the differences between Christmas and the Spring Festival

Differences between Spring Festival and Christmas

Spring

Festival

and

Christmas

are

both

the

most

important

festivals

for

the

Chinese

people

and

western

people. Because of the different culture, there are different ways to celebrate. What is the difference? So I chose

this topic to study, and gave this report.

Time

.

The

Spring

Festival

falls

on

the

1st

day

of

the

1st

lunar

month,

often

one

month

later

than

the

Gregorian

calendar.

Strictly

speaking,

the

Spring

Festival

starts

every

year

in

the

early

days

of

the

12th

lunar

month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, 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.

The

Spring

Festival

then

comes

to

an

end

when

the

Lantern

Festival

is

finished

Christmas

Day

is

on

December

25.

People

usually

have

two

weeks

for

this

holiday,

beginning

shortly

before

Christmas and ending soon after New Year's.

History

.

Spring

Festival

originated

in

the

Shang

Dynasty

(c.

1600

BC-c.

1100

BC)

from

the

people's

sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. Although no one knows

exactly when Jesus was born. Christians throughout the world celebrate His birthday on December 25. This date

was selected in the fourth century so that Christmas would replace the pagan celebration of the winter solstice.

Ancient peoples believed that daylight hours began to lengthen when the sun god started his journey back to earth.

They celebrated the beginning of his journey on December 25.

Home decorating

. In China, before the New Year comes, people completely clean the indoors and outdoors

of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their people begin decorating their clean

rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival

couplets,

highlighting

Chinese

calligraphy

with

black

characters

on

red

paper.

The

content

varies

from

house

owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth

will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance. The Chinese character

for

in

Chinese

the

fu

is

homophonic

with

comes

both

being

pronounced

as

What's

more,

two

big

red

lanterns

can

be

raised

on

both

sides

of

the

front

door.

Red

paper-cuttings

can

be

seen

on

window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall. Western

people

decorate

their

home

with

evergreens.

The

winter

custom

of

decorating

homes

and

churches

with

evergreens began in ancient times. Branches of fir or spruce were thought to bring good luck and guarantee the

return of spring. The early Germans believed, for example, that in winter evil spirits killed the plants and trees and

caused green leaves and flowers to disappear. They felt that bringing evergreens into their homes would protect

them from the spirit of death. Germans of the sixteenth century probably originated the custom of decorating trees.

In

the

nineteenth

century,

the

idea

spread

throughout

Europe

and

the

United

states.

Now,

at

Christmas

time

decorated trees stand in about two-thirds of American homes. The modern American tree is usually covered with

colored balls and strings of colored lights. The star on top represents the star in the east which guided the three

Wise Men to Bethlehem. In ancient times, a branch of mistletoe was hung over doorways for good luck. Today the

custom continues, but now it is for fun. A man may kiss any girl he catches standing under the mistletoe. The

poinsettia

plant

is

another

familiar

Christmas

decoration.

Its

star-shaped

red

leaves

are

an

ideal

symbol

of

the

holiday.

This

plant

is

native

to

Central

America

and

Mexico.

In

the

nineteenth

century

it

was

adapted

to

cultivation

in

the

United

States

by

Dr.

Poinsett

of

South

Carolina.

It

is

a

distinctly

modern

and

American

Christmas tradition.

Celebrating

.

In

China,

All

people

living

away

from

home

go

back,

becoming

the

busiest

time

for

transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance