Christmas in United States of America

Santa Claus was born in US in the 1860's he was named this as he had a white beard and a belly(大肚腩), so he was named Santa Claus as this was the Dutch word for St Nicholas, Sintaklaas. Although the Dutch had bought him with them in the 17th century, he did not become an important person at Christmas until the Novelist Washington Irving put him in a novel that he wrote in 1809. This first Santa Claus was still known as St. Nicholas, he did smoke a pipe (烟斗), and fly around in a wagon (四轮马车，货车) without any reindeer (驯鹿), but he did not have his red suit or live at the North Pole, he did however bring presents to children every year.

In 1863 He was given the name Santa Claus and bore the red suit, pipe, and his reindeer and sleigh.
Now Christmas celebrations vary greatly between regions (地区) of the United States, because of the variety of nationalities which have settled in (定居) it.
Early European settlers (移民者，定居者) brought many traditions to the United States. Many settled in the early days in the South, these settlers would send Christmas greetings to their distant neighbors by shooting firearms (火器，枪炮) and letting off fireworks (烟火). In Hawaii this practice is still in use as under the sunny skies, Santa Claus arrives by boat and Christmas dinner is eaten outdoors.
In America the traditional Christmas dinner is roast turkey (烤火鸡) with vegetables and sauces. For dessert (甜品) it is rich (丰盛的), fruity Christmas pudding with brandy sauce (白兰地调味汁). Mince pies (肉馅饼), pastry cases filled with a mixture of chopped dried fruit.
The majority (大多数) of Americans celebrate Christmas with the exchange of gifts and greetings and with family visits. For many, the day begins on Christmas Eve with the Midnight Mass. At Christmas it snows in many states, so dinner is usually eaten indoors. Dinner usually is roast turkey, goose, duck or ham served with cranberry sauce, then plum pudding (李子布丁) or pumpkin pie (南瓜派) followed by nuts and fruit.
American homes are decorated with holly, mistletoe and branches of trees, most have a Christmas tree hung with electric lights, tinsel (金属箔), baubles (小玩意), and strings of popcorn and candy canes.
There are two homes for Santa Claus in the United States one is in Torrington, Connecticut, where Santa and his helpers give out presents. The other home is in Wilmington, New York, where a village for Santa and his reindeer is located.