While Christmas is a religious holiday with connections to Christianity, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Chinese New Year celebration has links to agrarian society when the Chinese used to pray for success during the coming farming year. Later religious practices, like Buddhism and ancestor worship, also attached themselves to the Like Christmas, Chinese New Year is also a holiday with a rich history and many traditions. Here are some of the differences and similarities between Christmas and Chinese New Year. Here we are going to start our discussion on the differences and similarities of Chinese New Year and Christmas from the following aspects: Similarities. Importance. As Christmas is the biggest western festival, Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China, with a long celebrating history. Meaning. Chinese New Year is celebrated a few weeks after the Christmas holiday, but these major holidays have many similarities. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus for many, while Spring Festival is also based on a historic story. The Chinese New Year story tells of a monster that terrorized villages, and people were told to ward off [] Red is a beloved shade for Christmas and a lucky one for Chinese New Year. Marking beginnings. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and a time traditionally marking the “rebirth” of the sun. Lights After researching both Christmas and the Chinese New Year Festival, interesting similarities between the two unique celebrations came into fruition. For instance, both contain traditional meals, presents, feasts, decorations, songs, poems, God(s), folk lore, and are family oriented occasions. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and a time traditionally marking the "rebirth" of the sun. Lights. Both Chinese New Year and Christmas dazzle with plenty of lights in decorations and rituals. The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the major holiday celebrated in China while Christmas is the most important red-letter day in the western world. Those festivals give people a chance to Red is a beloved shade for Christmas and an auspicious one for Chinese New Year. Marking beginnings/endings. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and arguably the end of the year’s sun cycle. Lights What are the similarities and differences between Christmas and Chinese New Year? While Christmas is a religious holiday with connections to Christianity, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Chinese New Year celebration has links to agrarian society when the Chinese used to pray for success during the coming farming year. Chinese New Year is celebrated a few weeks after the Christmas holiday, but these major holidays have many similarities. A Time to Reunite with Family. To celebrate their New Year, Westerners usually go out to parties with friends or other large public events. In contrast, the New Year is the biggest chance for Chinese families to reunite (similar to how families get together for Christmas). What are the similarities and differences between Chinese New Year and Christmas? The Chinese New Year is similar to Christmas in the West in terms of family reunion. However, there are many different customs and traditions as well. The Spring Festival holidays have an official duration of 7 to 12 days. Between the holiday song I'll Be Home for Christmas and the Chinese saying 'moneyed or not, return home for Chinese New Year' (youqian meiqian huijia guonian), both holiday traditions embrace and New Years is a day that celebrates the end of a calendar year and the start of a new one. The date on which New Years is celebrated differs for every culture and religion, as they all follow their own calendars. For example, Chinese New Year’s is celebrated some time in March; while Hindu New Year is celebrated in October, and so forth. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and a time traditionally marking the "rebirth" of the sun. Lights. Both Chinese New Year and Christmas dazzle with plenty of lights in decorations and rituals. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with Dances of the Lion and Dragon in street parades. Lions and dragons are acrobats wearing colorful costumes. The dances are noisy in order to drive out evil spirits and bring prosperity and luck for next year. Chinese New year traditions regarding Food The typical Chinese New Year is celebrated with the family sitting together and having the New Year's Eve dinner at home. One of the dishes that will definitely be on the dinner table is Chinese dumplings, because they are shaped like the old golden ingots that were used as money in the old days, and they symbolize wealth and prosperity. After living in China for 3 years as V-Trust Sales Manager and 1 year in Vietnam as V-Trust Country Manager, I am happy to share my experience and feelings, even if, for sure, I don’t know everything and they may not be exhaustive. Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese New Year (called Tết in Vietnam) actually have a lot in common. There are some similarities and differences between Christmas in America and Chinese New Year in Taiwan. For example, the cultural backgrounds, traditions, and some conventional restrictions during the festival.
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