Chinese traditional festivals and western holidays

Lead-in Lead-in

ContentsContents

Pair OnePair One ：： The Spring Festival & ChristmasThe Spring Festival & Christmas

▼▼DebateDebate

Part Four: Double Ninth Festival & Thanksgiving Part Four: Double Ninth Festival & Thanksgiving

Day Day

▼▼Reading a poemReading a poem

Pair Two: Qi Xi Festival & Valentine’s DayPair Two: Qi Xi Festival & Valentine’s Day

▼▼Discussing

Conclusion

Part ThreePart Three : Tomb-sweeping Day &

Halloween

▼▼Blank filling

Look at the pictures and speak out the festivals it reminds you!

Christmas（圣诞节）

Christmas Tree

An old lady with Jiao zi

Spring Festival

（春节）

A clown (小丑）

A bat

A pumpkin lantern ( 南瓜灯）

Halloween

（万圣节）

Brainstorm

How many Chinese traditional festivals do you know?

Chinese traditional festival

Spring Festival （春节）

Lantern Festival ( 元宵节）Dragon Boat Festival （端午节）

Mid-autumn Festival （中秋节）

Qi Xi Festival （七夕节）

Double Ninth Festival （重阳节）

Tomb-sweeping Festival ( 清明节）

How many western holidays do you know?

Western Holidays

Christmas ( 圣诞节）

Easter （复活节）

Thanksgiving Day（感恩节）

April Fools’ Day （愚人节）

Halloween （万圣节）

Valentine’s Day （情人节）

1.The Spring Festival ( 春节）

2. Qi Xi Festival （七夕）

3. Tomb-sweeping Day（清明节）

4. Double Ninth Festival （重洋节）

1. Christmas （圣诞节）

2. Valentine’s day（情人节）

3. Halloween （万圣节）

4. Thanksgiving Day（感恩节）

P K

Compare the Chinese Traditional Holidays with

Western ones

Part One

The Spring festival is also known as the Chinese New Year, which is the most important traditional festival in China.

It falls on the first day of the

first Chinese lunar month .

Do you know the origin of the Spring Festival?

Celebrate the New

Year.

In ancient time, a demon(怪物） called “Nian” that lived under the sea would hurt people once a year on the new year eve.

It jumped out from the sea, attacked villages, devoured（吞食） people, animals and plants.

Origin

Demon Nian

The villagers gathered to discuss how to deal with “Nian” .Some people suggested that the demon was af

raid of loud noises, red color and flames.

Origin

Fireworks Dragon dance

So they lighted firecrackers, put on red couplets( 对联） on their gates, beat gongs ( 锣） and drums to drive “Nian” away. Since then, the custom and traditio

n of celebrating the Spring Festival born.

Origin

1. Spring Cleaning

Customs

From December 23rd in the Chinese calendar, people begin to clean their house to bid farewell to the old year and usher in a happy and fresh new year.

Do you know the customs in the Spring Festival ?

2. Write and paste couplets( 对联） on doors

Customs

3.The lion and dragon dancing

Customs

4.Set off fireworks

Customs

It is said that the evil spirits can be frightened to run

away.

Customs

5. Receive Gift Money

Children get money in red paper or envelop from their parents or relatives.

Customs

6. Greet each other

恭喜发财！红包拿来！

1. Dumplings ( 饺子 )

2. New Year cake ( 年糕 )

Do you know the food in the Spring Festival?

It means in Chinese the beginning of the new

year.

It means abundance( 富足） and wealth for househ

old.

3. Whole fish ( 鱼 )

Food

“Fish” in Chinese language is pronounced as “Yu”. It sounds like “ 余” . “ 年年有余” means t

ogetherness and abundance （富足） .

December 25 is the day that most Christianities celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

How did the Christmas originate?

In 1607, religious leaders all over the world met and reached an agreement that December 25 would be the Christmas day. Since then, most Christians began to celebrate Christmas.

Origin

1. Send Christmas Cards and songs

Customs

People send Christmas cards to their friends or family members to show their best wishes for a new year.

In the bible, Jesus was born at night, so the night of December 24 is known as the Christmas eve.

Origin

2. Receive gifts from Santa Claus

• Customs

Santa Claus is believed to be a fat jolly old man with a red suit, red hat and long white

beard.

He can come down from chimney on Christmas Eve and bring

children gifts.

3. Exchange gifts

Customs

Ancient religion believed that the first Christmas

gifts were given by Three Wise Men to the infant

Jesus.

