A Brief Comparison of Chinese and Western Festivals.docx

A Brief Comparison of Chinese and Western Festivals.docx

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ABriefComparisonofChineseandWesternFestivals

ABriefComparisonofChineseandWesternFestivals

I.Introduction

Festivalisdefinedasaspecialoccasiononwhichpeoplemaygivethanksforaharvest,commemorateanhonoredpersonorevent,payrespecttothedead,orcelebrateaculture.Festival,asaculturalphenomenon,comesintobeingduringthecourseofhumandevelopmentandhistoricalevolution.Thisuniqueculturalphenomenonembodieshumancognitionandattentiontothenaturalenvironmentsandperipheralsurroundings.Asweknow,adiversemultitudeoffestivalsareenjoyedworldwide.Althoughthedifferentregions,nations,religionsandculturesbringaboutmultifariousfestivals,andthemeansofcelebrationvaryfromoneplacetoanother,mostofpeoplebearcommonfeelingsforthefestivals,thatisprayingforhappinessandhealth,fulfillingthegoodwill,andshowingtheloveoflife.Thefestivalcelebrationalsoexpressespeople’sreminiscentmoodfortraditionsandconveytheiraspirationtopursuethedreams.

Festivalisconsideredas“acarrierofculture”,oranembodimentofthepatternsofbehaviorandthinkingthatpeoplelearn,createandshare.Throughthisuniqueandspecificphenomenon,itismoreconvenientanddirectfortheresearchertoprobeintothedeeperlayerofhumanculture.Moreover,thefestivalprovidesusashortcuttoexplorethedivergenceandsimilarityoftwocultures.Asweknow,itisimpossibleforustomakeresearchonallaspectsoffestivalcustomssincecultureitselfisaverycomplicatedphenomenon.Thus,Ijustchoosesomerepresentativeandwell-knownfestivals---SpringFestival&ChristmasDaytomakeabriefcomparison.

II.ComparisonofSpringFestival&ChristmasDay

1.OriginoftheHolidays

InChina,SpringFestivalisthefirstandforemostonethatshouldbementioned.SpringFestivalisalsoknownastheChineseNewYear.SpringFestivalstartswiththenewmoononthefirstdayofthenewyearandendsonthefullmoon15dayslater.SothetimingoftheholidayvariesfromlateJanuarytoearlyFebruary.TheSpringfestivalcelebratestheearthcomingbacktolife,andthestartofploughingandsowing.Inthepast,feudalrulersofdynastiesplacedgreatimportanceonthisoccasion,andceremoniestousherintheseasonwereperformed.

Thefirstdayoflunaryearscalled“nianchuyi”（thefirstdayofnian）.Thereisfolkloreaboutthemonstercalled“nian”.Infact,thefestivalstemsfromtheagriculturalproduction.Chinaisanagriculturalcountryandourancestorshaveknownhowtocropinthefieldsandformedafarmingindustrythousandsofyearsago.Afteraccumulatingexperienceduringthelong-timecultivation,theancientpeoplefindoutthattheproperseedsplantinginspringtimeleadstoagoodharvestinautumn.Later,afamoussayingcomesintobeing“thewholeyear’sworkdependsonagoodstartinginspring（一年之际在于春）”.Therefore,thespringtimebecomestheprimetimefortheChinese.BecausetheChineseregardspringtimeasastartofthewholeyear,nowondertheChineseplacesomuchemphasisonthespringtime,andSpringFestivalistreatedassuchanimportantfestival.Meanwhile,thisfestivalmirrorstheChinese’attitudestotherelationshipbetweennatureandhuman---keepingharmony.Indailylifeandwork,peoplefindacertainruleinnature;followingit,peoplesettheproductionscheduletohelpplantinareasonableway.Innature,peoplemakedevelopmentandenjoylife.

ChristmastothewesternsiscomparedasSpringFestivaltoChinese.ItisonDecember25theveryyearandusuallylastsforaweek,untilanewyear.ChristmasoriginatedfromEurope.HowChristmascomesintobeingmustdatebackto1A.D.whenJesuscameintoworld.ThenameChristmasisshortfor“Christ’sMass”.AMassisakindofchurchservice.ChristmasisthefeastofthenativityofJesus,ison25th,Decembereveryyear.ItisthedaywecelebrateasthebirthdayofJesus.InBible,thereisavividdescriptionofthestoryaboutJesusbirth:

inacityofGalilee,thevirgin’snamewasMarywasbetrothedtoJoseph.Beforetheycametighter,shewasfoundwithachildoftheHolySpirit.WhileJosephherhusbandwantedtoputherawaysecretly,Gabriel,anangeloftheLordappearedtohiminadreamandtoldhimnotbeafraidtotakeMaryaswife.AndMarywouldbringforthason,andheshouldcallhim,Jesus,forhewouldsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.Finally,onDecember25th,Marybroughtforthherfirstbornson---Jesus.

2.PreparationfortheHolidays

PreparationsfortheNewYearfestivalstartduringthelastfewdaysofthelastmoon.Housesarethoroughlycleaned,debtsrepaid,haircutandnewclothesbought.Doorsaredecoratedwithverticalscrollsofcharactersonredpaperwhosetextsseekgoodluckandpraisenature,thispracticestemmingfromthehangingofpeach-woodcharmstokeepawayghostsandevilspirits.Inmanyhomesincenseisburned,andalsointhetemplesasamarkofrespecttoancestors.Inaddition,symbolicflowersandfruitswereusedtodecoratethehouse,andcolorfulnewyearpictures（NIANHUA）wereplacedonthewalls（formoredescriptionsofthesymbolismoftheflowersandfruits.

