Notes: April Fool:在愚人节受骗的人. prank：玩笑；恶作剧. Trick:计谋;欺诈. Originate:开始;源自. cruel:残忍的. ingenious:坦率的. Popular:受欢迎的. Immensely:极大的;无限的. Humorous:幽默的. . (来源：www.EnglishCN.com)

 Halloween(万圣日)

(October 31)

This is a holiday widely celebrated with different name in many countries .Although it originated(发源) as a religious holiday, it has lost its religious connections in the United States. It is now celebrated largely as a children's day, and many American children look forward to it for days and weeks beforehand. The orange pumpkin is harvested(收获) at this time of year and is hollowed(挖空) out, a funny face cut into it, and a candle placed inside as a decoration(装饰) in the window. City folks, nowadays, sometimes use paper pumpkins for decorations. Some years ago, the holiday was celebrated by dressing up in strange and frightening costumes(戏服) and playing tricks(戏弄) on one's neighbors and friends, such as ringing door bells, throwing bits of corn(谷物) on the window panes(窗格玻璃), and in other ways making minor disturbances(小骚扰).

Note: originated(发源)harvested(收获)hollowed(挖空)decoration(装饰)costumes(戏服)tricks(戏弄)corn(谷物)panes(窗格玻璃)disturbances(小骚扰)

Boxing Day 节礼日(初)

    In the English-speaking world, the day after Christmas Day has a special name. We call it Boxing Day.

   This makes it sound like a day on which everyone has a fight, but the name has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. It derives from the custom in former times of presenting servants and tradesmen with a Christmas box or gift. Here in Britain we still talk about giving the milkman or newspaper-delivery boy a Christmas box, when we mean a sum of money or present. The expression dates from the time when the money would have been put into an actual box.

   Boxing Day in modern times is a quiet day. Most people are recovering from the large meals they ate the day before. The children have new toys to keep them happy, and the adults are content to watch them play.

   Perhaps it would be a good idea of Boxing Day actually was made to honor that sport. Then, on other days, we could celebrate Football Day, Cricket Day, Hockey Day, and so on. There are probably enough different sports to allow each day of the year to have one to itself.

Christmas Day 圣诞节(中)