1. Christmas TreeSymbols

President Bush’s wife with Christmas tree

It is covered with strings of colored lights, and the star on the top is believed to guide Three Wise Men

to find Jesus.

2. Santa Claus Symbols

Santa Clauses are studying.

Santa Claus sends parcel.

3. Christmas wreath

Symbols

It means the perpetuity( 永恒） of Jesus Christ.

4. Stockings Symbol

s

1. ( ) The origin of the Spring Festival is associated with a monster called “Nian”.

2. ( ) In the early December of lunar calendar, people begin to sweep the house for the new year.

3. ( )December 24th is known as Christmas Eve.

4. ( ) It is said that the Santa will knock the door and give presents to children.

Exercise: True or False Questions

√

√

X

X

December 23rd in the Chinese

calendar

climb down from the chimney

Debate :Should we celebrate the Spring Festival or not?

Pro. Con.

Nowadays, most of the youngsters observe Christmas holiday. Should we still celebrate the Spring Festival or not?

Yes!!!

No!!!

Part Two

The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It is also called Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qi Qiao Jie （七巧节） , the Daughter’s Festival （女儿节） . It is important day for girls.

Origin

A handsome but poor orphan who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. After his parents passed away, the boy’s brother inherited the house and the land. But all he had was an old ox.

Origin

As a cowherd, the boy had to work the farm fields and talked with his ox. With the ox’s help, the cowherd fell in love with the Emperor’s seventh daughter, Weaving Maid. Weaving Maid was good at handcrafting, especially weaving clothes. They soon had two children two years later.

Origin

However, the emperor missed the beautiful skies once woven by Weaving Maid. He ordered his daughter’s grandmother to find her and bring back to him.

Origin

As Weaving Maid was flying to heaven with her grandmother, the cowherd put on his ox’s hide （皮） and put their children into two bamboo baskets laced with（系上） his wife’s magical fairy clothes to chase after his love.

Origin

But the grandmother created a milky way （银河） in the sky to keep the lovers apart. They could meet each other once in a year on the day of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.

Origin

Therefore, it is hard to find magpies （喜鹊） on Chinese Valentine’s Day in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and Cowherd.

Origin

1. Overhear the Maid crying

Customs

It is said that under the grape-wine, you could probably hear the crying of Weaving Maid.

2. Five-colored Ribbons

Customs

Girls throw the ribbons on the roof so than magpie( 喜鹊） can use them to build a bridge.

1. Needle work

Symbols

2. Blossom water( 花瓣水） On the Chinese Valentine’s day, girls wo

uld put blossoms into a copper basin of water, which could absorb the essence of blossoms and do good to girls’ skin.

Symbols

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th February each year. Valentine was a priest(神甫） who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he stopped the young men from marrying.

Origin

Valentine realized the injustice of the decree, defied（违背） Claudius and continued to perform marriage with a young lady in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he put to death.

Origin

1. Send Valentine’s card

Customs

2. Exchange gifts between lovers

Customs

3. Kiss

Customs

1. Candy 2. chocolates

Food

Flowers

Symbols

Exercise: Match Column A with Colum B

Qi Xi Festival

Valentine’s Day

1.Chocolate

2.Five-colored ribbons

3.Needle work

4.cards

5.Blossom water

6.Weaving Maid

7.Emperor Claudius

A B

Discuss: If you were the Heaven

Emperor, what will do with the Weaving Maid and cowherd?

Part Three

Tomb-sweeping Day is a time to remember the dead and the dearly departed. More important, it is a period to honor and to pay respect to one’s deceased （亡故的） ancestors and family members. It falls in early spring. “Qing Ming” literally means “Clear Brightness”.

Origin

It is popularly associated with Jie Zi-tui （介子推） , who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Jie saved his starving lord’s life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small country, he invited his faithful follower to join him.

Origin

However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring to lead a hermit’s life with his mother in the mountains. Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. But Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death.

Origin

To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put on the anniversary of Jie’s death. Thus began the “cold food feast”（寒食节） , a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit. the “cold food” festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival.

Origin

1. Visit the graves of the ancestors

2. Sweep the ashes on the tomb

Customs

3. Go to the suburb (Ta Qing)

Customs

To breathe the fresh air and

enjoy the scenery.

1. All Souls’ Day

2. Clear Brightness Festival

3. Festival for Tending Graves

4. Grave Sweeping Day

Other Names

Around the eighth century, the Christian church made November 1 All Saints’ Day to honor all of the saints that didn’t have a special day of their own. It was called All Hollows （圣徒） .

