by Yizheng Wang
People sometimes doubt if Chinese people celebrate Christmas as only approximately one percent of Chinese are Christians. The enthusiasm mostly comes from the youth. Often they exchange Christmas gifts and hold Christmas parties to celebrate the so-called “Western Festival.” Christmas in Mandarin is “Sheng Dan Jie” (圣诞节) which could be translated into “the birth of the saint holiday.” Despite all the celebrations from the young, Chinese people don’t really know much about the Christmas traditions. Ironically, most Christmas trees or accessories are made in China, few people buy them to decorate their own homes. However, there are many Christmas trees and decorations in office buildings in Central Business District or even some of the government official buildings. The governmental endorsement, to some extent, fosters the spread and commercialization of Christmas in China.
Regardless of the various Christmas special items and discounts, many salespeople also dress like Santa Claus. One can regard it as the product of the free market under “Chinese Capitalism.” Surprisingly, China has also redefined Christmas and tried to assimilate it into Chinese culture. The Chinese word for Christmas Eve is “Ping’an Ye” (平安夜) which could be interpreted as “the eve of well-being.” Having inherited the idea of the linking family reunions and Christmas, the idea of apples was also added. The Chinese believe that apples can bring good luck so the apple became the symbol of well-being and was named “Ping’an Guo”- the fruit of peace and harmony.
Nationalists in China do not like the idea of Christmas because they think the widespread celebration of Christmas is another form of cultural colonialism. The Nationalists argue that in order to boycott the western festivals, namely Christmas and Valentine’s Day, China should celebrate more traditional festivals and create a specific festival to celebrate the birth of a Chinese Saint. Although the controversy remains, surveys show most Chinese people think celebrations are needed to relieve the pressures of life. Western festivals are just one embodiment of the globalization all around us. Thus, exhilaration is the only thing that matters.
