CHRISTMAS IN CHINA

Over the weekend Cade had a school project called "Christmas Around the World".  He had to pick one country and then answer a bunch of questions about that country's Christmas traditions, etc.  Guess what country he chose?  If you said China then you are the winner!  It was a very beneficial project for all of us. 

Is Christmas celebrated in China??  The answer is yes and no.  A growing number of Chinese, especially young urbanites, celebrate some version of Christmas in China, but the central part of the holiday – the religious celebration of Christ’s birth – is not typically acknowledged nor even known because less than 5% of the 1.3 billion people living in China identify as Christians.

The ones who do celebrate by lighting their homes with paper lanterns, and they decorate their trees, which they call "trees of light", with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns.  As during Chinese New Year, they will display bowls of oranges and tangerines, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune.  The Chinese children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man.".  On Christmas morning, the children typically receive new clothes and a few toys from their parents, alongside the small gifts that Dun Che Lao Ren left in their stockings.  The Chinese also spend a lot of time with family during this holiday and they eat many special foods.

  

 

 

 

 

 

    

We were in China in January of 2007.  There were still several Christmas/Holiday decorations on display:

Hopefully you learned something while reading this post.  As I said, we learned quite a bit and are very thankful that Cade's teacher assigned this project.  Only 2 more days until Dun Che Lao Ren (Christmas Old Man) arrives!