Searcy (LP) Every nation has its own traditional festivals. Christmas is the most important red-letter day in the western world while the Spring Festival which is also called Chinese New Year is the major holiday celebrated in China. Those festivals give people a chance to be away from everyday worries and regular works. Both of them are also the good times for families gathering at the end of the year. There are also some differences and similarities between these two family gathering festivals.
As one of the most important festivals in western countries, Christmas is a religious holiday linked to the Catholic religion. However, Spring Festival is linked to the rural life. According to Chinese mythology, the origin of the Spring Festival dates back to an ancient legend that tells of a monster named Nian who once a year used to go to the villages to eat livestock and children. This terrible monster was being banished by using red-colored objects and loud noises, which frightened him. For this reason, in China it is usual to greet the arrival of the new year with fireworks and the use of the color red. Spring Festival emphasizes the importance of honoring one’s ancestors. Christmas is always on December 25th and the date never changes. Students often have Christmas break for only 2 weeks. “ Our Christmas holiday starts on December 23rd and finishes on January 9th. So it is two weeks and 4 days more.” said Alyssa Dodson, a 10th-grade student at Searcy High School. Spring Festival lasts a whole 15 days and the date changes every year. The Chinese student Chen in Harding Academy said Spring Festival is included into the winter vacation which usually starts in January and finishes in March. It’s the longest holiday for students.
Both of these festivals bring families together. Once families have gathered, the best way to celebrate the holiday is eating and drinking together. When family members eat together, they have the chance to communicate with each other, thus narrows the distance between family members. Typical Christmas food includes turkey, nuts, sweets and cakes. “ My family usually have baked ham, burritos, fish pie, tikka masala and potatoes on Christmas eve. Desserts such as gingerbread men cookies are also very popular in my family. ” said Heidi Haddix, a student at Cross Pointe Preparatory. The certain foods of Spring Festival for their symbolic meaning often linked to their name or their appearance. The typical dish of the festival is dumplings which filled with meat and vegetables. Their shapes remind people of the ancient Chinese coins and therefore represent wealth and prosperity. “North and South parts of China have different traditions. I am from South part of China, so we usually have fish as our main dish on Spring Festival. North part likes dumplings more than the fish.” said Chen.
Although, the East and the West may seem like two completely different worlds, comparing their most important holidays makes their common aspects evident.
