Yesterday we had our first snowstorm, so winter is finally here. And now on my day off, I decided to sip on some hot cocoa and write a new blog post. A lot of people ask me if Christmas is celebrated in China. Just like in Japan, another country with a tiiiiny % of Christians, it is thanks to American values being exported overseas. But the meaning gets lost. It's just another day like Valentine's Day to go out and buy presents for people. At my school, we have some special Christmas days for students to come in and just play some games and win candy. A lot of students dressed up in costumes, some Christmas appropriate and others seemed like they were recycling their Halloween costumes. For example, a boy was dressed up as Captain America.
Now neither country has the day off on the 25th, so all the celebrating happens on Christmas Eve. In Japan, families eat KFC and Christmas cake. In China, all hotels and Western restaurants that cater to foreigners would have some kind of Christmas dinner specials As you can see, I went for a traditional meal while Anqi decided to go for some chimichangas. To be fair, they were quite delicious but a little unorthodox.
Also, for some reason, people buy a lot of masks and costume headbands.
Exhibit A: two people wearing blue devil horns. Why devil horns? Because why not? It kind of goes back to the boy wearing a Captain America costume and why Japanese people eat KFC and Christmas cake. That's their perception of what Christmas is to Westerners.
Like last year, some foreign teachers got together this year to enjoy our day off, since for us, our contracts better have Christmas as a day off. People cooked different dishes, while others chipped in to help offset the costs of that delicious yet expensive turkey. We had a Yankee Swap and played a fun, competitive game involving unwrapping presents with oven mitts that I would love to bring back to my family's Christmas parties.
Unsurprisingly, New Year's Eve is a big party night just like anywhere in the world. You still have all the lights up. All the bars are packed and have special performances. In February, we'll have the Chinese New Year and that will need its own post because it's in a league of its own.
Like last year, some foreign teachers got together this year to enjoy our day off, since for us, our contracts better have Christmas as a day off. People cooked different dishes, while others chipped in to help offset the costs of that delicious yet expensive turkey. We had a Yankee Swap and played a fun, competitive game involving unwrapping presents with oven mitts that I would love to bring back to my family's Christmas parties.
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