What traditions do Chinese have for Christmas?
What traditions do Chinese have for Christmas?
China’s small population of Christians call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, or Holy Birth Festival. They decorate their homes with evergreen plants, posters, bright paper chains, and a Christmas tree, which they call a Tree of Light, adorned with paper lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains that symbolize happiness.
How do families celebrate Christmas in China?
Western countries celebrate Christmas with family, but in China celebrations are like Valentine’s Day. It’s a lighthearted day for young people to go out with their significant others and celebrate with small gifts. They also hang out with friends to go out to a movie, karaoke bar, or go shopping.
Do Chinese families celebrate Christmas?
Though Christmas has been a big commercial success and a newly adopted festive tradition, most people in China do not celebrate as people do in the West. Like many foreign customs that China has absorbed and adapted over the centuries, Christmas also has developed its unique Chinese flair in China.
What are holiday traditions in China?
Chinese Traditional Festivals List
| Festival Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | 1st – 15th of the first lunar month |
| Lantern Festival | 15th day of the first lunar month |
| Qingming Festival | April 4th or 5th of the solar calendar |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 5th day of the 5th lunar month |
What does Santa do in China?
Children often have their picture taken with Santa, and some department stores can coordinate a visit from a gift-bearing Santa to people’s homes. While Chinese children do not leave out cookies and milk for Santa or write a note requesting gifts, many children enjoy such a visit with Santa.
What are some holiday traditions in China?
Why do Chinese give apples at Christmas?
People give apples on Christmas Eve because in Chinese Christmas Eve is called “Ping’an Ye” (平安夜), meaning peaceful or quiet evening, which has been translated from the carol ‘Silent Night’. The word for apple in Mandarin is “píngguǒ” (苹果) which sounds like the word for peace.
What do Chinese celebrate in December?
| Dongzhi Festival | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cultural |
| Significance | Marks the winter solstice |
| Observances | making and eating of tangyuan, ancestor worship |
| Date | Winter solstice (between December 21 and December 23) |
Is Christmas illegal in China?
Christmas is not a public holiday in China, which is home to 68 million Christians, making up 5 per cent of its population. However, Christmas has been an ultra-popular holiday among young people since the 1990s.