中西方节日文化差异重阳节和母亲节.docx
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中西方节日文化差异重阳节和母亲节
1.Introduction
Festivalsareakindoffolk-customculturethatiscreatedbytheworldpeopletoadapttherequirementofproductionandlivelihood.Itisoneoftheimportantpartsofworldfolk-customculture.Itincludesthecharacter,mentality,belief,ideas,thinking,moralcharacter,appreciationofthenationalhistory,andthevalueofnationalculture,anditshowsthemostprominentandthemostcharacteristicexistenceformofanation.Theformativeprocessoftraditionalfestivalsisaprocessofcondensedaccumulationofanationorcountry’shistoricalculture.Inthefestivalcustomshandeddowntousfromourancestors,wecanobviouslyseethemarvelouspictureofsociallifeoftheancientpeople.Differentcountriesandnationshaverichandcolorfulfestivals,eveninthesamecountryandnation,differentareashavethedifferentfestivalcustoms.SoknowingsomedifferencesandrelationofculturalsourcehaveprofoundmeaningtopromotethecommunicationoforientalandWesterncultureandalsopromotetheorientalnationandWesternnationgetonmuchbetterwitheachother.Festivalcultureisveryprofound.Thefestivalcustomsindissimilarcountriesareestablishedbyusage,withtheowndistinctnationalfeaturesandrichpresentationforms,buttheyinfiltratetoeachother.ThistextdealwiththeperpetualcharmofthecustomsbycomparingfestivalculturebetweenChinaandtheWesterncountries:
theDoubleNinthFestivalandMother’sDay.AlsohopingwecanunderstandtheChinesecultureandthemeaningofforeignculturemuchmoreobjective,sothatwecanimproveourabilityofcross-culturecommunication.
2.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternfestivalculture
2.1Differenceofreligiousbelief
Westernfestivalshaveobviouslyreligiousfeature.Itisaunarymonotheisticreligion.ThepeoplethinktheGodisthecreatorofallthingsintheworld,andHedoesn’tallowpeopletoworshipothergods,anditisalsounnecessaryforpeopletoworshipothergods.Humanlifeisjustaprocess,people’sgoodfortuneorbadfortuneandwealthorpovertyisgod’sinnategiftratherthanpeople’sbegging.Onthecontrary,themostimportantculturalcharacterofChinesetraditionalfestivalisfiercelysecular,inotherwords,itisunreligiousbecauseinearlyChinathesocialstructureisestablishedonthecombinationofnaturalworshipandhumanisticspirit,peoplestandforthebalanceandharmonybetweengodsandhumanbeings,thisisdifferentfromWesternancientgodsocialistandmodernhumanism.TheChinesetraditionalworldoutlookembodiestheadmirationforancestorsandadvocacyoflife,thusitiseveryChineseoriginalmissiontocarryforwardandfurtherdeveloptheancestor’sspiritandmaterialheritage.However,intheviewofChristiancivilization,everyoneisresponsibletotheGodortheyareresponsiblefortheirownactioninordertoacquiretheGod’sforgivenessorfavor,andthentheycangetintoheavenaftertheydie.
2.2Differenceofethicalculture
InOrientalandWesternsociety,thewaysofdevelopmentaredifferent,asaconsequencetheethicalcultureiscertainlydifferent.Chinaisamultinationalcountrythathasahistoryoffivethousandyears.TheleadingChinesetraditionalcultureisConfucianism,meanwhile,itincludesvariousschoolsofthoughtssinceancientChina.WesterncultureismainlyaboutChristianculture.Chinesetraditionalfestivalcontainsrichethicalelements;themainfunctionoffestivalisinheritingmoralprinciplesratherthangivingpeopletheopportunitytoprovideentertainmentandleisure.Forexample,ontheDoubleNinthFestival,peopleinsomeareasgenerallyhavethehabitofofferingsacrificestoanancestor.Bycontrast,theethicalfeatureofaWesternfestivalisnotobvious,itemphasizesentertainmentfunction,anditcanoffertheentertainmentopportunitytomodernpeople.Westernfestivalpaysmoreattentiontoindividualspiritanddisplayingthepersonality.Thesecaneasilybeacceptedbypeoplewithanyculturalbackground.Forexample,equalitybetweenmaleandfemaleandtheideaofwoman’srightsarealsoreflectedinWesternfestivals,suchasMother’sDay,thisfestivalcan’texistinChinesetraditionalConfucianismculture.
3.Theorigins
Everythingintheworldhasitsorigins,festivalisnoexception.Festivalisalsoapartofculturewhichformsinaparticularperiod,andhastherelationshipwiththeproductivityandproductionrelationsatthattime.HerefollowstheoriginoftheDoubleNinthFestivalandMother’sDaytogether.
3.1TheoriginoftheDoubleNinthFestival
TheDoubleNinthFestivalisournationaltraditionalfestivalontheninthdayoftheninthlunarmonth.Whyisitcalled“ChungYang”?
BecauseinancientChinapeopleregardedoddnumbersas“Yang”andevennumbersas“Yin”.AccordingtoTheBookofChanges,nineistheYangnumber,itiscalled“JiYang”.Ontheninthdayoftheninthlunarmonth,therearedouble“Yang”—thedateandmonthbothnine,sothisdayisnamed“ChungYang”or“DoubleNinth”.
