Comparison between Chinese and Western Valentine's Day

Comparison between Chinese and Western Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day in China (also known as Valentine's Day in China)

Speaking of Tanabata, I believe that the concept of "China Valentine's Day" will pop up in most people's minds immediately. This year's lunar calendar is also in July, so the media made an accommodation, saying that July 3 1 and August 30 this year are both "Tanabata", so there are two "Valentine's Days in China" (see Overseas Edition of People's Daily on July 27). Plus the previous Western Valentine's Day, you can spend 13 Valentine's Days a year. What lovers who love festivals!

Tanabata, the legend is China's Valentine's Day, and the myth of Cowherd and Weaver Girl takes place in Shi Fo Temple in Mawang Town, Chang 'an, the hometown of Zhong Kui, Zhong Nanshan, Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province. There is a Valentine's Day celebration organized by Chang 'an County on the seventh day of July every year here.

However, on the eve of Tanabata, some experts said: Tanabata has nothing to do with love, not China Valentine's Day! On July 24th, at the International Symposium on Intangible Cultural Heritage held by Huazhong Normal University, Liu Zongdi, a researcher at China Academy of Social Sciences, thought that the timeliness of Qixi stories and customs showed that it was originally an autumn festival. Although the Cowherd and Weaver Girl across the river performed a touching love story, Tanabata had nothing to do with love at first. Moreover, ancient literature shows that Qixi is not an auspicious day for marriage; Now it is called "China Valentine's Day", which is "the clamor of literati and the hype of active businessmen". Researcher Liu Zongdi said very seriously: "It can be said that Qixi is China's Valentine's Day, and we can say that we have forgotten our ancestors."

After the news was disclosed, netizens' comments were almost swearing, and some bricks were shot hard enough. Here is a neutral clue: "Lu Xun said that there is no road in the world. If there are more people walking, it will naturally become a road." Now I want to tell this bricklayer that there are no festivals in the world, and more people celebrate the same thing on the same day, which naturally becomes a festival. "This makes sense. It is only in recent years that Tanabata is called "Valentine's Day in China". I want to find out where the source is, and my boss finally found it with great difficulty:

As early as 1993, Wei Xu, then vice minister of the Propaganda Department of the CPC, proposed: Why doesn't China have a Valentine's Day? In March, Newspaper Digest 1993+0 1 reprinted the report that Xu Weicheng published in the second issue of Current Affairs that year, which said: Many of our traditional festivals have been diluted, not as lively as in the past, and it seems uneconomical; "On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl met,' We want to fly in the sky, and two birds grow together on the ground with one wing, two branches of a tree.' . This is Bai Juyi's oath to Tang and Yang Guifei in the Hall of Eternal Life on the seventh day of July. Why not regard this day as Valentine's Day in China, so as to save young people from going abroad for Valentine's Day? "

This is the earliest suggestion that I found to name "wearing boots and hats" as "Valentine's Day in China". Now it is almost certain that this "Qixi China Valentine's Day" is a newly created festival, and there is no Valentine's Day in the cultural connotation of Qixi; Of course, it is ok to be innovative, but don't make it difficult, let alone think that Qixi is the "Valentine's Day" in the past.

Linking the ancient Chinese Valentine's Day with the modern Valentine's Day has objectively caused a wonderful "separation effect". "Distraction effect" is a concept of drama performance, and its inventor is Brecht. "Alienation effect" is the effect of defamiliarization of familiar things, because familiar things make people lose the space for thinking. Only by defamiliarization of familiar things can the audience "alienate" from "inertial viewing". This contrast will create a tension and make people feel fresh and interesting. Distant ancient Valentine's Day in China and familiar modern Valentine's Day are both related and separated, interdependent and antagonistic. This "separation effect" highlights the relationship between illusion and reality, which is quite interesting.

However, it is far-fetched to regard "China Valentine's Day on Qixi" as a cultural symbol with national pride. In today's increasingly globalized era, as a cultural power, we really need cultural sensitivity, but it is probably a cultural illusion to use "China Valentine's Day" to offset and replace "Western Valentine's Day". What's certain is that the merchants took the opportunity to scramble to fry, sell and develop their own wallets. But if they want to "carry forward" traditional culture and enrich the connotation of "lover culture" on Tanabata, it is almost empty.

A country has a national cultural history, and a country has a national history and culture; Festivals have been formed naturally for thousands of years and are chosen by ordinary people themselves. If there is a Valentine's Day in the west, we don't have to force our Valentine's Day. If young people like it, "more people celebrate, and it will naturally become a festival", then it doesn't matter to form a "China Valentine's Day" and hang it under the name of Tanabata or other festivals, but we can't think that the traditional festival culture has been fundamentally protected, otherwise it will be laughed at by the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

The annual meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl on the Magpie Bridge itself has a strong drama "alienation effect". Professor Li, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, once suggested that Qixi should be designated as China's "Valentine's Day" through legislation. In my opinion, this weakened the "estrangement effect". Some factors in traditional culture can be developed and integrated into modern life, becoming universal factors; However, due to the strong "separation effect" between tradition and modernity, the integration is not that simple, so it cannot be considered as "traditional dating" because it is difficult to "blend" for a while; Simply putting on boots and hats for Tanabata and naming it Valentine's Day or Lovers' Day has undoubtedly become a "festival carrier" for lovers. Even if the dramatic "estrangement effect" is lost, the actual effect may be counterproductive.

