cn的，据说他那公司成立时，北京也就十几家翻译公司。