TheoriginoftheDoubleNinthFestivalcanbedatedbacktoancientChina,ithasatleasttwothousandyears’history.
InWarringStatesPeriod,peoplehadthecustomofeatingthefoodthatiscookedwithchrysanthemum.
InHandynasty,thecustomoftheDoubleNinthbecameincreasinglypopular.ItissaidthatinHandynasty,HanGaoZuLiuBang’simperialconcubineMrs.QiwaskilledcruellybytheempressLvZhi.Followingthat,oneofMrs.Qi’smaidservantswhosenameisJiaPeilanwasdismissedfromthepalace,thenshemarriedacivilian.SoshebroughttheactivityofDoubleNinthfromthePalacetothecommonpeople.Shetoldpeoplethateveryyearontheninthdayoftheninthlunarmonth,inthepalacetheemperorandhisattendantswouldwearZhuYuplantonhair,eatricecakesanddrinkwineorchrysanthemumteatodispelbadomensandprayforlongevity.
IntheperiodoftheThreeKingdoms,peoplegraduallyhadthecustomofhiking.IntheperiodofWeijin,ontheDoubleNinthFestivaltherewerecustomsofappreciatingchrysanthemumsanddrinkingchrysanthemumwine.
TotheTangdynasty,theDoubleNinthFestivalwasregardedofficiallyasafolkfestival,theactivityofthefestivalbecamemoreandmorecolorfulandrich.PeopleonthatdaymustdrinkchrysanthemumwineandwearZhuYuplantontheheadorarms.
AfterthefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,theDoubleNinthFestivalwasalsocalledtheSeniorCitizen’sDay.In1989,theholidaywascalledofficiallyaftertheSeniorCitizen’sDay.EveryyeartheDoubleNinthFestivalisalsothedaytoshowtherespecttotheelders.TheChinesenationhasthetraditionalvirtueabouthavingthegreatestesteemforoldpeople.So,onthisdaymostplacesorganizedtheoldpeopletoclimbingthemountainsinordertocommunicationandphysicalexercising.
3.2TheoriginofMother’sDay
ThefestivalthatshowstherespecttomotherinWesterncountriesappearedintheMiddleAge.InEurope,therewereseverallongstandingtraditionswhereaspecialSundaywassetasidetohonormotherhoodandmotherssuchasMotheringSunday.MotheringSundaycelebrationsarepartoftheliturgicalcalendarinseveralChristiandenominations,includeAnglicans,andintheCatholiccalendarismarkedasLaetareSunday,whichisthefourthSundayinLent(intheChristianchurch,theperiodof40daysfromAshWednesdaytothedaybeforeEaster,duringwhichsomeChristiansgiveupfoodoractivities,thattheyenjoyinmemoryofChrist’ssuffering).Childrenandyoungpeoplewhowere“inservice”(servantsinricherhouseholds)weregivenadayoffonthatdatesotheycouldvisittheirfamilies.Childrenwouldpickwildflowersalongthewaytoplacetheminthechurchortogivethemtotheirmotherasgifts,andpeoplewouldeatSimnelcakethatisalsocalledMotheringcake.
TheMotheringSundaywasignoredwhentheearlyimmigratescametoAmericancontinent.Untiltheendofthenineteenthcentury,JuliaWardHowerakedtheopinionoftheMotheringSundayup.ShefelttheinhumanityofthewarduringtheFranco-PrussianWar,soshedecidedtousethewayof“mother”tosolvetheconflictofthewar.Andin1870,shewroteMother’sDayProclamation.In1834,theU.S.PresidentFranklinD.Rooseveltapprovedastampcommemoratingthefestival.
Inthepresentform,Mother’sDaywasestablishedbyAnnaMarieJarvis,followingthedeathofhermotherAnnJarvisonMay9,1905,withthehelpofPhiladelphiamerchantJohnWanamaker.AsmallservicewasheldinMay12,1907intheAndrew’sMethodistEpiscopalChurchinGrafton,WestVirginiawhereAnna’smotherhadbeenteachingSundayschool.ButthefirstofficialservicewasinMay10,1908inthesamechurch,accompaniedbyalargeceremonyintheWanamakerAuditoriumintheWanamaker’sstoreonPhiladelphia.ShethencampaignedtoestablishMother’sDayfirstasaU.S.nationalholidayandthenlaterasaninternationalholiday.
TheholidaywasdeclaredofficiallybythestateofWestVirginiain1910,andtherestofstatesfollowedquickly.OnMay8,1914,theU.S.CongresspassedalawdesignatingthesecondSundayinMayasMother’sDayandrequestingaproclamation.OnMay8,1914,PresidentWoodrowWilsonissuedaproclamationdeclaringthefirstnationalMother’sDayasadayforAmericancitizenstoshowtheflaginhonorofthosemotherswhosesonshaddiedinwar.
Now,intheUnitedStates,Mother’sDayremainsoneofthebiggestdaysforsalesofflowers,greetingcards,andthelike;itisalsothebiggestholidayforlong-distancetelephonecalls.
4.Thehistoricalevolutionoftwofestivals
Althoughthecreationofthemostfestivalcustomsdependsonbelief,intheprocessofthe