Yolanda‘s Favourite

Christmas is coming and now it has turned to be a worldwide festival,but do the Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, the answer to this question is both YES and NO.

If you walked around a major Chinese city 20 years ago, you probably wouldn’t have seen many signs of Christmas. This is because Christmas is a Christian holiday and not many Chinese people are Christian. However, if you were to visit those same Chinese cities today, you’d see signs of Christmas everywhere you looked! On the Avenue of Eternal Peace in Beijing, China, there are Christmas displays everywhere. Many Chinese people celebrate by decorating their houses with Christmas trees, and spending time with family and friends.

So yes, the Chinese celebrate Christmas. But no, most do not celebrate it for the same reasons that Christians do.

In Hong Kong, the figure who visits children is known as Lan Khoong or Dun Che Lao Ren. There are church services given in Chinese as well as English. Children send Christmas cards depicting the Holy Family in a Chinese setting. Public areas are decorated with Nativities, poinsettias, streamers, and paper chains.

Giving gifts is an important part of the Christmas celebrations, and it is the same in China. People exchange beautiful Christmas gifts with each other. These Christmas gift are good ways to show your love and care to the loved ones. Christmas celebrations signify spreading and happiness to the loved ones. In China, people begin their Christmas celebrations with beautiful Christmas decorations. Christmas decorations usually incorporate lighting houses, using beautiful paper lanterns, paper flowers and lanterns. Another major highlight of Christmas celebrations are the local festivals in China.

Although Christianity is unofficial in China, there are an estimated 10 million baptized Christians (about 1 percent of the population) who celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas time. What is more, it is a fantastic time for friends union. Most of the Chinese celebrate the Christmas not for religious reason, but a perfect time to relax and have fun, just like a holiday. The popularity of midnight mass has grown so swiftly over the past few years that most Catholic churches can not hold the numbers who come out Christmas Eve. While Christmas Day is not a public holiday, Christmas celebrations are becoming more popular in China itself. Particularly in urban areas, one can find Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. Attendance at Christmas Eve mass has also become more popular in recent years. With each passing year, the Chinese public is becoming more conscious about the significance of Christmas, and more and more people are beginning to participate and immerse themselves in the spirit of Christmas celebrations.

As for the children in China, they will decorate trees with colorful ornaments. These ornaments are made from paper in the shapes of flowers, chains and lanterns. They also hang muslin stockings hoping that Santa Claus will fill them with gifts and treats.

The Chinese Christmas trees are called “Trees of Light.” Santa Claus is called Dun Che Lao Ren which means “Christmas Old Man.”.

The non-Christian Chinese call this season the Spring Festival and celebrate with many festivities that include delicious meals and pay respects to their ancestors. The children are the main focus of these celebrations, they receive new clothes and toys, eat delectable food and watch firecrackers displays.

Therefore, though Chinese do not celebrate Christmas as the westerns do, but you can also feel some atmosphere here, most improtantly, with Chinese flavor, though not that authentic, yet definitely special.