中英主要节日比较

1、A Comparative Study of Major British and Chinese FestivalsAbstract: Traditional festivals are regarded as a kind of cultural celebration of a nation, which greatly reflect its social development, especially folk customs. Traditional festivals not only convey the heritage created by the ancient peopl

2、e, but also mirror the wish and the belief they pursued. Traditional festivals are the best breakthrough point to learn a nations culture. They play an important role in a nations culture. This essay mainly deals with the comparison between major Chinese festivals and British festivals, analyzing th

3、e origins, formations and details of the festivals as well as the interactions between Chinese festivals and British ones. With an eye to improve the quality of intercultural communication and help people develop communicative competence, this paper is dedicated to the study of the characteristics a

4、nd the differences between Chinese and British festivals. Key Words: British Festivals; Chinese Festivals; Intercultural Communication中英主要节日比较摘 要：传统节日是传统文化和历史的凝聚。它深刻的反映社会发展的历史，尤其是反映 民间生活的风俗。传统节日即留下古代人民创造的价值，也反映他们的理想冤枉和追求的信 仰。传统节日在一个民族的文化中起着重要的作用，是了解一个民族文化的最好切入点。 通过对中英两国主要的传统节日的比较，分析中英的文化差异和特点，对进一步了解

5、中英两 国传统节日的特点和差异，改善在中英文化交流过程中跨文化交际的质量和效果, 提高人们 在跨文化交际中的能力有一定的现实意义。关键词：英国节日；中国节日； 跨文化交际CONTENTS TOC o 1-5 h z Introduction1 HYPERLINK l bookmark6 o Current Document The Role of the Traditional Festivals2 HYPERLINK l bookmark8 o Current Document Traditional Festivals in Culture 2 HYPERLINK l bookmark10

6、 o Current Document The Current Conditions of Chinese Festivals. 2 HYPERLINK l bookmark12 o Current Document The Influence from British Festivals 3 HYPERLINK l bookmark14 o Current Document Main Festivals in the Two Countries 4 HYPERLINK l bookmark16 o Current Document Festivals in Britain 4 HYPERLI

7、NK l bookmark18 o Current Document Festivals in England 4 HYPERLINK l bookmark20 o Current Document Festivals in Scotland 5 HYPERLINK l bookmark22 o Current Document Festivals in Wales 7 HYPERLINK l bookmark24 o Current Document Festivals in China 9Comparison between Chinese Festivals and British Fe

8、stivals 12Differences 12 HYPERLINK l bookmark26 o Current Document The Origins 12 HYPERLINK l bookmark28 o Current Document The Activities 13 HYPERLINK l bookmark30 o Current Document The Purposes 14 HYPERLINK l bookmark32 o Current Document Ethics 14 HYPERLINK l bookmark34 o Current Document Simila

9、rities 15 HYPERLINK l bookmark36 o Current Document The Way People Celebrate 15 HYPERLINK l bookmark38 o Current Document Cherishing Life and Harmony with Nature 16 HYPERLINK l bookmark40 o Current Document Conclusion 16 HYPERLINK l bookmark42 o Current Document Acknowledgement18Bibliography19Introd

10、uctionTraditional festivals are the carriers of a nations cultural values, reflecting the spirit and pursuit of a nation. The formation and development of the traditional festivals truly reflect the history of social development, especially the styles of folk life. Currently, the activities of celeb

11、rating British festivals by many Chinese people reflect a new way of consumption in China. New meanings have been put to traditional British festivals, because some Chinese people are interested in celebrating British festivals. Chinas opening-up policy and the trend of globalization offer chances f

12、or the popularization of British festivals in China. Compared with traditional Chinese festivals, it is said that British festivals are more likely to appeal to certain groups of young people; there is still huge space for Chinese education doing more about promotion of Chinese traditional culture.

