西方传统节日简介Valentines Day（情人节）The history of Valentines Day - and its patron saint - is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentines Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men - his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentines actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first valentine greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl - who may have been his jailors daughter - who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed From your Valentine, an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. Its no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.情人节的历史充满了神秘，但是我们知道，很久以来，2月就是一个浪漫的月份了。情人节既留有基督教的痕迹，又有古罗马的传统。情人节又称圣瓦伦丁节。关于情人节有好多传说。其中之一是，3世纪的时候，古罗马的皇帝Claudius二世认为独身的男子比有妻子、家庭的男子更善于打仗，于是他宣布婚姻是非法的，这也断绝了士兵的来源。牧师Valentine意识到这条法令的谬误，就公开反对，并且秘密为青年人主持婚礼。Claudius二世知道后就把Valentine处死了。 April Fools Day（愚人节）Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fools Day, sometimes called All Fools Day, is not totally clear. There really wasnt a first April Fools Day that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring. The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the New Year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Years Day was moved to January 1. However, in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as fools by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on fools errands or were made the butt of other practical jokes. 1582年之前的法国，人们从3月25日开始庆祝新年，4月1日达到高潮。后来历法改革，新年移到1月1日。然而在那个资讯很落后的年代，消息传播是蜗牛速度。而且有些顽固人拒绝新的历法，仍然在4月1日庆贺新年。其他的老百姓就把那些顽固的人称为“傻瓜”，并且让他们做些愚蠢的事情来取笑他们。Easter（复活节）Easter is a time of springtime festivals. In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God. But the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity.Traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. 复活节是春季的节日。在信基督教的国家里，复活节是为纪念基督耶稣的复活而举行的宗教节日。但是复活节有许多习俗和传说的由来都是非宗教的，它们与基督教没有任何关系。与节日密切联系的一些传统有象复活节的野兔，它是作为繁殖生长的象征；还有复活节的彩蛋。最先是被绘以鲜亮的颜色来代表春天的阳光。这些彩蛋还可以用来玩滚彩蛋游戏比赛，或作为小礼物送人。 Mothers Day（母亲节）The earliest Mothers Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600s, England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. In the United States Mothers Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace. By 1911 Mothers Day was celebrated in almost every state. While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mothers Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May.最早的母亲节庆祝可以追溯到古希腊的春天庆典，纪念众神之母尤希。在17世纪，英国在四旬斋的第四个星期天庆祝一个称为“母亲周日”的节日。在美国，母亲节最早在1872年，由朱丽娅沃得郝提出，作为一个关注和平的节日。到1911年，几乎所有的州都庆祝母亲节。虽然世界各国的母亲节在不同的时间，很多国家，如丹麦，芬兰，意大利，土耳其，澳大利亚和比利时都在五月的第二个星