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The Chinese love Christmas.
Don't get too excited. It's not what you think.
To them the religious aspects of Christmas are hazy. It has something to do with Jay-soo, but few know much more than that.
The Chinese government is tolerant about religion -- to a point. You can practice but you can't proselytize. Perhaps it would be accurate to say you can preach but not teach.
I don't know all the reasons behind the policy. I suspect in part the Communist Party doesn't want any potentially uncontrollable rivals. There's also some history. While missionaries are remembered to have done good work, they also represent the intrusion of Western values and power. The Chinese are quite sensitive to that. One of my students wrote on a recent paper, "I'm proud of being born in such a great nation, though it suffered a hard time and even was once bullied and shamed. That is long gone! We're conscious of our strong points as well as weaknesses and more, we are moving forward swiftly. One day the revival of our nation will shock the world."
The great majority of my students tell me they have no religion. They are materialists. That doesn't mean they are into the accumulation of worldly goods. It refers to a basic tenet of Marxist ideology. They've been taught this just as Americans learn about liberty and democracy in school.
I've told them people in America have different beliefs and levels of commitment to them. That we have people of strong faith and some who have none, but most Americans would consider themselves to be at least somewhat religious. Here in China there are far more similarities than differences. Diversity and variety are very difficult for young provincials to grasp.
But the Chinese love festivals. Christmas intrigues them. It is full of concepts they embrace. There is light and color, and these people have a whole festival devoted to lanterns. There is singing and joy, and the Chinese do karaoke even at funerals. There are peace and harmony, all very Confucian. The giving of gifts has deep meaning here, so the importance of that part of Christmas is readily recognized.
Santa Claus appears to be just below Mickey Mouse in popularity. His image graces the doors of many stores year-round. At first it was a bit disconcerting to see a thoroughly American Santa welcoming me to a typical hole-in-the-wall Chinese eatery, but now I see him as just part of the jigsaw Chinese cityscape.
Recently I showed my American Popular Culture classes "A Christmas Story," the 1983 classic about Ralphie and his tireless quest for a Red Ryder BB gun. You had to be there. The students laughed in all the right places. It would have been perfect to record a laugh track for a TV sitcom. Their uproarious responses had me in tears.
The following week they submitted essays on their reactions to the film. They were puzzled why the father went into the "smoky room." I failed to realize they have no grasp of basements or furnaces. Even their dormitories have no heating or air conditioning. I guess four people sharing a room generate all the heat they need in winter.
They thought the kids in the movie were admirably independent and creative, an example for Chinese children. However, they were upset with the bully. The Chinese abhor conflict. They appreciated the loving family. Many commented Chinese parents, especially fathers, do not openly express their emotions to their child.
Yes, that's singular. China has the one child policy so most of the students have no siblings. Although they acknowledge the necessity, the students envied Americans kids with brothers and sisters.
I heard unexpected "ahs" when the mother finished cooking Christmas dinner. They were fascinated by the big turkey which would be a great feast here. Ovens are quite rare. In a country that long ago consumed its forests most cooking, including in small restaurants, is done over one or two burners (which is why dishes parade out one after the other instead of coming all at once). The wok was developed for flash cooking using little fuel.
One of my American friends here offers the opinion the Chinese like Christmas because we buy so much of the stuff (his word was less kind) they produce. I'm not so cynical. The Chinese may not embrace the religious aspects but they still understand something very important.
As one of the students concluded in her essay, "The night on Christmas was so beautiful and the family were happy. I am happy too."
The problem is more complicated than what you think.
ReplyDeleteThe missionaries who have come to china are not only remembered to have done something good , but also things really bad. You can find some information on this webpage: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/zjxy/t36493.htm And religious belief is really a threat because the government wants us all to be Marxists.(Although apparently we are not marxists at all)
In fact, we are not materialists. They do teach us to be materialists，but what they do is to make materialism look like an unshakable fact by oversimplifying the idealism. Most of us never ponder over the real matter. All we have to be a materialist is arrogant, stubborn assertion of opinion or belief.
But there are more and more people who have waken from the dreams and found themselves actually believe in nothing and noboby. They are lost.
People in china are really lost. We do celebrate our traditional festivals , but we no longer celebrate them with the same old feeling. The forms remain still, but the spirits are gone far away. All we want of a holiday is some time to relax our weary souls.
The most important thing for us , I think , is to find our identities , to reconstuct our spirit. I'm not sure whether we chinese are ready for the western religions. Somtimes religion helps, sometimes it destroys.
Your assertion that people in China are lost is one worth exploring and discussing. I haven't felt that but I'm just skimming along the surface of your culture. Do you think many people share your opinion? Is it common among members of your generation?
ReplyDeleteVery common, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what others may say to you. But among us, many people feel like this way (although most people doesn't care about or realize such problems). Such assertions appear on newspaper and tv sometimes,too.
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