Christmas Increasing Popularity in China – Religious and Secularized
With its growing popularity, the religious holiday has become secularized to a time to enjoy Western decorations, and a time to either spend or earn money.
Millions of Chinese celebrated Christmas this year in mainland China, where the image of Santa was more common than images of Mao Zedong, the nation’s most famous modern leader.
Christmas trees and lights decorated shopping malls, restaurants and office buildings, and hotels, restaurants and other businesses have reportedly boost earnings.
"Christmas is a season for partying, shopping and even romance. It's a reward for our one year of hard work," Zhang Yapeng, a computer software salesman, told the state-run Xinhua news agency as he visited bars in Beijing on Friday to find the best one to celebrate Christmas Eve with a party of friends.
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According to a recent survey conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China, 90 percent of 2,000 people surveyed from 14 big cities in China said they had celebration plans on Christmas Eve, reported Xinhua.
Yet the increase in number of participants in Christmas celebrations is not only due to Christians, but many unbelievers are joining in the holiday festivities and attending the Christmas church services.
"I want to feel the Christmas atmosphere. I go there to pray for peace and good health for my family," said Beijing T.V. journalist Zhang Li to Agence France-Presse. Zhang, although not a Christian, goes to church every Christmas Eve for spiritual support.
Reports from Beijing indicated that the Christmas crowd has grown compared to past years, with many believers and non-believers packed against the aisles or standing outside churches watching services on T.V. monitors in state-approved churches in Beijing.
According to Zhang, 10,000 to 20,000 people crowded Beijing’s Xishiku Catholic church on Christmas Eve.
"It's mainly because people are facing increasing pressures in life. They want to find something that brings them peace and balance," a nun surnamed Yu at the Nantang Catholic church in Beijing told AFP.
The French news agency also noted that many unregistered Protestant and Catholic churches held secret, “underground” Christmas Day services. Believers met in restaurants, people’s homes or even in farm fields in rural areas to avoid government attention.
The Vatican estimates that there are 10 million Catholics in underground churches, while the number of underground Protestants is believed to be much higher. According to official statistics, China has 20 million Protestants and five million Catholics in government-approved churches.
