In both China and the West, at this time of
the year, we must endure the cold, the wind and the snow of wintertime. How
good it is then that we have festivals to keep our spirits up and hearts warm!
Spring Festival in China and Christmas in
foreign countries are times for families and friends to get together, exchange
gifts and have a big dinner.
Although the two holidays are different –
one is to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, while the other is celebrated because
of thousands of years of Chinese folk traditions – Christmas and Spring
Festival still have things in common.
In both, eating is a big part of the
holiday celebration. In China we eat dumpling and niangao – cakes made of
sticky rice – while Westerners sit down to a roast turkey or ham, with
vegetables, apple-sauce and a plum (干果) pudding.
Gifts are another key element in both
celebrations. In the West, families gather round the Christmas tree on Christmas
morning and open their presents. Gifts range from the small – a box of
chocolates – to the large. Children especially look forward to a big present,
say a new bike or computer. Similarly, in China children receive gift money in
red envelopes from their elders.
With the world becoming more connected,
Spring Festival and Christmas have crossed cultural borders. It is not unusual
in China to see Christmas trees and Father Christmas figures around the end of
December.
And Chinese living abroad have made Spring
Festival a special cultural event in many foreign countries. In some US cities,
especially those with large Chinese neighborhoods, non-Asian adults and kids
join in the fun. “ I've been celebrating Chinese New Year for a really
long time, and it's a great cultural festival for the community,” said Leslie
Swartz, who works at the city's Children's Museum in Boston. “Everyone goes to
Chinatown. There are lion dances and firecrackers. It's very lively. Schools
also celebrate Chinese New Year. ” Swartz said.
Swartz has a 13-year-old adopted Chinese
daughter, Mei. They celebrate at home, too, decorating the house and eating
special foods. They make traditional Chinese New Year's fruit trays (拼盘). They also write good luck
messages on red paper, called spring couplets (对联), and hang them by the doors at home.
The Title: East- West: We are alike
★ 1. :
Spring Festival in China and Christmas in the west
★similarities:
▼ keeping spirits up and 2.
▼being time for families and friends to 3.
▼ 4.
▼having a big dinner
★ 5. between
the two festivals
▼Spring Festival: folk traditions of China
of thousands of years
▼Christmas: Celebrating ___6.
★ Culture mixture: Spring Festival and
Christmas having crossed 7.
▼In China: Seeing 8. and
Father Christmas figures
▼In the USA: watching lion dances and9. in
Chinatown, making traditional Chinese New Year’ fruit trays, writing good luck
messages on red paper and 10. by the doors