Lost in Translation

Like so many things here in China, a lot gets lost in translation but never more so obvious than at Christmas time.  Although we have seen it happening around the world, here it doesn’t seem to be a transition away from the emphasis on Christ in Christmas, it started that way.  I guess it should be obvious that this would be the case because this is not a Christian country and the government wants to keep it that way.  But the problem is that celebration is not a part of the Buddha religion and everybody likes a party, so why not borrow Christmas. 

Yes it is evident that it is Christmas time here in Shanghai.  In most buildings you will see a Christmas tree and some sort of a Santa representation, so in many ways it feels like Christmas.  It is inspiring to see the Christmas lights and the frivolity in the streets and it makes this time of year a festive time.  There actually seems to be more emphasis on the moon than on anything else.  This also should not be surprising as the moon plays a prominate role in the history of China and the life of the Chinese people.  Remember that the Chinese New Year’s celebration is actually a celebration of the new lunar year; and throughout history many temples were built for the sole purpose of honoring the Moon.

 One might think that you would see signs of preparation for the Chinese New Year but all focus is on the spirit of Christmas. 

                                                               Our Apartment

Like so many places in the world, the commercial side of Christmas gets the spotlight.  But the strange thing here is that Christmas in China is not a time for gift giving, and it is not a time for family get togethers, and it’s not a time to stuff yourself until you can’t do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV.  Actually it is not a time of celebration at all!  If Christmas day falls on a work day then people work, no greeting includes “Merry Christmas” unless a westerner is involved, and no plans are being made for travel to see your relatives.  All of this type of activity actually happens during the Chinese New Year.  At  the Chinese New Year, most people return to their home towns and enjoy time with friends and relatives much like we do at Christmas. 

So; no gifts, no special meals, no time with relatives, no thanks to Christ, only a superficial representation of the “Christmas Celebration”.  I must say that we do enjoy the lights, the Weinachts markets, the Christmas trees and the artificial snow.  What we will enjoy much more will be the visit of Tommy, Allison, Zack and Beckey; this is the true celebration of Christmas, the spirit of love and family!  We have been fortunate to have celebrated Christmas in many places in the world but there is nothing like being “Home” for Christmas.  It has been interesting to see the unique traditions of this time of year in places like London, Germany, Botswana, and Australia but the feeling here is much different; without Christ in the celebration it is only a party!