英语课程计划-Christmas Eve（在线收听）

Christmas Eve is, of course, the day before Christmas Day. It’s quite a busy day for most people who celebrate Christmas. There are so many things to do – usually last minute things. For example, you have to quickly send a Christmas card to people you forgot, especially when they sent you one. You also have to do last minute Christmas shopping. I always find Christmas Eve afternoon is a good time to shop. Many people think this is a busy time, but the Christmas rush is over and the shops are quite empty. You just have to hope they haven’t run out of wrapping paper and sellotape. Then you have to go home and wrap all of your presents and put them under the Christmas tree in the living room. It’s such a lovely sight seeing a decorated tree with lots of wrapped boxes and parcels under it.

Christmas Eve is not the same in all countries. In Denmark, for example, Christmas Eve is when people have Christmas dinner and open their presents. I think most people go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. This is a special church service held at midnight to remember the birth of Jesus. I think one of the oldest jokes in the world is: “What time is Midnight Mass?” It’s an easy joke to figure out. Of course, Christmas Eve is the busiest night of the year for Santa Claus. People in England call him Father Christmas. If you look really carefully, you’ll see him flying through the air on his sleigh full of presents. He used to climb down people’s chimneys to deliver his presents. I’m not sure what he does nowadays because people don’t have chimneys.