13、There are floods of advertisements of modern information in media; some new generations do not agree with traditional culture. This situation exerts a great influence on building up these young people s philosophy of life and their senses of responsibility. It is of advantages to hold a positive att

14、itude towards reasonable consumption and a proper attitude towards traditional values. Aiming at this phenomenon, society should offer suitable guidance to the young generation and let them know more about the inner spirits and culture in Chinese traditional festivals, innovate the contents and moda

15、lity of traditional festivals, thus to help build their correct attitudes towards consumption. At the same time, the government should pay more attention to protecting traditional festivals both in forms and contents. As for the major festivals, legal holidays should be permitted for them. Reformati

16、on in the contents of festival culture is also in demand, which helps keep traditional festivals fresh and colorful. The significance of leisure should be developed in the manner of furlough. The combination with market also helps innovate festival culture. At the same time, knowing a little more ab

17、out British festivals and customs and their origins is a good way of understanding what Britons find important in their lives and communities. Their festivals reflect the religious, historical, social and cultural diversity of their country. Understanding the characteristics and differencebetween Br

18、itish and Chinese festivals is necessary to the effective intercultural communication between Chinese and British people.1. The Role of the Traditional FestivalsTraditional Festivals in CultureIn the long process of historical development, Chinese ancestors created the splendid spiritual wealth and

19、excellent culture. These cultural heritages are not only the pride of the Chinese people, but also that of the people of the whole world. These cultural heritages are the spiritual power and spiritual dependence of a nation. Among these cultural heritages, the festivals play a very important role. T

20、hese traditional festivals reflect the history of social development, especially the style of folk life. All of these festivals developed from ancient times, which witnessed the social life of Chinese ancestors. The origin and development of a festival not only reflects the process of gradual and in

21、visible its formation and perfection, but also helps its spirit to penetrate into Chinese peoples lives and souls. Every nation has its own festivals, such as Dragon Boat Festival in China, Easter in Britain, etc. As China is becoming a more and more advanced country, the English language is becomin

22、g more and more popular and wildly used in world, it is necessary to know the characteristics and differences between Chinese festivals and British festival for us Chinese.The Current Conditions of Chinese Festivals.In China, there are eight great traditional festivals, namely Spring Festival, The L

23、antern Festival, Tomb Sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-autumn Day, Chongyang Festival and Laba Festival. With the modernization of society and the development of economy, more and more people ignore the traditional festivals. The state of traditional Chinese festivals is b

24、ecoming weak. To save Chinese traditional festivals and refresh the traditional Chinese culture, the State Council of The People s Republic of China promulgated the measures on having a holiday for National Annual Leaves and Memorial Days. Its contents include: Article 1: These measures are formulat

25、ed to integrate the vacation of national annual leaves and memorial days. Article 2: The festivals having a holiday for all citizens: (1) 中国最大的论文知识平台 HYPERLINK 別冷力怆文Having one-day holiday on New Year (January 1); (2) Having a three-day holiday on Spring Festival ( The lunar New Years Day, second day

26、 of the lunar month and third day of the lunar month); (3) Having a three-day holiday on May Day ( May 1, 2, 3);(4) Having a three -day holiday for National Day (October 1, 2, 3). Article 3: The festivals and memorial days having a holiday for part of citizens: (1) Women have a half-day holiday on W

27、omens Festival (March 8); (2) Youth Festival (May 4). The youth above 14 years old has a half-day holiday; (3) Childrens Day (Jun 1). The juvenile under 13 years old has a one- day holiday. (4) The Memorial Day of founding of the Peoples Liberation Army (August 1). Military personnel in active servi

28、ce has a half-day holiday. Article 4: the holiday date of a minority shall be stipulated by the local governments at the compact areas of several ethnic minorities based on the habits of the minority. Article 5: without vocation for the following memorial days and holidays such as February 7, 1923 M

29、emorial Day, the May 30th Memorial Day, July 7 War of Resistance Against Aggression Memorial Day, the Victory of War of Resistance Against Aggression Memorial Day, September 18 Memorial Day, Teachers Festival, Nurses Festival, Journalists Festival, Tree Planting Festival and other festivals and memo

