鲁达 英语短文阅读：用在假期里面的12月问候语（中等水平）
December Greetings to Use this Holiday Season
Many people around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25, and there are a lot of other holidays in December too. Here are some phrases you can use this holiday period.
The greetings "happy Christmas" and "merry Christmas" are understood by all English speakers. However, Americans are more likely to say "merry Christmas," and "happy Christmas" is used more in British English.
Because not everyone in the English-speaking world celebrates Christmas, it's also common to hear "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." Some other holidays in December include the Jewish festival Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, a US holiday that celebrates African and African-American culture.
To wish someone well in the new year you can simply say "Happy New Year."
Sometimes Christmas is spelled "Xmas." The "x" in Xmas comes from the Greek letter chi — the first letter in the Greek word for "Christ." This shorter way of spelling Christmas has been used in English for almost 1,000 years. It can be pronounced "Christmas" or "eksmas."
It is also common to see the word "Yule" used for Christmas. Yule comes from the name of a pre-Christian festival celebrated over 12 days in December in some parts of Europe. The 12 days include the winter solstice, which is also celebrated as a holiday by different cultures around the world.
Discussion
1. Which of the words or expressions in the article have you heard before?
2. Do many people in your country celebrate Christmas?
3. Who do you usually spend the holiday season with?
4. How do you usually celebrate New Year's Day?
5. Is there anything you dislike about the holiday season?