PreparationforChristmasstartsinearlyDecemberwhendecorationsareputup,includingdoorwreaths,artificialtreesandnativityscenes.AcommontraditionisthatofdecoratingandblessingtheirChristmastree.OftentheSundaybeforeChristmasissetasideforthistask.Decorationsincludecoloredlights（whichreplaceanearlierera''scandles）,balls（originallyreflectingthecandlelightinadazzlingway）,tinsel（resemblingtheglitteringiciclesfoundonfirtreesincolderlands）,chrismons（woodenorfoamsymbolsormonogramsforChrist）,andontop,astar.TherootsoftheuseoftreesanddecorationsaredefinitelyinEurope''spre-Christianreligions,butthesymbolsweretransformedbytheearlymissionariesinordertoexpresssomeaspectofChrist''slife.Sometimes,themeaningwasmuchthesameasthepaganstreasured,butdrawnthroughChrist.Inothercases,theoldmeaningwasdeliberatelyturnedinside-outtobringfurtherhonortoGodandmorecauseforthepeopletocelebrate.Christmascardsaresentouttofamilyandfriends.Inmanyhomes,ChristmascakesandpuddingswillbebakedreadytoeatonChristmasDay.Inthecitiesandtowns,manyshoppingcentresandstoreshavetheirown''Santa''forchildrentomeet.

3.ActivitiesoftheHolidays

OnNewYear’sEvehousesarebrightlylitandalargefamilydinnerisserved.TheNewYear’sEveandNewYear’sDaycelebrationswerestricklyfamilyaffairs.AllmembersofthefamilywouldgatherfortheimportantfamilymealontheeveningoftheNewyear’sEve.Evenifafamilymembercouldnotattend,anemptyseatwouldbekepttosymbolizethatperson’spresenceatthebanquet.Atmidnightfollowingthebanquet,theyoungermembersofthefamilywouldbowandpaytheirrespectstotheirparentsandelders.InthesouthChinasticky-sweetglutinousricepuddingcalledniangaoisserved,whileinthenorththesteameddumplingjiaoziispopular.Mostcelebratingthefestivalstayuptillmidnight,whenfireworksarelit,todriveawayevilspirits.NewYearsdayisoftenspentvisitingneighbours,familyandfriends.ThechildrenaregivenRedLai-SeeEnvelopes,goodluckmoneywrappedinlittleredenvelopes.OnNewYear’sday,everyonehadonnewclothes,andwouldputonhisbestbehavior.Itwasconsideredimpropertotellalie,raiseone’svoice,useindecentlanguage,orbreakanythingonthefirstdayoftheyear.Startingfromthesecondday,peoplebegangoingouttovisitfriendsandrelatives,takingwiththemgiftsandLai-Seeforthechildren.VisitorswouldbegreetedwithtraditionalNewyeardelicacies,suchasmelonseeds,flowers,fruits,trayoftogetherness,andNIANGAO,NewYearcakes.

OnChristmasEve,mostpeoplewhocelebrateChristmasalsoparticipateInspecialholidayritualsintheirhomes.FamiliesoftendecorateevergreenChristmastreesandplacecolorfullywrappedpresentsbeneaththem.Itisalsoapopulartraditionthatdecoratethebeautyofthestarlitfortreeswithblown-glassornaments,paperchains,candlesandotherdecorations,whichmadethesimpleevergreentreeintoabeautifulChristmastree.OnChristmasDay,therearemanyactivitiesforobservation.ExchanginggiftsandsendingChristmascardstofriendsandrelativesarethecustomsofcelebratingtheChristmasintheworld.Thecardoftendepictsafamilycelebrationanditscaptionreads,“AMerryChristmasandaHappyNewYeartoYou.”TheSantaClaus---fromtheDutchSinterKlaas---wasdepictedasatall,dignified,religiousfigureridingawhitehorsethroughtheair,deliveredtoystoallgoodchildren.Childrenoftenhangstockings,theyawakeinthemorningtofindthestockingfilledwithgiftsfromSantaClaus.

III.TheDifferences&TheCausesoftheDifferences

SpringFestival,isformedbasedontheancientcalendar.Accordingtosolartermsandharvest,thedateforcertainagriculturalactivitieshasbeenfixed.Therefore,thecelebrationalsohasclosetieswithagriculture.ThoughreligionssuchasBuddhism,TaoismandConfucianismplayveryimportantroleinsociallife,theynevermatchthefar-reachingimpactofagricultureonpeople’stendencyandthoughts.InChina,agricultureisalwaysplacedinthefirstposition.Throughoneyear’stoil,peopleexpectajoyfulmomenttohaverelaxation,afterthattheyhavetostartanewroundofhardworkingagain.Uptonow,incountryside,manyantitheticalcoupletsonthefarmers’doorsreadsomethinglikeaprayerforagoodharvestinthenextyear.

Asmentionedabove,peopletakeDecember25thas“Christ”birthday---Chr