中西方节日饮食文化之差异.docx

中西方节日饮食文化之差异.docx

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中西方节日饮食文化之差异

中西方节日饮食文化之差异

DifferencesofCuisineCultureonFestivalsinChinaandWesternCountries

Abstract

Foodisthenecessitiesinpeople’sdailylife.Eachcountryyouarefromhastheirownfestivalfoodculturecustoms,thesecustomsareinheritedforcenturies.Theholidaydietisanimportantpartinthefestivalactivities.ThispaperbeginswiththedietcausesofthetraditionalfestivalsbetweenChineseandwesterncountriesanditrevealsthattheChinesefestivalsaremostlyrelatedtosolarterms,whileWesternhasbeentheinfluenceofreligion.Thenbothofthemformavarietyofholidayeating.AndthenbylistingsomeoftheimportanttraditionalfestivalstofurtherexplaintheeatinghabitsofthetraditionalChineseandWesternfestivalssuchasChineseNewYearandChristmas.Finally,theculturalconnotationofdietingontraditionalChineseFestivalsandWesternFestivalsismadethatChinesepeopleisinpursuitofgoodhealthwhiletheWestisforpersonalenjoymentandpersonalvalues

Keywords:

Traditionalfestivals;Cuisineculture;Chineseandwesterndifference

Introduction

Afestivalorgalaisanevent,usuallyandordinarilystagedbyalocalcommunity,whichcentersonandcelebratessomeuniqueaspectofthatcommunityandthefestival.

　　Amongmanyreligions,afeastisasetofcelebrationsinhonorofGodorgods.Afeastandafestivalarehistoricallyinterchangeable.However,theterm“feast”hasalsoenteredcommonsecularparlanceasasynonymforanylargeorelaboratemeal.

Festivals,ofmanytapes,servetomeetspecificneeds,aswellastoprovideentertainment.Thesetimesofcelebrationofferasenseofbelongingforreligious,social,orgeographicalgroup.Modernfestivalsthatfocusonculturalorethnictopicsseektoinformmembersoftheirtraditions.Inpasttimes,festivalsweretimeswhentheelderlysharedstoriesandtransferredcertainknowledgetothenextgeneration.Historicfeastsoftenprovidedameansforunityamongfamiliesandforpeopletofindmates.Selectanniversarieshaveannualfestivalstocommemorateprevioussignificantoccurrences.

　Therearenumeroustypesoffestivalsintheworld.Thoughmanyhavereligiousorigins,othersinvolveseasonalchangeorhavesomeculturalsignificance.

Seasonalfestivalsaredeterminedbythesolarandthelunarcalendarsandbythecycleoftheseasons.Thechangingoftheseasonwascelebratedbecauseofitseffectonfoodsupply.AncientEgyptianswouldcelebratetheseasonalinundationcausedbytheNileRiver,aformofirrigation,whichprovidedfertilelandforcrops.InautumnthereturnofthecattlefromthemountainpasturestothestablesinthevalleyiscelebratedasAlabastrine.Arecognizedwinterfestival,theChineseNewYear,issetbythelunarcalendar,andcelebratedfromthedayofthesecondnewmoonafterthewintersolstice.Animportanttypeofseasonalfestivalsisthoserelatedwiththeagriculturalseasons.

Cuisineisacharacteristicstyleofcoolingpracticesandtraditions,oftenassociatedwithaspecificculture.Cuisinesareoftennamedafterthegeographicareasorregionsthattheyoriginatefrom.Acuisineisprimarilyinfluencedbytheingredientsthatareavailablelocallyorthroughtrade.Religiousfoodlaws,suchasIslamicdietarylawsandJewishdietarylawscanalsoexerciseastronginfluenceoncuisine.Regionalfoodpreparationtraditions,customsandingredientsoftencombinetocreatedishesuniquetoaparticularregion.

　　Globalcuisinescanbecategorizedbyvariousregionsaccordingtothecommonuseofmajorfoodstuffs,includinggrains,produceandcookingfats.Regionalcuisinesmayvarybaseduponfoodavailabilityandtrade,cookingtraditionsandpractices,andculturaldifferences.Forexample,inCentralandSouthAmerica,corn（maize）,bothfreshanddried,isastaplefood.InnorthernEurope,wheat,rye,andfatsofanimaloriginpredominate,whileinsouthernEuropeoliveoilisubiquitousandriceismoreprevalent.InItalythecuisineofthenorth,featuringbutterandrice,standsincontrasttothatofthesouth,withitswheatpastaandoliveoil.Chinalikewisecanbedividedintoriceregionsandnoodle&breadregions.ThroughouttheMiddleEastandMediterraneanthereisacommonthreadmarkingtheuseoflamb,oliveoil,lemons,peppers,andrice.ThevegetarianismpracticedinmuchofIndiahasmadepulses（cropsharvestedsolelyforthedryseed）suchaschickpeasandlentilsassignificantaswheatorrice.FromIndiatoIndonesiatheuseofspicesischaracteristic;coconutsandseafoodareusedthroughouttheregionbothasfoodstuffsandasseasonings.

