Yes Virginia, Atheist China Celebrates Christmas
A Christmas tree is displayed in front of the National Stadium, commonly called the "Bird's Nest" stadium in Beijing. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)
Christmas in China appeared this year in the form of paper Santa heads splashed throughout cities, pine trees with ornaments erected in front of national buildings, and a flurry of performers in Santa suits at numerous venues.
A vendor waits for customers beneath Christmas decorations in Chongqing, China. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)In Chinese, Christmas is known as 圣诞节 (Shèng dàn jié) and is literally translated as the birth of the saint. While Christianity has been known to Chinese via missionaries as early as the third century, its public presence diminished significantly under Communist rule in 1949 and was essentially banned during the Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976.
It wasn't until the late 1970s, the the liberalization of China's economy and the loosening of restrictions, that churches were officially sanctioned in China.
Today depending on whose calculating, Christians in China number between 10 million to 130 million. That's a huge range, to be sure. The China Christian Council, the umbrella group for all Protestant churches in China stands by the lower number, claiming that foreign groups use higher figures to prove the necessity of their work. Meanwhile foreign groups claim that the numbers of Christians are under-counted in China.
(Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)
But given the number of decorative trees in front of national buildings, such as the Bird's Nest stadium, it would seem the government is also getting into the Christmas spirit.
In researching this post, I was struck by the image to the right of an elderly Chinese woman reading a bible in a makeshift church in Sichuan Province after Christmas Eve mass. Her church was destroyed in the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and ever since, members have had to make do with a temporary place at a makeshift house.
I'm not a religious person, but this image of Christmas in China, above all others, will stay with me for a very long time.
Comments
xmas in china has little to none religious meaning.
You have chosen the best word to describe china-Atheist.I agree with you on this point. But I can’t do the same with you on everything you said above,Chinese People celebrates the Xmas in a Chinese way,nothing about Religion. Actually Chinese got no blief about everything,as they just want to make it in income and position. Few care about the soul part.
“But given the number of decorative trees in front of national buildings, such as the Bird’s Nest stadium, it would seem the government is also getting into the Christmas spirit. ”
Did they really go that far?
I must point out that Christmas in the West is also largely secular and is celebrated by many non-Christian people. Most of the holiday’s customs and symbols are descended from pre-Christian European winter celebrations, so in many ways Christmas is only Christian in name, and even then one can call it by its ancient English name which is still heard sometimes: Yule!
I agree with many of the comments above: Xmas is way too commercial in the States. It is as religious as Santa is real.
About the poor rural Christians in China? I really doubt how many among them are religious or just superstitious. Sorry, I may be a little cynical but if you keep telling the world that China is suppressing the Christians, the world may think of China as a country of Mullahs. In the meanwhile the Chinese government treats Christianity as another Fa Lun Gong. Neither is true of course. But that how things can get screwy.
chinese christmas = revenue
The article was well researched and non-biased, very good reporting. I did a special two hour lecture for my chinese students in Henan Province which was called, “From the Sacred to the Secular” where I tried to give a balanced lesson showing two celebrations that are held each year around the world.
I see many beliefs in all countries so with christmas as with other major holidays that are more international they are often celebrated in different ways from country to country and from culture to culture.
In recent times business has generated a consumer culture around this holiday to increase sales around the world and most recently I see this in china more and more each year. I too was in Beijing over the holidays and actually took many photos for my class which can be seen at my myspace site.
However, as much as many try to reduce the impact of the sacred celebration, this holiday is still celebrated in the church, home and streets around the world, including china. We always have a mix in symbolism and this is just due to historial mixture and culture but I will have to say that christmas has always been and continues to be a sacred holiday for christians around the world in every country, inluding china.
But the secular side is fun and continues to bring in more business every year around the world so we will see this side grow very qui
But the secular side is fun and continues to bring in more business every year around the world so we will see this side grow very quickly as china’s market economy develops.
I really enjoyed my christmas in china as I have done for many years and next I look forward to enjoying china’s main holiday of the year called the Spring Festival. Best wishes to all for a happy new year in 2009.
www.myspace.com/chinaclay
Yes, I agree with Clay, you have given a very nice unbiased account of Christmas in China.
Thank you Lisa and Happy New Year.
As Clay said, “….bring in more business…”
That is the bottom line when it comes to Christmas. I really don’t think that the owners of Macys and Gimbels department stores were Christians but Christmas helped them achieve enormous success. To ignore it, or deny it, is just not good business.
Happy Niu Year everyone!