On December 25, many countries around the world celebrate Christmas. Around 2 billion people celebrate this holiday every year, with the festival the biggest celebration of the year for many in the west. Traditionally, for Chinese people, Spring Festival is by far the biggest occasion of the year. But in recent years, Christmas has been steadily gaining in popularity.
In recent years, Christmas in China has become a major annual event and a newly adopted festival in some major cities. Many streets feature Christmas trees, lights and decorations such as wreaths and banners, while you can even hear Christmas songs and carols over the sounds of noisy crowds doing their Christmas shopping.
Chinese Santa Claus offers candy kids at a catholic church in Beijing on December 25. /CFP Photo
However, the festive season is not all jolliness and merriment. There are some who are strongly critical of this recent phenomenon, as they regard China’s new-found Christmas cheer to be one step too far in terms of worshiping foreign festivals and customs. For many people, Christmas also does not have the same meaning that it does in Christian countries – it is simply an excuse for shopping, and for companies to make a handsome profit from newcomers to the holiday season.
CCTVNEWS took to the streets of Beijing to ask pedestrians for their views. We found out that people are actually not just simply obsessed with foreign culture, and they just want to share this warm time of year with their friends, lovers and families. Some of the answers are really funny, while some of them are touching. Click the video to see more, and share your thoughts about Christmas with us too.
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