Importance of festivals today (2)

But the problem is not as serious as the scholars portrayed it to be. The majority of people who love celebrating Western festivals were born in the 1980s or 1990s, and thus find them more acceptable because they are more exposed to foreign cultures and festivals than the older generation.

Young Chinese people like Western festivals because they suit their taste and lifestyle. Given the pace and pressure of life today, people look forward to spending some real leisure time with family and friends, for which Western festivals seem to be best suited. In contrast, Chinese festivals are more about traditions and customs such as family reunions.

Another reason why Western festivals are becoming increasingly popular in China is the rapid improvement in Chinese people's living standards. Chinese festivals, which are mostly about food (for instance, rice dumplings for Dragon Boat Festival and moon cake for Mid-Autumn Festival), have lost their charm also because we can enjoy these delicacies throughout the year. And people no longer need to wait for special festivals to put on new clothes and enjoy lavish dinners.

Besides, many foreign festivals also conform to traditional Chinese values such as filial piety (Mother's Day and Father's Day) and giving thanks for the harvest (Thanksgiving). But foreign festivals also owe their popularity to the media and businessmen. As Western festivals become more commercial owing to their popularity, especially in cities, businesspeople are making every effort to design targeted promotional activities. And this commercialization has, to a certain degree, twisted the original connotation of festivals and is misleading consumers by subtly forcing them to accept the festivals as part of their own culture.

So to revive the importance of traditional festivals among Chinese people, measures should be taken to enrich their meaning and glory. The essence of such festivals should be made part of textbooks to enable students to understand their importance for Chinese culture. In more ways than one, this would help younger generations to grasp the real meaning of traditional festivals and customs.

Moreover, foreign festivals, which despite their Western romantic connotations, conform to traditional Chinese virtues should be used to remind young people of the traditional values in modern life.

The author is a writer with China Daily.

Email: xiaolixin@chinadaily.com.cn.

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