The Sping Festival and Christmas have much in common.Both are prepared beforehand to create a joyous atmosphere;both offer a family reunion with asquare feast;and both satisfy the childeen with new clothes,loverly presents and delicious food.However,the
Chinese Spring festival has no religious backgroind while Christmas has something to do with God and there is Santa Claus with white beard to bring children presents.The westerners send each other Christmas cards for greetings while the Chinese people pay a call on each other.
The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together,just like Christmas in the West.All people living away from home go back,becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival.Airports,railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees.
Strictly speaking,the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year.Of them,the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days.The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Christmas Day,the 25th of December,is the biggest festival celebrated in the Christian countries of the world.Christmas regard this day as the birthday of Jesus Christ,but many of the customs and celebrations are not of a religious1 nature.
In the large shops preparations for Christmas are begun five or six weeks before the actual day.Shop owners like Christmas because it is a time when people exchange2 presents.This means more goods are bought than at any other time of the year.In larger towns decorations3 are put up in the main street two or three weeks before Christmas---usually these decorations are lit up at night.
Preparations are also made at home.Special puddings and cakes are eaten on Christmas Day and these have to be made three or four weeks in advance4.Two or three days before Christmas,people decorate their houses with paper decorations and leaves and branches.People also like to have a Christmas tree in the living room.This is a very small fir tree decorated with silver paper and colored lights.
nowadays,some of the Chinese youth has begun to celebeate Christmas,following the example of the westerners.Perhaps they do so just for fun and out of curiosity.