In China, only about one percent of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. However, over the last two decades, Christmas has been steadily gaining popularity in China. Especially in major cities, it has been a big commercial success. You can find Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and in shopping malls and kids can take pictures with Santa Claus (in Chinese 圣诞老人 = shèng dàn lǎo rén).
Most Chinese people do not celebrate Christmas at all. Especially in rural areas, where Western and Christian influence are negligible. Christmas is not a public holiday in mainland China. Most Chinese people who celebrate Christmas do so as a happy occasion for get-together of friends, relatives and couples. Christmas parties might be held at a friend’s house, a karaoke bar or restaurant and many younger Chinese see it as a romantic holiday for couples to exchange gifts.
A tradition that’s becoming popular on Christmas Eve, is giving apples. Many stores have apples wrapped up in colored paper with messages printed on the skin for sale. People give apples on Christmas Eve because in Chinese Christmas Eve is called 平安夜 (píng ān yè), meaning peaceful or quiet night, which has been translated from the carol “Silent Night”. The word apple in Mandarin is 苹果 (píng guǒ) and sounds like the word for peace.
Only a few Chinese people have a Christmas Tree. If people have a tree it is normally a plastic one and might be decorated with paper chains, paper flowers and paper lanterns. The strange thing is, that most of the world’s plastic Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations are made in China, but the people making them might not have decorations like them in their own homes at Christmas.
How to say “Merry Christmas” in Chinese:
圣诞快乐！= shèng dàn kuài lè!
Post time: Dec-17-2019