The Christmas Report

Merry Christmas…belated!

Did I feel it coming?

Well, when I was at McDonalds, KFC or Burger King I did. Why? Because they played Christmas songs the whole time and the staff was doomed to wear Christmas hats. They probably still do. Ah, yes, from mid of November also at Starbucks. Why? The staff was also forced to wear Christmas hats and they started selling approximately 239 “X-mas specials”. At least at Starbucks they wore their hats like they would actually know what Christmas is. Now when I think about it…I should probably feel it anywhere because even the crappy hairstylist next to my office who plays “Get Down On It” by “Kool & The Gang” over and over again had Christmas decoration and tried to write something like “Merry Christmas” in cursive (Effort: A Outcome: D-). But I really didn’t feel it like I used to feel it in Germany. Maybe it’s the 16 degree during lunchtime or the fact that I am in China and not in Germany. Christmas = Christian holiday, China = 5 Christians out of 1.3 billion people.

It´s not like this is first time doing this math but I am still wondering why they make such big fuzz about Christmas. If it´s not anyhow emotional, what is all that about?

The answer is pretty easy and frustrating: Money, money and surprisingly some more money. Christmas is the perfect occasion to have some promotions and sales. When I asked my supervisor if she is going to celebrate Christmas she answered: “Yes, it’s a good time to buy some things because of the good sale!”

Isn´t that a good way of celebrating Christmas? Going into a shopping mall, buy a sweater, look at the decoration, take a picture with Santa Claus, go to Starbucks and purchase a “Cinnamon Special Latte”, go back home, sit on the couch and watch the newest season of “China got Talent” and be happy to have celebrated a merry Christmas. Sounds like a fair Christmas to 90% of the Chinese population, maybe even far more!

So as you can see Christmas in China is completely different to the one I celebrate in Germany. In China it is non-emotional at all but 100%-commercial. To be fair I think Christmas is in most of the western countries also big time money and everybody is using some kind of Christmas atmosphere to get some of the big-money-Christmas-cake. But at least the people know why they are celebrating Christmas. And for anyone who didn’t know it is NOT about getting presents from an old, white bearded mate who wears a red costume. It’s the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I don’t expect every Chinese to know but at least then they shouldn’t try to pretend to celebrate it. What would the Chinese people think when they would hear we that there are MASSIVE discounts, decoration, parties and everybody gives money in red bags to each other (Hong bao – Red bags, a tradition mainly given to children during the Chinese New Year) at the 2^nd of February in Europe (the date of the Chinese New Year 2011) only because they know they do so in China and not even know why they have a different calendar then we do and what-so-ever. They wouldn’t be happy so why should I be happy to see random Chinese people running around in Santa costumes and scream “Merry Christmas” in any nearly-western shop/restaurant at you.

Anyway, it pissed me off but isn’t Christmas the feast of love…shouldn’t I tolerate they Chinese effort of celebrating Christmas, yet even honor it?

Nah, I am not sure about that.

My Christmas Eve was all about the Chinese Christmas. On the 23^rd I flew to Beijing to stay at a Chinese family my family is friends with. They really took good care of me and on Christmas Eve I even attended some kind of Christmas show. But before that I got the privilege to attend a service in German at the German Embassy School. It was very, very nice and it made me feeling like I am home but you know afterwards there was the show…The show looked like this: First there was a massive buffet with more or less eatable European food (Theme of the evening was: “Fantastic European Palace”). Second we sat on round tables all over the ball room and on the one end there was a stage. As I started eating suddenly music made me nearly deaf!!! Another of Chinas specialties: Suddenly turning on the music without testing the volume and they obviously don’t care if half of the audience is really troubled not to scream out of pain and run straight of the room. The other half is already deaf by the way…Two hosts were leading us trough the nights program. It started with Russian dancers who were smiling like they were threatened to be shot if they wouldn’t do so and with an expression in their eyes like their already have been shot. Belly dancing, Chinese pop-songs, a singing and traditional dancing drag queen, a magician, comedians, a lottery…everything possible was given to us on stage! Fabulous, trashy, shitty, surprisingly good, funny, classy…”roller-coaster of emotions” was my personal theme for the night. Anyway I kind of enjoyed it ‘cause I could laugh fuckin’ lots!

It was a totally different Christmas but it was not only negative to be far away from home and nearly everything that was related to a, in my eyes, “real” Christmas. It was an experience to be made and I enjoyed it in a weird way though I would have loved to spend the Christmas time with my family and friends.

In the end I am kind of happy that Christmas is over now. This half-Christmas half-WTF feeling is going away and looking back it was pretty funny.

Christmas is dead, long live Christmas!

Cheers,

L.