1FormationBackgroundandReasonsforTraditionalFestivals

1.1TraditionalFestivalsinChina

1.1.1SpringFestival

　　ChineseNewYearisthemostimportantofthetraditionalChineseholidays.InChina,itisknownas"SpringFestival,"theliteraltranslationoftheChinesename春节（Chunjie）,sincethespringseasoninChinesecalendarstartswithlichun,thefirstsolarterminaChinesecalendaryear.Itmarkstheendofthewinterseason,analogoustotheWesternCarnival.Thefestivalbeginsonthefirstdayofthefirstmonth（pinyin:

Zhengyue）inthetraditionalChinesecalendarandendswithLanternFestivalwhichisonthe15thday.ChineseNewYear'sEve,adaywhereChinesefamiliesgatherfortheirannualreuniondinnerisknownasChuxi（除夕）orEveofthePassingYear.BecausetheChinesecalendarislunisolar,theChineseNewYearisoftenreferredtoasthe"LunarNewYear".

1.1.2DragonBoatFestival

　　DuanwuFestival,alsoknownasDragonBoatFestivalandtheDoubleFifth,isatraditionalandstatutoryholidayoriginatinginChinaandassociatedwithanumberofEastAsianandSoutheastAsiansocieties.Likeallothertraditionalfestivals,Duanwuisreckonedinaccordancewiththelunarcalendarconsistingof29or30days.Forthisreason,Duanwu—thefifthdayofthefifthmoon,ordoublefifth—driftsfromyeartoyearontheGregorian（solar）calendar.

　　Themoonisconsideredtobeatitsstrongestaroundthetimeofsummersolstice,whenthedaylightinthenorthernhemisphereisthelongest.Thesun（yang）,likethedragon（long）,traditionallyrepresentsmasculineenergy,whereasthemoon（yue）,likethephoenix,traditionallyrepresentsfeminineenergy.Summersolsticeisconsideredthepeakannualmomentofmaleenergywhilethewintersolstice,thelongestnightoftheyear,representsthepeakannualmomentoffeminineenergy.ThemasculineimageofthedragonisthusnaturallyassociatedwithDuanwu.

1.1.3Mid-AutumnFestival

　TheMid-AutumnFestival（pinyin:

Zhongqiujie）,alsoknownastheMoonFestivalorMooncakeFestivalorZhongqiuFestival,isapopularlunarharvestfestivalcelebratedbyChinese.AdescriptionofthefestivalfirstappearedinRitesofZhou,awrittencollectionofritualsoftheWesternZhouDynastfrom3,000 yearsago.ThecelebrationbecamepopularduringtheearlyTangDynasty.Thefestivalisheldonthe15thdayoftheeighthmonthintheChinesecalendar,whichisinSeptemberorearlyOctoberintheGregoriancalendar,closetotheautumnalequinox.TheGovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinalistedthefestivalasan"intangibleculturalheritage"in2006,anditwasmadeaChinesepublicholidayin2008.

1.2TraditionalFestivalsinWesternCountries

1.2.1Halloween

　　HalloweenisayearlyholidayobservedaroundtheworldonOctober31,thenightbeforeAllSaints’Day.MuchlikeDayoftheDeadcelebrations,theChristianfeastofAllHallows'Eve,accordingtosomescholars,incorporatestraditionsfrompaganharvestfestivalsandfestivalshonoringthedead,particularlytheCelticSamhain,otherscholarsmaintainthatthefeastoriginatedentirelyindependentlyofSamhain.TypicalfestiveHalloweenactivitiesincludetrick-ortreating（alsoknownasguising）,attendingcostumeparties,carvingjack-o’-lanterns,lightingbonfires,applebobbing,visitinghauntedattractions,playingpranks,tellingscarystories,watchinghorrorfilms,aswellasthereligiousobservancesofpraying,fastingandattendingvigilsorchurchservices.

　　HalloweenisalsothoughttohavebeenheavilyinfluencedbytheChristianholydaysofAllSaints’Day（alsoknownasHallowmas,AllHallows,andHallowtide）andAllSouls:

DayFallingonNovemberfirstandsecondrespectively,collectivelytheywereatimeforhonoringthesaintsandprayingfortherecentlydepartedwhohadyetreachedheaven.Bytheendofthe12thcenturytheyhadbecomedaysofholyobligationacrossEuropeandinvolvedsuchtraditionsasringingbellsforthesoulsinpurgatoryand“soiling”,thecustomofbakingbreadorsoulcakesfor"allchristenedsouls".ItwastraditionallybelievedthatthesoulsofthedepartedwanderedtheearthuntilAllSaints'Day,andAllHallows'Eveprovidedonelastchanceforthedeadtogainvengeanceontheirenemiesbeforemovingontothenextworldtoavoidbeingrecognizedbyasoul,Christianswouldwearmasksandcostumestodisguisethemselves,followingthelightedcandlessetbyotherstoguidetheirtravelforworshipthenextday.Today,thispracticehasbeenperpetuatedthroughchildrenguising（trickortreating）.

　　InBritaintheritualsofHallowtideandHalloweencameunderattackduringtheReformationasProtestantsdenouncedpurgatoryasapopishdoctrineincompatiblewiththenotionofpredestination.InadditiontheincreasingpopularityofGuyFawkesNight（5thNovember）from1605onsawHalloweenbecomeeclipsedinBritainwiththenotableexceptionofScotland.ThereandinIreland,theyhadbeencelebratingSamhainandHalloweensincetheearlyMiddleAge,andthekirktookamorepragmaticapproachtowardsHalloween,viewingitasimpo