But do Chinese people celebrate Christmas? The answer is yes…and no. Like the rest of the world, Christmas Day in China is on December 25th each year. However, Christmas traditions in the country are relatively young and it is mainly celebrated as a commercial season instead of a religious day.
It's tradition to eat an apple on Christmas Eve
One of the most common Chinese Christmas traditions among young people is to send cellophane-wrapped apples as gifts to their friends. The apples are also often sold with printed messages like 'love', 'peace' and 'Merry Christmas'.
Many young Chinese enjoy Christmas parties with their friends and exchange gifts. A new trend in China on Christmas Eve is to give apples to your friends. Apple in Chinese is 苹果 (píngguǒ) and Christmas Eve in Chinese is often called 平安夜 (Píng'ān yè, literally meaning safe night).
Yes they do. BUT it's quite different from how Westerners celebrate their most cherished holiday, so read on to learn more about what Christmas looks like in China!
Santa Claus in China
The Chinese call Santa Claus sheng dan lao ren, which translates to Old Christmas Man.
Christmas in China is a Valentine's Day for the Young
Many younger Chinese see it as a romantic holiday for couples to exchange gifts and date. Ice skating and amusement parks are popular spots during the festival.
The small number of Christians in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jie, which means Holy Birth Festival. They decorate their homes with evergreens, posters, and bright paper chains. The family puts up a Christmas tree, and decorates it with beautiful lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains that symbolize happiness.
There are a couple of countries which have adopted Christmas as an official holiday, but in most of them, it's rather secular event and not a religious one. In big Asian cities, however, you can often see lavish Christmas decorations, hear Christmas carols or even meet Santa Claus (or a variation of his).
But do Chinese people celebrate Christmas? The answer is yes…and no. Like the rest of the world, Christmas Day in China is on December 25th each year. However, Christmas traditions in the country are relatively young and it is mainly celebrated as a commercial season instead of a religious day.
It is said that eating a peace apple on Christmas eve will bless you with a safe and peaceful year ahead. This tradition of gifting peace apples or “Ping'anguo” on Christmas Eve has become so popular in China that the price of apples rises every December 24.
Chinese Buddhism and Folk Religions
China has the world's largest Buddhist population, with an estimated 185–250 million practitioners, according to Freedom House. Though Buddhism originated in India, it has a long history and tradition in China and today is the country's largest institutionalized religion.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Christmas is on its way and many people hold gift exchanges with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc. However, it is still relatively new to celebrate Christmas in China. Instead, it's much more common for the Chinese to exchange gifts on Chinese New Year.
While the first Christmas celebration on record was in 336CE, the first recorded instances of Christians in China date from the 7th century CE, as recorded by the Nestorian Steele, though there are no (as far as I could find) references to Christmas celebrations.
Green, red and gold are the most common colors of Christmas in the West. We decorate the streets, houses and shop windows with them. In China, red and gold are also the most typical colors. They represent prosperity and happiness.
The holiday season in Japan seems to be celebrated the exact opposite way as it is in western countries. In Japan, Christmas is the time for friends and couples to have parties, make plans to meet up for dinner and celebrate as much as they can.
Millions of people around the world celebrate this festival on the night of 31 December to 1 January. China began celebrating New Year only in the XX century, when the Communist Party of China (CPC) rose to power. 1st January in China is a public holiday.
The 'Kentucky for Christmas' slogan was part of a marketing campaign in 1974 for the chicken franchise, and now every year around 3.6 million Japanese people sit down to eat KFC fried chicken for Christmas.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
In the 1950s, as China became mired in the conflict on the Korean peninsula, Christmas came to represent the humanity of China's fighting force, the People's Volunteer Army, against the cold mass of “the invading American forces” and their capitalist masters.
Holiday Traditions of China
They decorate their homes with evergreen plants, posters, bright paper chains, and a Christmas tree, which they call a Tree of Light, adorned with paper lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains that symbolize happiness.