中西文化对比阅读材料1--Traditional Festivals

Module 1 Traditional Festivals

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Symbolic Chinese New Year Decorations

The Chinese New Year is a very special day in the lunar calendar of this ancient civilization. One can see Chinese families decorating their homes with many different Chinese New Year decorations prepared especially for the occasion. From the insides of people’s homes to the city streets China is glittering in color throughout this season. The array of decoration items is wide and colorful,some of which have become symbols for this time of the year.

Paper cuts Paper cuts are usually pasted on windows or hung on doors, especially during holidays and festivals. The most important time to make and display papercuts is during the New Year Festival. Each part of China has different styles of paper cuts. However, many paper cuts share two common themes: protection from evil forces and the health and well-being of the family. Papercut designs can be pictures of anything, including lucky Chinese words, animals, children, or illustrations of popular stories. They are often made with red paper, since red is the color that represents happiness in China. Chinese Knots Chinese knots, suggested as Wall Hanging, Auto Mirror Hanging, Lamp Hanging or Door Hanging， are espacially seen in people’s houses and stores in the streets during spring festival. Chinese Knot or Chinese traditional decorating Knot is a kind of characteristic folk decorations of handicraft art. Appeared in ancient time, developed in Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1229A.D.) and popularized in Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368-1911A.D.), Chinese Knot has now become a kind of elegant and colorful arts and crafts from its original practical use. The characteristic of Chinese Knot is that every knot is made of a single rope and named by its specific form and meaning. By combining different knots or other auspicious adornments skillfully, an unique auspicious ornament which represents beauty, idea and wishes is formed. Spring Couplets Spring couplets (chunlian) are poems that are hung up in pairs on New Year’s Eve, one on each side of an entryway. Each one usually has four, five, or seven Chinese characters, although some are 500words long! These poems are hung outside homes and businesses. They wish for wealth, good fortune, and long life to those inside. Like other New Year decorations, they tend to be written on red paper, the luckiest color. They are difficult to write. Each half of the couplet must use the

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same exact grammar and match the other half perfectly. People also hang a third piece of paper across the top of their doorways. This paper has four Chinese characters on it that sum up the meaning of the spring couplet. Spring couplets are often pasted on the front doors of houses and the gates of companies or restaurants to greet people or customers or to make a wish. China's New Year Pictures Spring Festival, China's most celebrative occasion, begins its annual felicitations with the posting of New Year pictures on the walls and windows on the 24th of the 12th month in the lunar calendar according to tradition. The pictures convey people's jubilation and expectations of the coming new year. They are called nianhua in Chinese, including woodblock prints (木版年画). This means “New Year’s pictures,” because they are always put up around the house during the New Year Festival. People in China use them for two reasons: to bring good luck and for decoration. Chinese people call buying nianhua “inviting in the gods” because pictures of gods are some of the most popular kinds of prints. Door Gods People decorate their gate posts and door panels with door gods(menshen) on the last day of the 12th moon. Since the second century AD, Chinese people have put up door gods during the New Year festival in order to protect their families and homes from harm. People paste pairs of door gods in the center of their door panels. In ancient times there were two gods, named Shentu and Yulu, that people carved or painted on peachwood and hung on their doors for good luck. These fierce-looking gods were guardians of the underworld who were thought to protect homes from demons. Beginning in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), people began to draw these images in ink on red paper. Door gods are still popular today, and there are many different types of guardians. Animals like roosters and tigers, along with famous military generals from hundreds of years ago, are some of the more recently displayed door gods. In the past, door gods were always made by hand; however, today they are usually made in factories. Stove Gods For about 2000 years Chinese people have worshiped the Stove God. He is very important because he protects the home and the family from harm. A poster of the Stove God is often hung above the stove in Chinese kitchens. TheStove God watches over each family throughout the year. On the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year he reports to the Jade Emperor on each family’s behavior. Families offer the Stove God many sweet foods before his departure. Often candles and incense are lit at this time; sometimes an offering of paper money is burned. Many families then seal the mouth of the Stove God’s poster with honey so that he will be able to report only sweet things about them. Others believe that the honey acts as a seal, so the Stove God cannot say anything at all. The Stove God is said to return to families’ homes on the first day of the New Year.

