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每个圣诞节的早晨都如此相似。我们早早就醒来，甚至比父母都早很久，然后就会迅速冲到楼下，迫不及待希望打开客厅的门看看礼物是不是已经放在圣诞树下。
当然啦，门肯定是牢牢的锁上的，因为只有在老爸冲完淋浴喝完一杯咖啡，圣诞节才能开始。在圣诞节早晨的等待简直是一种煎熬，我们就会挤到老妈的床上兴奋的想着我们的袜子里会放了什么，以及圣诞树下用史努比包装纸包装的是什么礼物。
只有当老爸端起一杯热腾腾的咖啡的时候，我们才允许进入精心装饰的房间。首先翻翻袜子，里面总是装满小礼物，也总会有一把新牙刷。下面就是礼物了。因为我家有七个孩子，我们总是按照年纪大小顺序来打开礼物——从小到大，然后都把打开的礼物放在展示台上。
自从我到国外生活以后，圣诞节就变得不一样了，但是我仍然怀念那些充满欢乐的圣诞节早晨，特别是当我自己也会为自己准备一杯圣诞早晨的咖啡的时候。
每一个人都有自己喜欢的圣诞节传统，下面我们就来看一看吧：
Every Christmas morning growing up was the same. We'd wake up early, much earlier than our parents, and rush downstairs to see if the doors to the living room were open and presents were under the tree.
The doors were tightly shut, of course, because Christmas Day wasn't allowed to start until my Dad had taken a shower and had his first cup of coffee. Waiting on Christmas morning was absolute torture, but we'd pile into bed with my Mom and excitedly contemplate what might be in our stockings and wrapped in Snoopy wrapping paper under the tree.
Only when my Dad finally had a piping hot cup of coffee in hand were we finally allowed to open the doors and pile into the brightly decorated room. Stockings came first, stuffed with trinkets and always, always a new toothbrush. Then presents. Since there are seven kids in my family we would always open presents in age order—youngest to oldest, with every present given center stage as it was unwrapped.
Christmas looks different now that I live abroad, but I still think back on those early mornings fondly, especially as I make my own cup of Christmas morning coffee.
Everyone has their own favorite Christmas traditions. Here are a few of our own:
Lindsay:
在我小的时候，圣诞节是非常特殊的日子。我最喜欢的圣诞传统就是在圣诞节早晨我和兄弟姐妹们排队量完身高之后，就会到客厅打开那些圣诞老人乘我们熟睡时准备的礼物。在打开所有的礼物，并且都认真把玩之后，我们就开始准备一些超棒的食物，比如香肠球、饼干、鸡蛋，还会把前一天晚上的食物再次加热一下。在圣诞节期间，我和我的家人都会午休很久。因为这就是一年中最适合不顾形象，穿着最喜爱的睡衣，来休息以及充电的时候了。在圣诞期间，我常常就是不化妆，吃完睡，睡完吃!
Lindsay: Christmas was always a really special time for me as a kid. My favorite tradition was that Christmas morning my cousins and I would line up in order of height and walk into the living room where Santa left all of the presents while we were sleeping. After all of the presents were assembled and thoroughly played with, we would make amazing things called sausage balls, biscuits, eggs and heat up all of the left overs from the night before. Also during Christmas my family spends a lot of time napping. For us, its the time of year to rest and recharge in your favorite pajamas, without caring what you look like. I usually spend Christmas in sweatpants with no make up on going from meal to nap and back again!
Zac:高中的时候，我发现了一部超棒的圣诞电影：《虎胆雄威》(Die Hard)，一部1988年的动作电影。另外一部最棒的圣诞电影是它的续集：《虎胆雄威2》(Die Hard 2: Die Harder)。这两部电影中的故事都发生在圣诞期间，头发花白的前警察John McClane九死一生只为救出妻子。其中充满了爱、节日音乐以及爆炸的场面。这让人怎么能不爱?
