Christmas in China is not usually a holiday in East Asia. However, lately there is a tendency to celebrate it, although not in the same way as in the West.
Therefore, in this article you will discover how Christmas is celebrated in China.
Are there Christmas decorations in China? 🎄
The Chinese don’t usually put Christmas trees in their houses.
But the streets of the most famous cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, etc.) and their shopping malls are full of Chinese Christmas lights and decorations.
Normally, every shopping center has a large Chinese Christmas tree, mostly for commercial purposes.
Who celebrates Christmas in China?
It is celebrated by Christians who live in China, although some of them are in hiding (in particular, Christians who support the Pope in the Vatican). The churches in China celebrate the Mass of the Rooster and are open all night.
It is also a trend among young people. In China, December 24th is a night for friends to meet or for couples to date.
Small gifts and congratulations are exchanged between them. They go to karaoke parties, to see the Christmas lights, and to restaurants and bars.
Is Santa Claus coming to Chinese Christmas? 🎅
In some houses he is, except that he is called Shengdan Laoren, which means “the old man of Christmas“. He leaves his presents in the socks of Chinese children.
No family dinner?
No, this one is usually reserved for Chinese New Year’s Day. In future articles on our website we will talk about the most important holidays in China.
Why is Christmas attractive to young Chinese people? ✨
Christmas for them is something exotic and different.
They even use any element that seems Western to them to represent Christmas. For example, 7 dwarfs, teddy bears, a merry-go-round, steam trains, etc…
Santa Claus, in many cases, is represented with a saxophone because they consider the saxophone a very Western instrument, although to us Westerners it seems a little strange.
If you are reading us in Christmas Festivities, we can only congratulate you on Christmas in Chinese… Shengdan Kuaile!