This is the Winter Solstice, and for many, conjures images of pine trees, decorated wreaths, and burning Yule logs.

這是冬至，對很多人來說，會聯想到松樹、裝飾的花環和燃燒的尤利木。

But while that may sound like Christmas, as a matter of fact, nearly all Christmas traditions are borrowed from other celebrations.

但是，雖然這聽起來像聖誕節，但事實上，幾乎所有的聖誕節傳統都是從其他慶祝活動中借來的。

Different cultures have been celebrating the solstice for over 5,000 years.

5000多年來，不同的文化都在慶祝冬至。

So why do Holidays fall around the Winter Solstice?

那麼，為什麼假期會在冬至前後？

Well, the term solstice literally means "sun stands still."

嗯，夏至這個詞的字面意思是 "太陽靜止"。

As far back as 3,000 BC, Neolithic people erected sculptures and architecture to frame this type of solar alignment.

早在公元前3000年，新石器時代的人們就豎起了雕塑和建築來構築這種太陽排列方式。

Scholars believe that these solstice sculptures had a religious significance, and that sites in Europe like Newgrange and Stonehenge were meant for worship.

學者們認為，這些夏至雕塑具有宗教意義，歐洲的紐格蘭奇和巨石陣等遺址都是用來祭祀的。

We also know that the Romans famously celebrated an occasion they called Saturnalia, which marked the mid-point of winter with a debaucherous seven day festival.

我們還知道，羅馬人有一個著名的慶祝活動，他們稱之為 "土星節"，用一個放蕩不羈的七天節日來紀念冬季的中點。

In Iran, the festival of Yalda also takes place on the solstice, and dates back to the pre-Islamic religion of Zoroastrianism, which itself dates back to around 600 BC.

在伊朗，雅爾達節也是在夏至日舉行，可以追溯到伊斯蘭教前的拜火教，而拜火教本身可以追溯到公元前600年左右。

Like Christmas, Yalda celebrates the birth of Mithra.

和聖誕節一樣，雅爾達也是為了慶祝密特拉的誕生。

In fact, the word Yalda means "birth."

其實，雅爾達這個詞就是 "生 "的意思。

Many winter solstice festivals are focused on the idea of birth or rebirth.

很多冬至節氣都注重生辰或重生的概念。

Some have suggested that these celebrations also served the purpose of keeping a large group of people awake on the darkest, and arguably, most dangerous night of the year.

有人認為，這些慶祝活動還起到了讓一大批人在一年中最黑暗，也可以說是最危險的夜晚保持清醒的目的。

Within the Buddhist tradition, the solstice is a day of celebrating the daughter of a pre-Christian Indian Emperor.

在佛教傳統中，夏至是一個慶祝先秦印度皇帝女兒的日子。

The festival, known as "Sanghamitta Day" is considered a major holiday for modern Buddhists.

這個節日被稱為 "桑吉塔日"，被認為是現代佛教徒的重要節日。

And in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the solstice is one of the most important celebrations, called the Donghzi Festival.

而在中國和其他東亞文化中，冬至是最重要的慶祝活動之一，稱為東子節。

So where do our Christmas traditions come from?

那麼我們的聖誕傳統從何而來呢？

Well, historical records show that the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe also celebrated the winter solstice in a form called Yule.

嗯，史料記載，北歐的日耳曼人也以一種叫做 "Yule "的形式慶祝冬至。

The Christmas tree, pine wreath, and Yule log all derive from the pagan Yule festival, all predating the Christian symbols of the winter solstice.

聖誕樹、松樹花環、尤利原木都源於異教的尤利節，都早於基督教的冬至符號。

But as Christianity grew from a cult into a mass religion, pagan traditions were adapted to make the burgeoning movement seem more familiar to early Christian converts.

但當基督教從一個邪教發展成為一個大眾宗教時，異教傳統被調整，以使這一新興運動看起來更容易為早期基督教信徒所熟悉。

Despite Christmas' stranglehold on winter solstice holidays, it is actually one of many ongoing holidays.

儘管聖誕節對冬至假期的扼殺，但它其實是許多正在進行的節日之一。

Like other portions of the Christian religion, the basics are mostly borrowed from long standing traditions.

像基督教的其他部分一樣，基本的內容大多是從長期以來的傳統中借來的。

So this holiday season, instead of saying "Merry Christmas," why not wish everyone a "Super Saturnalia"?

所以在這個節日裡，與其說 "聖誕快樂"，不如祝大家過一個 "超級土星節"。

Many pagan traditions revolve around nature, but the umbrella of pagan religions is more diverse than you'd think.

許多異教傳統都圍繞著自然，但異教宗教的保護傘比你想象的更多樣化。

Learn more about their beliefs in our video right here.

在我們的視頻中瞭解更多關於他們的信仰。

Then modern times, the neo pagant movement has become associated with Wicca, or pagan witchcraft, which was invented by an English man in the mid 20th century.

那麼近代，新異教運動與20世紀中葉一位英國人發明的Wicca，即異教巫術聯繫在一起。

It was based on the idea that witches are not followers of satan, as had been believed, but rather followers of a pre-Christian religion. followers were pre-christian religion.

它是基於這樣的想法，即女巫不是撒旦的追隨者，因為人們一直認為，而是基督教前宗教的追隨者。 追隨者是基督教前宗教。

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謝謝您瀏覽我們的頻道

Don't forget to like and subscribe for new videos.

不要忘記喜歡和訂閱新的視頻。