Christmas in Beijing, December 27, 2006
Is the world becoming more interconnected as a result of globalization? Well, yes and no. There is more blending of cultures as a result of globalization, but sometimes that blending triggers a reaction that calls for preserving the national culture from outside influences. A perfect example of this tension between nationalism and transnationalism is happening here in Beijing. I’m amazed at the extent to which the Chinese have embraced Xmas. Everywhere we go, there are Xmas decorations and brightly lit signs saying Merry Christma, Xmas trees and decorations for sale, and salespeople and servers in restaurants decked out in Santa suits and Santa hats. It’s like Whoville gone crazy. This is a perfect example of transnationalism, and like many transnational trends, it’s driven by global capitalism, the almighty dollar (or yuan if you’re in China). I’ve asked a number of taxi drivers in Beijing if they know what Xmas is about. They all have the same response: no. They’ve never heard about the Xmas story, about Christ, about the religious significance of Xmas. They just know Xmas is good for business.
Some Chinese have taken offense at what they see is a blind embrace of Xmas. In a recent Washington Post article, some Ph.D. students from some of China’s most famous universities wrote an open letter calling on Chinese to stop blindly embracing things Western like Xmas, and to start celebrating their own holidays and religions like Buddhism and Taoism. They are afraid that the worship of Xmas will weaken Chinese appreciation for their own traditions. This is an example of cultural nationalism, pride in their national traditions and customs.
The open letter triggered a vigorous debate among netizens in the large Chinese online community. Some Chinese responded to the open letter by saying that the Ph.d. students are taking the Xmas threat too seriously, and even criticized them for trying to restrict their lifestyles. To many Chinese, Xmas is just another fun event and another reason to celebrate and take the family out. They see the mixing of cultures as a good thing. They point out that they aren’t embracing the religious aspect of Xmas, just the commercial aspect, so it’s not like they’re surrendering their souls, just their pocketbooks.
