Spring Festi'mas

• Source: Global Times
• [03:30 December 21 2009]
• Comments

By Barkley Su

Again, Christmas is here. It's in fake Christmas trees over wrapped empty boxes in big shopping malls, in perturbed restaurant sta¦ wearing Santa costumes that look awkward on them. And soon enough, it will be consummated with huge amounts of alcohol to be consumed in Sanlitun.

When I was a kid in Beijing, the only thing I cared about all year long was the Spring Festival. I'd save nickels and dimes so I could burn holes in other kids' winter coats with a bagful of fi reworks.

I guess around the same time when Titanic and My Heart Will Go On became irrevocably popular, Christmas crept in. It sticks and spawns among younger generations of Chinese people. Now more Chinese are used to the thrills in the buildup to Christmas, which usually comes a month ahead of the traditional Spring Festival. They don't just mark their calendars, they plan trips around it, make splashy purchases for it or make lifealtering decisions on the day.

Official recognition is missing, as most people won't even get a day off. Unofficially, some people may also go poohpooh against Christmas, who are probably the same proud folks that would like to see the total reincarnation of the Han Dynasty. They would say that being Chinese, we should only observe Chinese festivities, to show respect to our history and culture.

Personally, I fail to see anything un-kosher with Chinese having a good time over Christmas. It doesn't really matter that the majority of us are not aware of or have the intention to learn about its religious origin. Just like if other peoples want to celebrate the Spring Festival, they don't have to know that Chu Xi means eliminate Xi (evil creature from prehistoric myth) to earn their jiaozi. It will be nice though if everyone has done her or his homework about history. For most people, Christmas and Spring Festival alike are just decent excuses for us to relax and look back at a whole year's hard work with some relief. They are about families getting together doing fun things, regardless of the different cultural and historical specifi cs. 

And with deepening globalization, shrewd business people and anxious governments eager to see consumption pick up, I guess the onemonth long Spring Festi'mas celebration is just inevitable, a Chinese version of the American Thanks-Mas.

Well, why not? And don't worry. People will crave for moderation when they su¦ er from overkill. For me, I just don't like turkey.