Why Christmas So Attractive?

Recently, a company in Dongguan, Guangzhou in China notified the staff not to celebrate Christmas in the company. The manager said, what they believe is Sinology, what they advocate is Chinese traditional festival, that’s why they don’t allow the staff to celebrate western festival such as Christmas. (24th December Nanfang Metropolis)

Qingming Festival, Mid-autumn Festival, Spring Festival…the celebration atmosphere for these traditional festivals gradually died away, but, Christmas and other Western Festivals become more and more popular. In recent years, more and more people advocate that we must all be on guard of the cultural aggression. This point pushes through the modification of holiday system to some extent. “Ban Christmas” demonstrated a kind of “Culture Discipline”. But, Can it completely be banned? I think, it’s Impossible and not necessary.

Comparing to the thousand-year history of Spring Festival, Christmas is quite a young festival, which is known to Chinese people in past 30 years. Why is it so popular? Obviously, it’s related to political civilization, advanced economy as well as mighty culture. However, the root is Christmas has the popular cultural factor which is liked by Chinese people. If we can throw away cultural discrimination and attitude of self-protection, Christmas is absolutely irresistible. Cordial Santa, always easygoing and makes us feel warm. That’s a little bit different from Chinese festival’s solemnities and formal.

Romantic. When we imagine our dear Santa climbing down the Chimney and putting the fancy gift in our prepared socks, we will feel very happy. It is like a beautiful legend. Thinking of our Chinese Traditional Festivals, people always have to take nostalgia and other things into consideration. That’s why Christmas becomes more and more attractive.

Relaxed. Spring Festival always makes us feel exhausted. Visiting relatives, sending gifts to each other, ceremonies and dining together... which are all unavoidable. But Christmas is different. No pressure, no mission, only one diner, and everyone can enjoy himself totally. What Christmas brings to us is relaxation and pleasure which is really treasure in contemporary society.

Warm, relaxed and romantic…these are brought by Christmas, which are expected by Chinese people but difficult to obtain. That’s decided by the cultural connotation but not religion property. So, don’t go to extremes, and make yourself enjoy it. Chinese should carry forward our traditional festivals, but not at the cost of banning other countries’ festivals. And just welcome some interesting festivals in other countries and have a good time.