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\ Traditional New Year pictures mainly feature local people's life and customs with intense colors and violent contrast. Famous pictures like \Baby,\“wholesome children holding coins”, \Harvest of All Food Crops,\and \Every Year\have been prevailing across China for hundreds of years. Paintings of various such themes are also put up to adorn their homes with a festive look. In addition, the Chinese New Year decorations also include embellishing their doors or windows with auspicious Chinese New Year Children Figures, usually one boy and one girl, opposite each other. They both hold “Lucky” signs and are the symbols of “Good Luck” for the Chinese New Year. Upside-down 'Fu’ Character

Not all luck-bringing pictures are fat baby pictures. Some are four-character-phrases that express traditional sentiments(感情) for a rich and bountiful spring. Still others are single characters, for example, the Chinese character \福)\

The character \families and even in rooms, people like to paste high the \on red paper.

Fu (福 ) is written on the paper squares, which can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the \as \becomes a pun that implies \arrived\of prosperous year.

The Chinese New Year is incomplete without the elegant and colorful decorations that adorn people's homes during this time. The favorite colors of Chinese New Year decorations are red and gold. Red symbolizes happiness while Gold symbolizes wealth. These two colors are predominant in most Chinese New Year decorations and greeting cards. Doors and windows are often given a fresh coat of red paint on Chinese New Year. People in China adorn their front doors with Chinese decorations and Spring Couplets, which are fragrant with fresh India ink, to give the feeling of life's renewal and the return of spring.

Words and Expressions:

【春节的特殊词】

春节 The Spring Festival 农历 lunar calendar

正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar 除夕 New Year's Eve; eve of lunar New Year

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初一 the beginning of New Year 元宵节 The Lantern Festival

【春节的风俗习惯】

过年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival

对联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry 春联 Spring Festival couplets 剪纸 paper-cuts

中国结: the Chinese knot

买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping 年画 New Year paintings 敬酒 propose a toast

灯笼 lantern: a portable light 烟花 fireworks

爆竹 firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.) 红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming year.)

舞狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.) 舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests) 戏曲 traditional opera

杂耍 variety show; vaudeville 灯谜 riddles written on lanterns 灯会 exhibit of lanterns 守岁 staying-up 禁忌 taboo

拜年 pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit 去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune

祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors

压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift 【春节文化】

辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year

扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

【春节食品名称】

年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake 团圆饭 family reunion dinner

年夜饭 the dinner on New Year's Eve 饺子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding 汤圆 Tang-yuan

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Christmas Decorations

Where Did All These Christmas Decorations Come From? We love them; we buy truckloads of them every holiday season. So where did all the Christmas decorations come from? Here are some facts about a few Christmas decorations that might amaze you. The Christmas Decoration of Stockings In medieval times, St. Nicholas's Day was celebrated on December 6th. Tradition says that on St. Nicholas Eve, St. Nicholas would drop down the chimney to fill up children's stockings and shoes with treats-and thus the stocking became a familiar Christmas decoration. Today's Christmas traditions are similar. Each child hangs a stocking over the fireplace where Santa will enter on Christmas Eve and fill them with candy and presents. Electric Christmas Lights are a Recent Christmas Decoration. Did you know that Thomas Edison invented the first electric Christmas lights? Who would have thought that he would have invented one of our most beloved Christmas decorations? It is said that Edward Johnson, the vice president of Edison's company, decided to adorn his Christmas tree with eighty red, white, and blue bulbs. And presto! The Christmas decoration of Christmas lights was born! Christmas Trees are the Ultimate Christmas Decoration. St. Boniface, born in 680 A.D., is often credited with the fir tree's being associated with the Christmas celebration. Christmas tradition says that he happened upon a human sacrifice that was taking place at the foot of an oak tree. In anger, he felled the tree with an axe. In the ruins of the great oak was a single fir tree. He pointed to the fir and told the idolaters that they should cease their wicked ways and only worship Christ, the bringer of life \green.\The Germans probably originated and popularized the Christmas tree. The earliest written record of an evergreen tree being decorated for Christmas is 1521. Today, the Christmas tree is still a symbol of peace and eternal life-the central Christmas decoration. Christmas Cards are a Cheery Christmas Decoration. Did you know that the first Christmas card was probably made in 1843 at the request of Sir Henry Cole? But it was a Christmas decoration that had a controversial beginning. It turns out that Cole's Christmas card was a disaster. It contained a middle panel of a family--with a child!-- sipping wine together while enjoying each another's company. A child drinking wine! No way would the public condone such a thing. According to Christmas tradition, Cole's Christmas card was so controversial that it drew public attention and became an instant hit. Without the

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negative publicity, Christmas cards might not have become a favorite Christmas decoration. Aren't we glad they did? The Poinsettia is a Beautiful Christmas Decoration. The poinsettia has become the Christmas flower. The star of the leaf of this lovely Christmas decoration is said to represent the star that stood over the Christ Child. Likewise, the red flower signifies the blood that Christ shed for each of us. The Wreath is an Old Christmas Decoration. The symbolism of the wreath has been popular for centuries. In this Christmas decoration, the circle or ring shape is said to be symbolic of eternity or eternal life, because the shape has no beginning or end. In ancient Rome, this symbol became so powerful that people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory. Some believe that this is where the Christmas decoration of wreaths on doors came from. The Christmas decoration of the Advent Wreath is unique. From Germany, the ancient use of the Advent Wreath spread to other parts of the world. The Advent Wreath is a Christmas decoration made of four violet or rose candles in a circle of evergreens with a fifth candle in the middle. Each day at home, the candles are lighted before the evening meal, one candle for the first week, and then another each succeeding week until December 25th. The last candle is the middle candle of the wreath. The lighting of this candle takes place on Christmas Eve and represents the birth of Jesus Christ, the light that illuminates a dark world. A beautiful and highly symbolic Christmas decoration! Christmas Candles...a Christmas Decoration we cannot do without The Christmas decoration of Christmas candles placed in windows dates from the beginning of Christianity. Candles in medieval times were often lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize Christ, the light of the world. These Christmas decorations were supposed to burn throughout the night to mark the path to the Nativity , in other words, lighting the way for Mary and Joseph. This ancient custom continues today in European countries such as France, England, Ireland and Denmark. Many people still place these Christmas decorations in each front window of their houses as a welcoming symbol of friendship. Christmas Bells--Another Ancient Christmas Decoration. Christmas bells might pre-date Christianity by centuries. In the book of Exodus, Moses wrote, \sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die.\always produced joy and excitement. Bells were used in religious services long before Jesus' birth.

Since then, these Christmas decorations have been in churches in every land ringing out the glad tidings of great joy of the coming of the Lord. According to some Christmas traditions, bells were supposed to ring on Christmas Eve for an

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entire hour before midnight as if to warn the powers of darkness of the approaching birth of the Savior. Then, right at midnight, the bells' message would change to a joyous peal, ringing out the news that Christ is born!

The Christmas Decoration of Ornaments Did you know that Christmas ornaments had their origin in props for religious theatrical plays about Adam and Eve? These ancestors to our modern-day Christmas decorations were initially apples hung on the Paradise Tree to represent our first parents' expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Later, prop designers hung wafers on the Paradise Tree to represent Christ's redeeming sacrifice. But the Germans were the ones who really made ornaments a favorite Christmas decoration. Germans made ornaments of cookies, bread, nuts and other delicious foods. In fact, the German Christmas tree was decorated with so many sweets it was nicknamed the \

Over time, other Christmas decorations such as small gifts filled the tree. When German immigrants arrived in America, they brought with them their Christmas decoration traditions with them, and the idea of ornaments on trees caught on fast. Later, these Christmas decorations got a big boost when F.W. Woolworth reluctantly began selling ornaments one Christmas and sold out in two days. That remarkable success convinced him of the Christmas decorations' profitability, and he began traveling to Germany to stock his stores with ornaments each season. Candy Canes are a Delicious Christmas Decoration We love their sweet flavor, but the Christmas decoration of candy canes goes back 2,000 years. This Christmas decoration is linked to the shepherds' staff. In fact, Christmas tradition states that the candy cane was created to honor Jesus. If the candy is held upright, it clearly has the shape of a shepherd's staff, and Christ is the Good Shepherd who always watches over his sheep. If the candy is turned upside down, it becomes the letter \

And this Christmas decoration has more meanings. The candy cane's stripes symbolize the stripes, or whipping, that Christ received before He was crucified. The candy cane was made with red stripes, to represent the blood of Jesus that washed away our sins, and white stripes representing Christ's ability to make us pure as snow.

Although there are many varieties of candy canes today, they are not true candy canes unless they are red and white and thus tell the story of Jesus. The Nativity Scene is an Enduring Christmas Decoration. No Christmas decoration better visualizes the scriptural account of Christ's birth than the nativity scene. These Christmas decorations can be traced back to the 4th century A.D. Eight hundred years later St. Francis of Assisi popularized the nativity scene. He is said to have constructed a life-sized manger scene with live animals. In those early years, the Christmas decoration of nativity scenes was simple, focusing on the baby Jesus Christ and His mother Mary. Joseph was added later, as were the

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three wise men.

