Chinese-westernCultural Difference of Chinese New Year and Christmas从春节和圣诞节看中西方文化差异ContentsAbstract (in Chinese) .IAbstract (in English).III. Introduction .1 1.1. The history of the Spring Festival .11.2. The history of Christmas .3II.The comparison of the Spring Festival and Christmas.52.1. The similarities of the Spring Festival and Christmas.5 2.1.1. Joyous atmosphere .5 2.1.2. Family reunion 5 2.1.3. Commercialization .5 2.2. The differences of the Spring Festival and Christmas.5 2.2.1. Time .6 2.2.2. Celebration and decoration.6 2.2.3. Food .12 2.2.4. Connotations of gifts .132.2.5. Taboos and superstitions .15III. The cultural connotation of Chinese-western festival .16 3.1. The spirit of the Spring Festival and Christmas .17 3.2. The aim of the traditional festival .18IV. The reasons for differences of the Spring Festival and Christmas .19 4.1. Religion and belief .19 4.2. Ethical culture .20V. The interaction of the Spring Festival and Christmas.21VI.Conclusion .21Notes .22Bibliography .231摘要中国和西方国家的文化存在着各个方面的差异，传统节日文化是其中重要的一项。节日文化博大精深，各国的节日风俗是约定俗成的，有着各自鲜明的民族特色和丰富多彩的表现形式和内涵。本论文从中国的春节和西方的圣诞节比较的角度，分别介绍了春节和圣诞节的历史起源，节日时间，庆祝活动，节日聚餐，赠送礼物，伦理道德，节日禁忌等方面的差异，较为全面的论述了中西方文化间存在的文化差异，并分析了存在各种差异的原因及中西方节日的互相影响和交融。 为了更好的支撑这一主题，该论文分为六大部分：第一部分深入介绍了春节和圣诞节的历史起源；第二部分详细分析了春节和圣诞节的相同点和不同点; 第三部分主要分析了中国春节西方圣诞节的文化内涵；第四部分分析了春节和圣诞节文化差异的原因；第五部分介绍了和春节和圣诞节的互相影响；第六部分为结论，重申主题。 关键词：春节;圣诞节；文化内涵；文化差异Abstract There are aspects of differences between Chinese and western cultures. Traditional festivals are one of the important differences. Festival culture is very profound. The festival customs in dissimilar countries are established by usage, with the own distinct nation feature and rich presentation forms and connotation. This paper provides a comparative discussion of cultural aspects through Chinese Spring Festival and western Christmas. It gives a detailed comparisons of the festival customs from the perspective of origin time, celebration, food, gift, ethic, and taboos etc., and also discusses the cultural differences exist in Chinese and western culture overall, as well as the kinds of causes behind it and the interaction of Chinese and western culture. To support the thesis, the paper is divided into six parts. The first part gives a in-depth introduction to the history of the Spring Festival and Christmas. The second part analyzes Chinese New Year and Christmas in detail of the similarities and differentia; The third part mainly analyzes the cultural connotation of Chinese New Year western Christmas; The four-part analyzes the reason for Chinese New Year and Christmas cultural difference; The fifth part introduces with the mutual impact in Chinese New Year and Christmas; The sixth part is a conclusion, reiterating the thesis of the paper.Key words: spring festival; Christmas; cultural connotation; cultural differences III. Introduction 1.1. The history of the Spring FestivalSpring Festival, the Lunar first day of the first lunar month, known as the Moon, commonly known as the New Year. This is the most impressive people, the most popular traditional festival. The long history of the Spring Festival, which originated in the Shang period the year draws to a close servicemen and the memorial activities.Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to catch up with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Years Eve and New Years Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the