30、rial days. As for Article 6, it says where the vacations having a holiday for all citizens happen to be on Saturday or Sunday, they shall have additional holiday with working days; where the vacations having a holiday for part citizens happen to be on Saturday and Sunday, they shall not have additio

31、nal holiday. Article 7 says these measures shall enter into force as of the date of promulgation. ( Measures on having a holiday for National Annual Leaves and Memorial Days 2008).The Influence from British FestivalsCurrently, celebrating British festivals by Chinese reflect a new trend of consumpti

32、on. New meanings have been put to traditional British festivals. Reasons are as follows: some Chinese people are strongly interested in celebrating British festivals. Compared with traditional Chinese festivals, British festivals are more likely to appeal to some young students feelings, especially

33、British festivals. In a 中国最大的论文知识平台 HYPERLINK recent questionnaire for eight big cities （Beijing，Shanghai，Guangzhou， Hangzhou， Xian，Dalian，Suzhou，Qingdao） there are 2143 pieces of paper showing that up to 60% of subjects celebrating the British festivals, some of whom do not even know what the Chine

34、se traditional festivals are about. They celebrate the British festivals just because they adore the foreign cultures but without knowing the inner meaning of foreign festivals. China is at the phase of2 catching up with the developed countries, Chinese people should know the British festivals cultu

35、re in intercultural communication.2. Main Festivals in the Two CountriesFestivals in BritainBritain is a country made by three different parts, namely England, Scotland and Wales. It is in the local festivals of Britain, the distinctive cultural and political identities of the three nations of the U

36、nited Kingdom, namely England, Wales and Scotland, can be seen. Many festivals and customs have been invented, adopted and used to serve political and religious functions in times of conflict. For example, historic battles between Protestants and Catholics in the 17th century are commemorated, often

37、 by symbolic means or imitation.Festivals in EnglandThe English do not celebrate their famous writers or battles or patron saints, although they have all these things. However, one truly English festival is Bonfire Nightsometimes called Guy Fawkes Night celebrated in the early autumn. While many peo

38、ple do not do anything special on Bonfire Night, nearly everyone knows this poem: Remember, Remember the Fifth of NovemberGunpowder, Treason and PlotI see no reason why Gunpowder TreasonShould ever be forgotOn the evening of 5 November 1605, a plan to blow up the British Parliament and kill the Prot

39、estant King and replace him with a Catholic king was discovered. One of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was found in the cellars of Westminsters with 36 barrels of gunpowder. He and the other members of his gang were arrested, tortured and killed. Protestant politicians decided that the Gunpowder Plot

40、 had failed because God wanted the Protestants to continue to rule England. Parliament passed a legal act calling for a Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God for revealing the plot, to be held on the anniversary of the event. Nowadays, English people still celebrate this event in the traditional way.

41、In early November, gangs of small children appear on British streets, often with a straw effigy called the Guy . They beg for money from passing adults. The money they receive is spent on fireworks to be set off on Bonfire Night. The biggest Bonfire Night celebration is held in the small medieval to

42、wn of Lewes, where torchlight parades wind through the narrow streets. The parades wear costumes and carry models of several heads on pikes, often dripping blood, which represent Protestant enemies. When the parades reach the Bonfire, fireworks are used to fight mock battles between Catholics and Pr

43、otestants. At the end of these battles, giant effigies of the Pope and Guy Fawkes are blown up with fireworks. In London, the cellars of Parliament are still symbolically searched by candlelight by the Beefeaters. During the search for Guy Fawkes in 1605, the last cellar contained a wine merchant. T

44、he guards asked him to open his wine barrels to see if he was hiding gunpowder in them. The Beefeaters still continue this tradition, with their search of the cellars ending with a drinking session.Festivals in ScotlandWhile most British people welcome the coming of the New Year with parties, in Sco