Over time, this Christmas decoration became more elaborate; some nativity scenes contained hundreds of figurines. Since those early days, nativity scenes have grown in popularity. Formerly, you could only admire these Christmas decorations in a church setting, a town square or a palace. Now, you can find nativity scenes everywhere-you may even have one of your own. Fruit as a Christmas Decoration Fruit has long been associated with Christmas and used as a Christmas decoration. In Europe fruits, nuts and gingerbread were popular Christmas gifts. In fact, in Europe and Britain, early Christmas decorations for Christmas trees were apples, hard pears and nuts. But fruit as a Christmas decoration had to be used sparingly because of scarcity and rotting; only locally grown and plentiful fruits could be used as Christmas decorations, and those usually became part of the Christmas feast.

Christmas Vocabulary

advent: the arrival of someone or something important ,到来，出现

Advent：the coming (or second coming) of Jesus Christ; the month leading up to Christmas， 基督降临，基督降临节 nativity：the birth of a person

Nativity: the birth of Jesus Christ 耶稣诞生日

angel：a spiritual being acting as a messenger of God (usually shown as a human being with wings)

chimney: a vertical pipe in a house that allows smoke and gases to escape from a fireplace (Father Christmas traditionally enters a house through its chimney) Christian: a person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective, 基督徒

Christianity：the religion based on the teachings and person of Jesus Christ，基督教 Christmas carol：a religious song or popular hymn that people sing at Christmas，圣诞颂歌

shepherd：a person who looks after sheep

egg-nog：a traditional Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk蛋酒

frankincense：a gum used for incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus乳香gold：a yellow precious metal, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus

holly: an evergreen plant with prickly dark green leaves and red berries 冬青树

mistletoe: a parasitic plant with white berries, traditionally used as a Christmas decoration，槲寄生

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manger: a trough for food for horses or cattle (used by Mary as a cradle or bed for Jesus)马槽、牛槽

tinsel：a decoration consisting of thin strips of shiny metal foil, traditionally used at Christmas，金属箔

myrrh：a gum used for perfume or incense, one of the gifts that the three wise men gave to Jesus，没药

Mary: the mother of Jesus

Joseph: the husband of Mary (the mother of Jesus)

Bethlehem: the small town in the Middle East believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ

伯利恒，耶路撒冷南方六英里一市镇，传说为耶稣诞生地。 the Garden of Eden：伊甸园

the Nativity scene：耶稣诞生场景

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The Cultural Contrast Seen from Spring Festival and Christmas

Spring Festival and Christmas are respectively the most important festivals in China and main western countries such as the Great Britain and the United States.These two festivals are the cultural markers of traditional Chinese culture and western culture，thus holding a significant position in the heart of people. However，they have different cultural connotations. Different Ways of Celebration The Spring Festival, the most significant traditional Chinese festival with a very long history, was originally January 1 in the lunar calendar, and the lunar Spring Festival is around the beginning of spring. Spring Festival lasts fifteen days, but the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. It has no religious background since it originated from either the customs of offering sacrifices to gods who helped with agricultural harvest or the celebration of human beings’ victory over a fierce wild beast named “Nian” (year). Traditionally, the Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, the Chinese character “Fu” (Gook Luck), firecrackers and fireworks, dinner on New Year’s Eve, staying-up, visiting, lion and dragon dances, stilts-walking shows, and symbolic food form the customs of the Spring Festival. Red is the symbolic color of this festival and is believed to bring bless. From one or two days before the festival, relatives begin to have family reunion feasts, and before a meal they fire firecrackers. The family reunion feast is very important, meaning harvest, reunion, and removal of diseases. After the feast, one family or all of the relatives watch TV, have talks, play chess, poker or mahjong, drink wines, and have refreshments. On the beginning of the New Year, adults and children wear new clothes, stay at home treating guests, or visit their relatives or friends. Relatives, friends and neighbors wish each other Happy New Year when they meet. However, at present, “New Year’s visit” is not so popular as before, and greeting by sending mobile messages began to become very popular a couple of years ago due to its convenience, rapidness and cheapness. Children usually receive red packets from their parents, grandparents, and relatives, who wish them safe, healthy and fortunate. Tang yuan, jiaozi, noodles, nian gao, and eight treasures rice pudding are foods that symbolize reunion, prosperity, completeness, and health. Assorted candies, red dates, peanut candy, sunflower and red melon seeds are popular refreshments during the festival. For Christmas, bright fires, the holiday feasts, visiting friends, decorating Christmas trees, sending Christmas cards and exchanging gifts, parades with floats

