【单选题】

December 25 is celebrated as the birthday ofChrist. No one is certain why this day was chosen. It was chosen probably because, according to the calendar then in use,December 25 was the time of the year when winter days begin to grow longer in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun-worshippers had celebrated this day as the promise of spring.Over the years, a number of special customs associated withChristmas have grown up. Many of these have been introduced fromEurope, while others have their origin inAmeric

A、Christmas music is loved by all who hear and sing it every year.Christmas songs, bells, and merry music have been a part ofChristmas for centuries. TheChristmas tree is the symbol of the spirit ofChristmas in many homes. Trees were not used inEnglish homes until a German prince married Queen Victori
A、The prince had the first decoratedChristmas tree set up at WindsorCastle in 1841. The firstChristmas trees in the New World were introduced by Hessian soldiers in 1776, during the Revolutionary War. Later German immigrants brought the tradition into wider use in the United States.The custom of decorating a community tree for outdoor display began in the early 1900’’s and is a favourite custom all overAmerica today. Since 1933, Rockerfeller Plaza, in New YorkCity, has put up a giant tree, beautifully decorated with lights. The trees are about 30 meters tall. Some 7,000 colored lights have been used to light them.Each year at Washington,D、C、, there is a national tree lighting ceremony. The President of the United States pulls the switch that lights the brightly decorated new communityChristmas tree on the White House lawn.Some families open their presents onChristmasEve; others wait for the next morning. Some boys’’ and girls’’ presents are placed in stockings and hung at the foot of their beds; others find their gifts under theChristmas tree.Greeting cards began inEnglanD、One of the first artists to design and send aChristmas card in 1843 was JohnC、Horsley. The cards were printed in black and white and colored by hanD、About 1000 of them were sold in London that year.At about the same time, anotherEnglish artist, WilliamEgley, designed a card and had it printeD、He sent it to his friend with the now familiar message "
A、MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year".
A、German immigrant, Louis Prang, designed and sold coloredChristmas cards in 1874. In less than 10 years his shop was turning out 5 ,000,000 cards a year.Today greeting cards have become a big industry and billions of cards are sent all over the world everyChristmas. Whatever language the greetings are written in, the message is the same— a wish for peace and goodwill among all people. December 25 is not only celebrated as the birthday ofChrist but also as______.
A、New Year
B．the Spring Festival
C．the promise of spring
D．ThanksgivingDay