就我而言，如果没有这两部《虎胆雄威》，圣诞节就不能称之为圣诞节。
Zac: During high school, I discovered what is arguably the ultimate Christmas movie: the 1988 action blockbuster Die Hard. The other candidate for greatest Christmas movie would have to be its sequel, Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Both films take place on Christmas, and each follows grizzled ex-cop John McClane as he braves almost-certain death in order to save his wife. Love, holiday music, and explosions? What's not to love?
As far as I'm concerned, Christmas isn't Christmas without a screening of one of the first two Die Hard films.
Ben: 圣诞节是最让我兴奋的一天。在这一天，我爱有家人陪在身边的感觉，爱和我的兄弟们热闹的讨论圣诞礼物，也爱丰盛的食物。但是这些都是一种很汹涌的情感。所以我最爱的传统就是圣诞节的早晨醒来之后第一件事情就是去听听海浪的声音，因为海浪声可以营造出完整的圣诞气氛。
Ben: Christmas is a day I get so excited for, I love the family being around, the buzz my little cousins have when it comes to presents, and the plethora of food. But it can get a little overwhelming. So my favourite tradition is to wake up and head to the beach first thing in the morning. It really sets the mood for a full Christmas.
Sylvia: 我最喜欢的圣诞节传统当然是交换礼物的时候啦!我去年在英国过了第一次真正的西方圣诞节，是在我丈夫Chris的老家，和他父母及两个弟弟一起度过的。我从11月开始就在陆续为他们准备礼物，而我也在圣诞节那天收获了一个大袋子的大大小小的礼物，我惊喜极了!看到他们在打开我精心准备的礼物露出的开心表情，我觉得那一刻真的是非常幸福!
Sylvia: My favorite Christmas tradition? Exchanging presents, of course! I had my first true Western Christmas last year, at my husband Chris's parents' house. We spent it with his parents and his two younger brothers. I started getting their gifts ready back in November. On Christmas Day I received a big bag of gifts large and small—what a wonderful surprise! I was overjoyed to watch their happy faces as they opened the gifts I'd spent so much time preparing for them!
Luci:圣诞节期间我会和家人一起去山里滑雪，在我五岁的时候就已经有这样的传统了。我常常与那些和我年纪一样大的兄弟姐妹一起过节，真的是非常有趣，我们会在山顶，在那里除了滑雪什么也不能做。圣诞节的上午我们会滑滑雪，晚上我们会吃传统的圣诞晚餐，有海鲜、甜点还有圣诞颂歌。按照西班牙的传统，这一天我们都只会收到一份小礼物，因为“东方三博士”要到1月5日才会送来礼物(据圣经马太福音记载，耶稣出生三位博士在东方看见伯利恒方向的天空上有一颗大星，于是便跟着它来到了耶稣基督的出生地。因为他们带来黄金、乳香、殁药，所以有人称他们为“东方三博士”)。
Luci: I usually spend Christmas in the mountain sonowboarding with all my family, I started with thi ski / snowboarding tradition when I was just 5 years old. I usually go with my cousins that are similar age to me, is really funny, we even go to bars at the top of the mountain that you can only get snowboarding, we usually spend Christmas morning snowboarding and on the evening we have the traditional christmas dinner, seafood, sweets and christmas songs, we just give one small present because in Spain you get all Christmas presents on January 5 with the three wise men.
Ed: 对于圣诞节，我最喜欢的一部分就是，我会过两次圣诞节。和Luci一样，我超级幸运，因为可以过两次。但是和Luci不一样的地方是，我要先和英国的亲人一起过节。因为家人们认为圣诞节这一天就是要与亲人团聚，而不仅仅是拆拆礼物，所以直到第二天他们才会送出礼物。1月5日，我回到西班牙，与这里的亲人再过一次圣诞节。在西班牙过圣诞节的时候，礼物才是节日中最重要的一部分。
Ed: My favorite part of Christmas is that it happens twice. Like Luci, I have always been spoiled when it comes to Christmas since we get to experience it twice. Unlike Luci, I spend Christmas with the English side of my family. Since my family considers Christmas day to be a time for families to gather, and not just about opening presents, gift-giving is postponed until the next day. On January 5, back in Spain I get to enjoy the Spanish equivalent of Christmas with that side of the family. Presents are pretty central to the occasion in Spain.
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