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and cartoon characters, carolers, and the church processions form Christmas celebrations. Christmas feasting is an important part of the Christmas celebration throughout the world. Today, roast turkey is the most popular main course in the West. Fish is the feature of Christmas Eve dinner in a number of countries. Vegetables, relishes, hot breads, and a variety of other dishes accompany the main course of the Christmas everywhere. Favorite desserts include mince pie or pumpkin pie, plum pudding, and fruitcake. Eggnog is a popular Christmas beverage in many homes. Most families have feasts at home because restaurants are generally closed for several days. Until today, Christmas feasts were much richer than daily meals. People may hold secular parties at homes with different themes. Many people attend church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. The traditional colors of Christmas are green and red. The customs of sending Christmas cards and giving gifts to relatives and friends are part of their year-end celebrations. In recent years, Christmas has become commercialized and secular, but it is still a time for celebrating Jesus’ birthday, reunion with family and friends, and having sumptuous food and great fun.

Different cultural connotations

1 Ancestor reunion and the family reunion

Spring Festival is a festival for family reunion, which is similar to the western Christmas, but basically there are different cultural connotations between Spring Festival and Christmas. Spring Festival is a reunion for both the dead and alive. For Chinese people, they have special relationship with their ancestors in that they want to get the protection of the dead while their ancestors want to be worshiped after death. When it comes to Christmas, it is only a day for family reunion. At Christmas Eve, all the family members will meet together, attending the Christmas party and enjoying the dinner to calm their busy life temporarily. Christmas has no important meaning for the dead who are not as well respected as those in China, because the western Unitarian has enable people to take God as the only ruler of everyday things in the world and their family members after death will go to Heaven so that they don’t need the special care from their family.

2 Non-religiousness and religiousness

Strictly speaking, Chinese people in general have no definite religious belief. The so-called conviction is only the superstitious worship of gods and spirits in a low level and usually different people have their own gods to worship. Christmas means that Christians go to church for worship ceremony to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It Is nothing difficult to see its religious colour. People in the West go to worship the God’s son Jesus Christ .This worship is based on the spirit of the mind, the ideal of faith, and to them life itself is the process of achieving the ideal .

3 Secularism and non-secularism With the development of society, some Chinese traditional festivals tend to be

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more and more secular. Take the “ya sui qian” (i.e. money given to children as a lunar New Year gift ) for example, during Spring Festival, giving away “ya sui qian”is a very popular custom among Han nationality. It has its cultural connotations like avoiding of the coming of evil spirits and of the increase of age, but in the real life, this activity has increasingly become a practice for money , and what is worse, people usually vie with the money they have given to the young children. In the west, people lay more emphasis on the friendship in the social contact and the emotional value is more shared when they exchange gifts with their friends. For example, at Christmas, people will give Christmas cards with blessing words written in or some exquisite gifts which express their friendship in spite of low price.

4 Ancestor worship and God worship Spring Festival is a reunion for both the dead and alive. Chinese ancestor worship has a long history. The ancestor thought that the soul was alive and could protect the alive but needed their worship. The purpose is to let offspring attain a shelter from their ancestors. It is thought that the folk ancestor’s soul can protect their offspring and make them and their family prosperous. Therefore, people usually worship their ancestors during the festival hoping to get secret protection from them. In the west, there are no such customary ideas like those of China after the Christianity civilization has entered. Even the king’s funeral and mausoleum can’t be compared with the sacrifices of the dead offered by the alive in China. Christianity thinks that God is omnipotent and all-pervading; in front of God each is equal, poor or rich, humble or noble, and is responsible for God only. To sum up, it is possible to know that there are huge social and historical cultural differences between China and western countries, which may facilitate the cross-cultural communication. Therefore, it is of great importance to bear in mind the clear difference between Spring Festival typical of the traditional Chinese culture and Christmas representative of the western culture. Only in this way, can the cultural exchange between China and western countries be enhanced, public awareness of the rich traditional Chinese culture be raised and different cultures in general be respected and tolerated.

Words and Expressions:

refreshments: food and drink点心

egg-nog: a traditional Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk Unitarian: a member of a branch of Christianity who does not believe in TRINITY (基督教中不信三位一体的)唯一教派（信徒） secular： adj 非宗教的，世俗的 secularism: n. 世俗主义 vie: 竟争

mausoleum陵墓（名人或要人之陵墓） omnipotent: 全能的，万能的

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