@Quester, it's partly because those celebrations are heavily commercialised and businesses make people feel the need to buy their products. Just like make-up for women.
The Chinese approach to festivals is no different to the equally superficial approach that you would see in the West. It's just that it's in a different setting. Even in Europe, you'd have Atheists, non practising Catholics and Protestants, and Muslims celebrate the commercial version of Christmas, with advertised traditional meals, attire and exchange of gifts.
Yeah, in the West there are many people who celebrate some festivals devoid of their meanings, but there are also still other people alongside who do retain the meanings. In China though, I haven't really found any people who celebrate the Chinese festivals because of their meanings. Maybe there are, but I just haven't come across them yet.
Many of those meanings got lost during the Cultural Revolution. Some traditional Chinese festivals regained their significance in the Mainland only very recently, like the Mid Autumn Festival.
Some people say that Taiwan and foreign communities of Chinese that have emigrated before the Mao era retained a lot more of the meanings of Chinese celebrations and traditions.
True. Tragic when cultural traditions and their meanings are lost.
True. Tragic when cultural traditions and their meanings are lost.
I'm not sure meanings are lost (Though that can happen) so much as that they change. Example: Christmas, for many.
Many at Christmas now focus on the 'what' (presents, family, food - all nice ways to celebrate) but forget the 'why'. What do you suggest has the new 'why' changed to? Actually I don't think the 'why' has changed, it has just been lost for many people. That is the sad part.
In many places, from a primarily religious holiday to a primarily family&friends one. Over 1000 years ago it changed from a mostly religious marking of the Winter solstice to a (religious) Christian holiday. But then it, and other things, has different meaning for different people (for kids it may just mean getting more stuff, for many it may mean a good excuse to party, etc.)
Thanksgiving quite obviously means different things to different people (Americans, non-Americans, Native Americans, food freaks, family freaks, restaurant owners, patriots, Christians, patriot/Christian & Christian/patriot Americans who can't separate the 2 in their heads, etc.). For most people in the US I think it's probably an American-nationalist thing, among others, & is probably that for non-Americans who pay attention to it as well, though one without too much flag-waving - still, it's sort of used to sacralize the nation.
Hanging out with family & friends, getting more stuff, having a party - they are all still the 'what'. That's what I'm getting at, the 'why' has been lost.
I've never celebrated Thanksgiving Day so I can't really address that.
Maybe another example will help. Yankee00 said the Mid Autumn Festival has more recently regained its significance - so can anyone tell us what is the meaning in the lives of Chinese people today of Zhongqiu Jie (the 'why')?
Christmas is nice in that it fosters generosity. Its bad because it fosters waste. Chinese festivals are rubbish, but at least they don't waste as much - giving mooncakes and hongbaos rather than presents that people don't want. I don't know much about Thanksgiving, seems from the outside like a half Christmas - good dinner, but not much else. Happy Thanksgiving you United Statesmen and women of America!
