中西方节日的文化差异及对比研究
Cultural Differences in Chinese and Western Festivals
摘要：节日是世界各国的宝贵文化遗产，不同国家的节日反映着不同的文化背景。本文旨在讨论中西方节日的文化差异以及某些重大节日的对比研究，以达到促进跨文化交流的目的。关键词：节日；文化差异；春节与圣诞节；清明节与万圣节；七夕与情人节；对比研究
Abstract Festivals are precious cultural heritage of different countries, so different festivals can reflect different cultures. This article discusses cultural differences and comparison between someone in Chinese and western festivals, aiming to promote cross-culture communication.
Key words festivals; culture differences; Spring Festival and the Christmas Day; the Pure Brightness Festival and the Halloween; the Chinese Valentine’s Day and the Western Valentine’s Day
1. Summary
Festivals are precious cultural heritage of different countries. That is also the rea son why festivals in China and western countries have little in common. As a matter of fact, Chinese and western festivals serve as an intriguing window into their cultural differences. Their different origins and people's different ways to celebrate the festivals all reflect their cultural contrasts.
First of all, the naming and the origins of Chinese and western festivals are an indication of their totally different traditions. In China, many of our festivals are connected with seasons which have great influence on agriculture. New Year's Day, the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Duanwu Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chongyang Festival and Winter Solstice Festival are all examples. Take Duanwu Festival, for instance. Except for the explanations to honor the great poet Quyuan, many folk scholars believe that it originated from summer solstice and people's worship of dragons. In the fifth lunar month, crops begin to grow quickly. Obviously water is vitally important to agricultural production. While in ancient China, dragon was believed to be the god in charge of water. On the day of the festival, people raced dragon boats to please the god and offer him Zongzi. In this way, they pray for favorable weather for agriculture. As regards Chongyang Festival which falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, it is in the golden harvest season. All people are in great enjoyment of the exciting harvest. So we can see China has been a big country of agriculture since along time ago, and Chinese people tend to attach great importance to agriculture. Now let's see the origins of the western festivals. More often than not, we find the appearance of religion, especially Christianity. There are New Year's Day, Epiphany, Saint Patrick's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. They are all connected with religion. Good Friday is the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus, Easter is to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection and Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. We can see western festivals are covered with a strong color of religion.
What's more, people's different ways to celebrate the festivals embody their different values. In China, we pursue health, union, and harmony. Food is a main subject for the
