2005-12-01
The Holiday Season 休み季節
The Holiday Season
November and December are known as the holiday season in many western countries because there are many different holidays during these months like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years.
In the U.S., Thanksgiving is a time for family to get together and celebrate the beginnings of life for Europeans in America. The first Thanksgiving was a feast of thanks for the Indians for teaching Pilgrims how to grow food and survive the winter in America. Now we often gather together and have a big meal, usually serving turkey or ham as the main course.
Hanukkah is the eight day Jewish Festival of Lights. Long ago in Jerusalem, the Greeks made the Jews worship Greek Gods, but many Jews didn’t want to, so they fought the Greeks. After many years of fighting, the Jews beat the Greeks and returned to Jerusalem. When they came back they had a celebration and wanted to light the menorah (a candelabrum used to light the temple), but there was only enough oil for one night. Amazingly, the oil lasted for eight nights, so now we celebrate Hanukkah by lighting candles in a menorah every night for eight nights.
In Japan, especially in big cities, Christmas time is a time for love and dating. This is not the case in most western countries. In the West, Christmas, much like Thanksgiving, is a time for family and friends to come together and spend time with each other. Every country has different traditions, but the most common ones are the Christmas tree, opening presents, and a Christmas Eve dinner.
New Years is also very different in Western countries. Unlike Japan, New Years is a time for big parties with your friends. It is a night where you can do whatever you like and going on dates and to dances are very popular. You could say that in the West, Christmas is like a Japanese New Years, and New Years is like a Japanese Christmas.
Whatever you do this holiday season, make sure you have a good time doing it!
休み季節
感謝祭やハヌカーやクリスマスやお正月などのような休みがあるのでたくさんの西洋諸国で11月と12月は｢休み季節｣と言います。
アメリカで感謝祭は家族と一緒に昔のエウロパ人はアメリカに来る命がはじめることを祭ります。始めての感謝祭はインディアンはアメリカへ来たエウロパ人に食べ物を育ったり、寒い冬を生けたり、仕方を教えるの感謝する大きな夕食でした。このごろ、家族と一緒にたいてい七面鳥か豚肉がある大きな夕食を食べます。
ハヌカーは8日のユダヤ光祭。昔々、イェルザルムでギリシャ人はユダヤ人にギリシャの神様を崇拝させました。しかし、たくさんユダヤ人はギリシャの神様を崇拝したくなかったのでギリシャ人と戦争しました。何年後、ユダヤ人はギリシャ人に勝ったから、イェルザレムに帰りました。帰るとき、大きな祭がありました。メノラーと言う本枝の大燭台に火を付けたかったです。でも、油は少ないので、一晩だけ使えたけど、その油は奇跡的に8晩で使えました。そして、今、ハヌカーのために祭り方は8晩でメノラーのろうそくに火を付けます。
日本で、特に都会で、クリスマスは日付やラブラブの時間です。しかし、西洋諸国でそのことは全然違います。西洋諸国でクリスマスは感謝祭のような家族や友達と集める時間です。別な国は別なクリスマス伝統があるけど、一番普通なのはクリスマス木やプレゼントをあげることやクリスマスの前晩で特別な夕食を食べます。
西洋諸国でお正月も全然違います。日本と違い、お正月は友達と一緒に大きなパーティーがある時間です。その夜は何でもできるの時間です。日付に行くこととダンス・パーティーに行くことはとても人気です。西洋諸国でお正月は日本のクリスマスのようです。クリスマスはお正月のようです。
今年の安も季節でぜひ楽しい時間を過しましょう！
ワンポイント英会話
- Happy Holidays! (ハッピー・ハロディズ！) 幸せな休み時間を過しましょう！
- Merry Christmas! (メリー・クリスマス！) クリスマスおめでとう！
- Happy Hanukkah! (ハッピー・ハヌカー) ハヌカーおめでとう！
- Happy New Year! (ハッピー・ニュー・イエヤ) お正月おめでとう！
- The Holiday Season is upon us! (ザ・ハロディ・シソン・イズ・アポン・アス！) 休み季節に来た！
Posted by jumex at 16:03
3 Comments:
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11:50 AMã
said...
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ヨーロッパ not エウロパ
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12:03 PMã
said...
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生活 rather than 命。 You are allowed to use comma's in japanese. You use them in the Hannukah section but not the thanksgiving.
ラブラブ is more lovey dovey, usualy used when couples are first going out and can't keep their hands off each other. Considering how non-demonstrative the japanese are not many of them get like this for Christmas. Maybe 恋人、or
恋人と過ごす
you go back to being stingy with comma's in the Xmas part.
I give it an 9/10 -
1:50 PMã
jumex said...
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Thank you both for your comments. I really wish more people would be bold enough to correct my Japanese. I write often enough, but I have no one to check my work. The teachers at school are too busy to be bothered with it. With your help I might just improve!