Christmas and Spring Festival are the products of different nationalities and cultures, both of which create a warm atmosphere in that cold season. Is Christmas the Spring Festival in the west? What's the difference between Christmas and Spring Festival in China?
1. Christmas and Spring Festival comparison
Christmas and Spring Festival are the products of different nationalities and cultures, both of which create a warm atmosphere in that cold season, with gratitude and hope in the old and new year. This paper compares the origin and the way of celebration of the two festivals, and compares the similarities and differences between the two festivals.
2. origin
2.1 the origin of Christmas
Christmas on December 25 is a joyful religious holiday. It is a day when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, the founder of Christianity. Love, family and sense of belonging are important themes. According to the Bible, the Christian holy book, God decided to have his only son, Jesus Christ, born and live in the world, so that people can better understand God, learn to love God and love each other better. The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known. The early Roman calendar (336 A.D.) set Christmas on December 25, the first special day mentioned for the birth of Jesus. In the 12th century, Christmas became the most important celebration of Christianity. It began to become a serious religious celebration. Later, non religious decorations and gifts became popular.
2.2 origin of Spring Festival
The Spring Festival has a history of more than 4000 years. It was only in 1913 that the first day of the first lunar month was designated as the Spring Festival. Spring Festival is the most lively and ceremonious traditional festival of the year. Spring Festival is also called "year". It is said that there was a monster named Nian in the ancient times, with antennae on its head. It was extremely ferocious. When the cold was about to end and the spring was coming, it would come out to harm people and animals and destroy homes. In order to defend it, people come together and scare it away by pasting "peach runes" (spring couplets) and "firecrackers", using the characteristics of "year" and "fear of noise". For a long time, we have been accustomed to the custom. And every Spring Festival, people always have unlimited hopes for the new year.
3. Way of celebration
One thing Christmas and Spring Festival have in common is that they both last a long time. Although the Christmas season is between December 25 and January 6, generally speaking, Christmas season begins after Thanksgiving and lasts until January. In a broad sense, the spring festival begins to appear in Laba, and the 23rd day of Laba has entered the agenda, which lasts until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month. In some places, the 25th filling day of the first month and the 2nd day of the first month of February are also celebrated to pray for a smooth year and a good harvest. Although the two festivals will last for more than a month, due to the differences in cultural practices, the Spring Festival and Christmas celebrations have their own characteristics.
3.1 Christmas celebration
Christmas is a very important festival in the West. Like the Spring Festival, every place has its own unique way of celebration. Generally speaking, at Christmas, people dress up Christmas trees, give Christmas cards to each other, eat Christmas dinner and give Christmas gifts to children.
The Christmas tree is usually made of evergreen trees such as fir and cypress, which symbolizes the longevity of life. The trees are decorated with lights, candles, colorful flowers, toys, stars, and Christmas presents. On Christmas Eve, people sing and dance around the Christmas tree and enjoy themselves.
Christmas cards are greeting cards for Christmas and the new year. They are printed with pictures about the birth of Jesus, as well as words like "celebrate Christmas" and "Happy New Year".
Just as Chinese people eat new year's meal during the Spring Festival, European and American people also pay great attention to the whole family sitting under the Christmas tree and having a good holiday meal. The custom of eating turkey for Christmas dinner began in 1620. This custom prevails in the United States. The English Christmas dinner is roast goose, not Turkey. Australians love to have a Christmas dinner at the restaurant in groups on Christmas Eve. Among them, Turkey, chicken, roast beef and pig leg are indispensable. At the same time, with famous wine, they eat happily.
What children are looking forward to most is the gift from Santa Claus. It is said that Santa Claus was originally the bishop of Myra, Asia Minor, named Saint Nicholas. After his death, he was honored as a saint. He was a white bearded old man wearing a red robe and a red hat. Every Christmas he comes from the north in a deer drawn sleigh, enters the homes from the chimney, and hangs Christmas presents in socks on the children's bedside or in front of the stove. So, when westerners celebrate Christmas, parents put their children's Christmas gifts in socks and hang them on their children's beds on Christmas Eve. The next day, the first thing the children wake up is to look for a gift from Santa Claus on the bed.
3.2 way to celebrate the Spring Festival
The tradition of setting off firecrackers originated from a monster called Nian. This monster has blue fangs. It's terrible. Every night on the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, we have to rush to every village and kill people. Once, on the thirty night, Nian ran to a village, and two children were setting off firecrackers. Nian didn't know what it was, but he heard the crackling sound and saw the dazzling light, so he was scared to flee. People thus found out the weakness of "Nian" in fear of the light and sound of firecrackers. They set off firecrackers every December 30, and then gradually evolved into a custom [2].
It is an important custom to stick Spring Festival couplets and change door gods. Every new year's Eve, no matter in urban or rural areas, every family should post red paper Spring Festival couplets and powerful door gods. Spring Festival couplets and door gods are used to eliminate the unhappiness and protect the safety of a family. They have a long history.