45、tland, New Year Eve called Hogmanay (31December ) is the major winter celebration, and overshadows Christmas (called Yule in Scotland) which is a very quiet affair. How Hogmanay is celebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practiced customs first footing . There is a superstition that th

46、e first person to cross the threshold of a household in the New Year can bring luck and prosperity: the appearance of a young, preferably dark haired and handsome man, is considered particularly lucky. First footers often bring a bottle of spirits, alcohol, a lump of coal or peat as a gift and are g

47、iven a dram of whisky as their reward.Each year Scottish people of all over the world celebrate their most beloved national poet, Robert Burns(1759 1796), by holding a Burns Supper on the evening of his birthday (25 January). Burns nights are celebrated with suppers of haggis and whisky and his poem

48、s are recited through the evening. A haggis is a loaf of mutton, spices and oatmeal which has been boiled in a sheep s stomach and is carried into the assembled dinners with great ceremony. A bagpiper enters the dinning room, followed by the chef carring the haggis, who lays it in front of the guest

49、 of honor.Then the haggis is punctured with a dagger or sword and Burns Address to a Haggis is recited: fair fa your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o the pudden race. Above them all ye take your place.Halloween (31 October) now celebrated in Scotland is a an Irish festival originally that come

50、s from the great feast of the pagan Celts which marked the arrival of the winter half of the year. Halloween is notable for showing the darker, supernatural side of Celtic customcommunion with the dead, mischief, fortunetelling and masquerades are common practices. Children make pumpkin lanterns. Pu

51、mpkins are hollowed out and holes are cut to make eyes, nose and mouth. Then candles are placed inside the pumpkin and it is set in the windows to scare away witches and other evil spirits.Traditionally on the Halloween the young men of the village would wear strange, sometimes transvestite costumes

52、, disguise their voices and go about the village, representing the spirits of the dead. Bonfires to burn witches and drive away evil spirits were lit. Nowadays, the bonfires and costumes are still apart of halloween, especially for children.In the past, Scottish people used to have such belief: for

53、girls, Halloween was an opportunity to use magic spells to see into the future and especially to find out who they would marry. There were many methods: pairs of nuts, peas or orange pips were placed in a fire: if they burned quietly together, the couple would be happy, but if they sparked or rolled

54、 apart, the marriage was ill-starred. Blindfolded girls dipped their hands into bowls of water: if the water was clean, the husband would be a fineyoung man; if dirty, a widower; if empty, then the girl would remain unmarried. Magic spells were used to divine the identity of future husbands. In a di

55、m room, an apple was cut into pieces in front of a mirror: the girl would hold a piece on a fork over the shoulder, where the ghost of the husband would take shape.Festivals in WalesWales has some of the oldest and richest literary, musical and poetic traditions in Europe. Poems written in the tradi

56、tional Welsh language and style are governed by ancient codes and conventions which can be traced back to the Druids, who instituted rigid rules of composition to help them to correctly memorise and pass on poems and stories. In pre-14 th century Wales, to become a bard or harper required years of s

57、tudy and was considered a profession, like law or medicine.This poetic tradition has been celebrated for centuries in eisteddfod, a Welsh word meaning a gathering where people recite verses and sing songs. In 1536, Wales was officially joined with England (it had been controlled by England for hundr

58、eds of years) and English became the national language. Speaking Welsh was seen as a bad thing. As recently as the 19th century, Welsh schoolchildren could be punished for speaking Welsh. The Welsh language began to die, but Welsh speakers fought hard to preserve it. One way they accomplished this w

59、as to celebrate their culture and their language each August with a really large Eisteddfod which would remind people throughout the UK of Wales special cultural heritage. Now about 19% of Welsh people speak the Welsh language and after years of decline, the number is slowly rising. Children now att

60、end bilingual schools, there is a Welsh language television station, official functions are conducted in Welsh or English, and the Eisteddfod is now the largest popular festivals of music making and poetry writing in Europe.The three nations festivals together make the British festivals. However, so