Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Final Paper-first draft


Difference Between Chinese Spring Festival and Christmas in U.S.


        There are many differences between the Spring Festival and the holiday of Christmas. A festival is specified as a special occasion on which people may give thanks for a harvest, pay respect to the dead, and celebrate a culture. Every nation has its own traditional festivals. Those festivals give people a chance to be happy with family and develop friendships. Particularly, the Spring Festival and Christmas are important to Chinese and American people. However, there are many differences between the two festivals which are the different histories, celebrations and food.

        One of the differences between Chinese spring festival and American Christmas are their histories. Christmas is on December 25th which is the birthday of Jesus Christ. It is earlier than Spring Festival which depends on the moon. Also, it has an interesting story from the Bible. One day, an angel appeared to shepherds and told them a secret that a Savior had been born to Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem. Some intelligent men from the east used a mysterious star to find the baby Jesus and they sacrificed many treasures for the baby. In comparison, the Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st month of the Chinese lunar calendar. It originated in the Shang dynasty from people who had scarified for gods that protect the agriculture. Also, the Spring festival it has a mythic story that people believed that they putted animals on the occasion for gods who realize any goals as people wanted, and others believed that the moon was gods who made the daytime and night. For a long time an emperor announced that the moon had been used to sign the time that is why they have 12 months from. These are many mythic stories which are obviously differences between the Spring Festival and the Christmas’s histories.

        The differences between these festivals are celebrations. Chinese Spring Festival has many interesting things which including the decorations, pay a New Year call, and the gifts. New clothes, cute hair, and Spring Festival couplets are indispensable for Chinese people to prepare the Spring Festival. Furthermore, different cities have different ways of celebrations the Spring Festival. For instance, in my city, who are from YanCheng that is in JiangSu province, we have to burn joss-sticks for own ancestors who made own family, this celebration will be done three days, one day at home, and two days at outside. Also, a convention is importantly that most of people have to clear the home that will be spruce and wonderful for family. However, For American Christmas, most of people will decorate the Christmas tree and singing the Christmas music that are differences between Spring Festival which do not have official music and many gift cards will be sent out to family and friends, and house will be decorated as Christmas science. On another way, good relationships we have to pay a New Year call for every family as same Christmas day people will make a family party to develop the friendships. The gifts will be given to all children at the Christmas day by the mythical Santa who has a white bear, a red suit and rides the sled from the North Pole. Most children believe that Santa will give different gifts for different children who are excellent. It is different between the Chinese gifts from for children when they celebrate the Spring Festive. In china, the gifts will be called “HongBao” that put some money on the red packet for the children when elders firstly meet the children at the Spring Festival with blessing them will be much better than before. Meanwhile, the children respect their elders with blessing them will be younger. Furthermore, the fireworks are used on the everywhere, and some typical activities such as dragon lantern dancing and lion dancing are on the different cities.

        Finally, perhaps the most striking difference between spring festival and Christmas are food. As we know in china we have 57 races which have many different foods to celebrate the Spring Festival, but the Most of traditional food is dumpling at the breakfast that symbolize the peace of the world. At the Spring Festival we eat the dumpling with sugars. The dumpling has different styles which are circles and sectors that usually made by the children and women. In addition, different sugars will be most of children like, they use the “HongBao”(money) to buy sugars from the stores. At night, some luxurious deals such as chicken, fish, and bean curd can not be excluded, there are for some elders, and the Dou Fu are mostly suitable for very elders, because they could digest the stiff food. Particularly, in China most of fishes have bone that is different between the American. Turkey is the traditional food when America people celebrate the Christmas. The ham, pork and the vegetables followed by a flaming Christmas pudding with different sauces that is most of American’s favorite. An another traditional food is chocolate that is indispensable at the American Christmas day, also, chocolate will be used at different food such as Christmas pudding, chocolate cakes, and chocolate drink. However, alcohol for most of people at family is perfect. At night, they drink with family and watch the T.V that is wonderful.

        Not only every festival has different means, but also it is significant. Nowadays, people have made many culture associations that will promote more people to communicate the different cultures. As we knew the differences between Spring Festival and Christmas are histories, celebrations, and foot. Moreover, I hope more people will get the values from these two historical festivals which are symbolical.

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