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Hover over the green Chinese Pinyin and a brief definition will pop up; click on the word to see it's Glossary definition. |
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imageschristmas in chinaChristmas has become a fairly big deal in recent years in China. In Jinzhou, many stores, restaurants, even the college, decorated their windows and walls with pictures of Santa Claus and "Wish You Happy Christmas" signs. Don't believe me? Below you can find photographic proof. Many companies, work units, students and friends threw Christmas parties just like back in the States. And it's just as commercial these days. Lots of gift-giving and Christmas Sales at the big department stores. Us westerners get invited to a lots of parties in the days leading up to and following Christmas Day. So it is one busy time. And I get scores of Christmas cards from friends and students in China. China has opened up to Christmas. The only difference for me is that school is still in session (no Christmas Breaks here, yet) and I am preparing final exams during this period. China has it's semester break prior to the upcoming Chinese New Year. So I have a full schedule of classes on Christmas Day so Christmas Mass is out of the question. (Jinzhou has two churches-both very western looking - a Catholic Church and a Protestant Church as did Suzhou. And no, they are not illegal. News reports from the west are greatly exaggerated.) In 1998, the Mayor of Jinzhou held a Christmas Party at which I was asked to give a Christmas Speech. To learn more about how Christmas is taking China by storm and how I've spent Christmases in China, check out the following pages:
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