Origin

The night before was known as All Hallows Eve. Eventually this name became Halloween. The legend said on that day night, the spirits would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year.

Origin

1. Parade 2. Costume parties

Customs

3. Trick or treat

Children dressed in costumes knock on their neighbors’ doors and yell “trick or treat” when the door opens. If the hostess don’t give the candies, the children will rush into the house and make trouble.

Customs

1. Carved pumpkin with a lit candle inside ( 南瓜灯）

(Jack-o’-lantern)2. Skeletons （骷髅）3. Bats （蝙蝠）

Halloween symbols and Food

4. Dried pumpkin seeds( 干南瓜子）5. Popcorn balls （玉米）

Halloween Symbols and Foods

Halloween is the holiday celebrated on the eve of . It is said that on this eve the would come back in search of to possess for the next year. People will dress in different and parade on the street. Children will knock their neighbors’ door and yelled “trick or treat”. If the hostess don’t give candies, they will rush into the house and .

Exercise ： Fill in the blanks with the information you get.

31st October

spirit

living bodies

costumes

make trouble

Part Four

The Double-Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and has a history of more than 1,700 years.

Origin

The festival is based on the theory of Yin( 阴） and Yang （阳） , the two opposing principles in nature. Yin is feminine, negative principle, while Yang is masculine and positive.

Origin

Among Chinese numbers, 1,3,5,7,9 are positive numbers and 2,4,6, 8 are negative ones.

Origin

Thus, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month is called Double-Positive or Double-Nine.

Origin

1. Climb the mountains( 登高）2. Admire chrysanthemums （赏菊）

Customs

3. Visit the Old Men House ( 看望老人）

Customs

1.Chrysanthemums tea （菊花茶）

2.Chrysanthemums wine （菊花酒）

3. Double-Ninth cake （重阳糕）

Food

1. Seniors’ day 2. Height Ascending Festival

Other Names

Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.

Origin

A small ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England and the passengers, most of whom were pilgrims（清教徒早期移民） , spent 66 days to arrive the mainland coast of Massachusetts （美国马萨诸塞州） .

.

Origin

They were faced with a grim( 残忍的） winter with sickness and little food.

Fortunately, the native Americans helped them with food, and helped them to plant corn, and in the autumn, the first crop was harvested.

Origin

The pilgrims gave a huge feast and invited the India Chief and his 90 people. In 1941, the Thanksgiving Day was established by Congress.

Origin

1. Thanksgiving parade2. Watching football games

Customs

Customs

1. Stuffed Turkey2. Pumpkin pie

Food

Exercise: Read the poem on Double Ninth Festival.

九日齐山登高 【唐】杜牧

江涵秋影雁初飞，与客携壶上翠微。 尘世难逢开口笑，菊花须插满头归。 但将酩酊酬佳节，不用登临恨落晖。 古往今来只如此，牛山何必独沾衣。

1. Chinese traditional festival originated from the wishes of safety and longevity, however western ones are associated with religion, mostly Christian.

2. The major activity in Chinese festivals is eating, however, the playing in western festivals.

3. Most of Chinese festival is aimed at the inheritance if Chinese traditional merits, while western festival is aimed at the entertainment.

Discuss: What difference can you get between Chinese traditional

festival and western ones??

What is the right attitude towards Chinese traditional festivals and western holidays??

1. Get to the history of Chinese festivals, and be in love with our motherland festivals; （热爱中国文化）

2. Comprehend and understand western festivals; （包容外国文化）

3. The most important is introducing our Chinese festivals around the world. （宣传中国文化）

Confucian University in Britain

Confucian University in the United

States

Confucian University in Japan

Confucian University around the world

There are more than 200Confucian Universities around 60 countries around the world !!!!!

1. What’s the history of Easter （复活节） ?

2. How do people celebrate April Fools’ Day （愚人节） ?

3. What’s the relation between Qu Yuan and Dragon Boat Festival （端午节） ?

4. What’s the story of Mid-autumn Festival（中秋节） ?

Homework

1 、 http://www1.china.com.cn/ch-jieri/ 中国网2 、 http://www.jieri.org.cn/ 中国节日网3 、http://www.cnhubei.com/200601/ca986250.htm 荆楚网4 、《西方传统节日与文化》 作者：耿卫忠 5、《中国传统节日及传说》（中英文对照） 作者：靳海林