Because "Ping" and "Ping" are homonyms, China people have the auspicious meaning of "peace" of apples, and because the shape of apples is round, they have the meaning of reunion and happiness. So eating apples at Christmas has become a unique custom in China.
In Christianity, it is generally believed that the forbidden fruit in Genesis is apple, so the image of apple is related to sex and desire. In fact, this is a misunderstanding of later generations. The fruit that God refers to in the Garden of Eden does not mean that it is an apple. People steal the fruit that God says can't be eaten, which goes against God's will. People are actually wise when they are created, but wisdom begins to distort when they steal the forbidden fruit after violating God's will. Since stealing forbidden fruit will make people lose their wisdom and become dull, there is no such thing as eating apples at Christmas in the west. If there is, isn't it against God's will?
Since there is no such thing as eating apples abroad, we can only find the answer at home! There are three different versions about the origin of eating apples at Christmas in different regions.
1. From overseas students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It was about the early 1980s in Guangzhou or Xiamen. At that time, at the beginning of the reform and opening up, there were not many international students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and there were not many materials in China society. Some of them had the habit of Christmas, but they didn't have a turkey or a Christmas dinner, and they couldn't buy anything with money. /kloc-In February and October, only apples were sold in the market, so they ate apples to celebrate, which meant that they would be safe in the New Year. Personally, I think this statement is closer to the truth.
Second, it spread from college students in China. The time was about the mid-1980s, and the place was Guangzhou or Wuhan. These people were favored by heaven at that time. They had such learning opportunities, got in touch with some foreign students and foreign teachers, and got to know some foreign cultural traditions. So they also celebrated Christmas, but they understood Christmas as the New Year for foreigners. They added traditional elements of China to this festival, and eating apples on Christmas Eve meant peace. There are also many versions, and some people say that they want 24 apples from 24 people with different surnames. There is talk of going to 24 different places to buy 24 apples. There are six apples, three of which are red and three are green. Wait?
3. It spread from apple vendors. I don't know the time. It was said that it was in the mid-1990s, and the locations were basically all over China. The reason was that a large number of foreign fruits flowed into the China market, and the prices were cheap, and the locally produced apples were sold out, so apple sellers used Christmas Eve to sell apples. So the China tradition of eating apples on Christmas Eve was officially born.
Christmas Eve to send fruit, this custom is unique in China. Because people in China pay more attention to homophony, such as putting peanuts, red dates and lotus seeds under the quilt at the wedding night, which means "early (jujube) gives birth to your son". Christmas Eve is Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is1February 25th, and Christmas Eve is1February 24th night. Apple's "Ping" is homophonic with the word "Ping" of peace, which means that people in China have the auspicious meaning of "Ping" of apple, and the round shape has the meaning of reunion and happiness, so there is the custom of sending apples on Christmas Eve.
What are the traditional Christmas foods?
roast turkey
On the traditional Christmas table, roast turkey is an indispensable dish. In some Asian countries, perhaps only Christmas day is eaten every year to celebrate the festival; But in Europe and America, especially in the American continent, turkey is a very common meat, and it is a traditional food on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
It is said that on Christmas Day in 1620, a large number of immigrants from Britain arrived in Primmouth Mountain in America. Because there was almost no food here at that time except turkeys everywhere, they had to roast turkeys for the holidays. Turkey is big and fleshy, delicious, nutritious and low in cholesterol, so it is favored by westerners. Eating turkey at Christmas has been a tradition ever since.
Christmas salmon
Just as people in China have dinner during the Spring Festival, Europeans and Americans also pay great attention to family reunion during Christmas. Turkey is a must-have food, and smoked ham, Christmas salmon, Christmas pudding and other delicious foods will also be put on the table. Salmon is a popular food and a very healthy food. Fish is high in protein and OMEGA-3 fatty acids, but low in fat. The fish is orange, which is a red-fleshed fish, but there are a few wild varieties with white meat.
There are many ways to eat salmon. Europeans and Americans make smoked salmon by hot or cold smoking. Smoked fillets are usually served with butter and fresh lemon juice.
Smoked Ham
Smoked ham should be regarded as the most traditional main dish in Christmas dinner. Not only is it convenient to eat, but it can also meet the needs of many people dining on holidays, even if it is left. Smoked ham is often coated with a sweet sauce, such as honey or cherry pomegranate sauce.
Using these sweet sauces, smoked ham can be a perfect combination with red wine. Generally, red wine with slightly fruity taste and rich taste is selected to match the sweet and greasy taste on the outer layer of smoked ham.
Christmas cake
Cake is an indispensable food in peacetime and festivals, and Christmas is not to be missed. Chocolate taste is one of the main flavors of Christmas cake. At this moment, almost every family will make chocolate-based cakes. People often make Christmas cakes novel and beautiful. Pour the words "Merry Christmas" with cream or jam on it, and insert special Christmas candles around it.
Candles are small in shape, only three or four inches long, but the materials are exquisite and colorful, and some of them are made into spirals. After lighting, the host will put it out twice, and then everyone will share the cake. People sometimes put three beans in the cake to represent the three eastern sages in the Bible story. Whoever eats the beans becomes the "three kings", which makes people feel very interesting.
gingersnap
The most famous traditional Christmas food in Germany is gingerbread. There are two English versions of gingerbread: Gingersnap, which literally means ginger+thin and crisp cake; The other one comes from German and is called Lebkuchen. In short, gingerbread is a shortcake eaten at Christmas, which is usually made of honey, brown sugar, almonds, candied peel and spices.
Although the hometown of gingerbread is in Germany, Europeans are also used to eating gingerbread during Christmas. Finns will enjoy gingerbread and drink glogi wine, which is a kind of wine mixed with almonds and raisins. It tastes spicy and fragrant.
Christmas pudding
Christmas pudding is a festive food to eat at Christmas. Today's Christmas pudding comes from traditional Christmas food, milk, wheat porridge and dried fruit pudding. Therefore, although there are no plums in the Christmas pudding, it is also called dried fruit pudding and has become a new member of Christmas dishes. Traditionally, when Christmas comes, every family member will make a Christmas pudding to symbolize unity and harmony, and everyone will make a wish silently when stirring the dough, and finally a coin will be hidden in the dough.
In Denmark, when Christmas dinner begins, people must eat an almond pudding before they can start eating something else. If anyone can eat the only intact almond, he will be the luckiest person in the coming year. Usually, adults will put this almond in the youngest child's bowl to make them happy.