Western valentine's day

origin

Valentine's Day, also known as St. Valentine's Day or St. Valentine's Day, is one of the traditional western festivals, that is, February 14 every year. On this day, men and women exchange chocolates, greeting cards and flowers to express their love or friendship, which has become a favorite festival for young people in Europe and America. There are as many lovers in the world as there are many explanations about the origin of Valentine's Day. Just as people in China now spend Christmas with almost fanatical enthusiasm, Valentine's Day has quietly penetrated into the minds of countless young people and become another important festival besides the traditional festivals in China.

Legend one

The silence of dawn was broken by a loud noise, and two soldiers pushed a handsome young man to the iron gate of the prison. The man frowned, his eyes shone with obscure wisdom and piety, and his neat clothes were out of proportion to his status as a prisoner. The soldiers took him to the warden's house for questioning. The warden is an old man with a young girl sitting next to him. The girl is slender, ruddy, wearing a long white dress, and exudes youthful charm. The only fly in the ointment is that her eyes are as dull as marble. Obviously, she is blind.

"Name?" The warden began the interrogation. He spoke his name calmly.

"Do you plead guilty?" "No, I'm not guilty. I just did what I should do. " His magnetic voice filled the interrogation room and echoed for a long time. The girl was attracted by the sound and suddenly asked, "Do you like flowers, sir?" He was dumbfounded by this strange interrogation, and then he replied in a gentle tone: "Yes, I like flowers, miss. I love nature and people. "

The warden was impatient and ordered the soldiers to take him to prison. He walked out calmly. Before leaving, he bowed to the girl: "Thank you for your question, miss." Later, he learned that the girl was the warden's beloved daughter and was blind from childhood. The warden regarded her as the apple of his eye and loved her deeply.

At dinner, the girl led by the jailer went to the cell and brought him a sumptuous dinner. He said to him, "I know you are a good man." I want to talk to you more in the future. I have never seen the outside world. Can you tell me something? " Although he was a little surprised, he agreed happily.

After dinner that day, the two began to walk and chat together. They talk about the outside world, life and love together. ...

Gradually, both of them had a hazy feeling in their hearts.

Until the warden knew about it, he flew into a rage and accused him of seducing his daughter. He immediately confessed his feelings for the girl to the warden. His piety moved the old man, and he had to agree to let them continue to associate.

His affection for girls is getting deeper and deeper, and the power of love almost makes him forget that he is in prison.

One day, while walking, he found a herb that could cure the girl's eyes. He is ecstatic about a little skill in medicine. Since then, he has devoted himself to cooking herbs every day. However, the girl didn't wait for the light, but he waited for the judgment-the death penalty!

This day has finally arrived. He was taken out of his cell and went to the execution ground. The executioner gave the final order. At the last moment of this life, a miracle appeared. The girl's eyes recovered, and she stumbled to the execution ground, shouting his name all the way. His eyes are moist.

The girl rushed to his side and looked at the lover he saw for the first time and for the last time, with tears streaming down her face. They hugged each other tightly and neither of them would let go. They all know what they will lose once they let go, and how much they hope that time can stay in this charming moment forever.

However, time could not stop him, and he still lost his life. Soon after, the girl also died of depression.

This is a sad love story that I have heard for a long time. This young man was the famous monk Valentine at that time. He was unfortunate because he broke a ridiculous law at that time and married a couple in the church. He died in February 14 in the 3rd century. Later, in order to commemorate him, the church designated this day as "Valentine's Day", that is, "Valentine's Day".

It is said that in the following February 14, the example of giving roses and heart-shaped candy first appeared at a grand banquet of the French royal family. Since then, Valentine's Day has become a "love memorial day", and at the same time, France has also become a "romantic city" that couples yearn for. On this day, boys will give roses symbolizing love to girls they like, and girls will prepare heart-shaped candy for their sweethearts.

Legend 2

Historians prefer to get to the bottom of it, and their explanation of Valentine's Day seems convincing. In fact, as early as AD 270, when Rome laid the foundation stone, there was still a wilderness around, and wolves wandered around in droves. Among the gods worshipped by the Romans, Lupus, the shepherd, was in charge of the protection of shepherds and sheep. Every year in mid-February, the Romans hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the festival of faun. Compared with now, the calendar at that time was a little later, so the festival of faun was actually a celebration of the coming spring. It is also said that this festival is to commemorate the god Funus, who is similar to the ancient Greek god Pan, with sheep's hoofs and horns on his head and is in charge of animal husbandry and agriculture.

The origin of faun festival is so long that even scholars in the first century BC could not confirm it. But the importance of this festival is beyond doubt.

For example, according to historical records, Anthony awarded the crown to Caesar at the festival of faun in 44 BC.

On February 15 every year, monks gather in a cave on the Barendin Mountain in the Roman city, where it is said that the founder of the ancient Roman city was raised by a female wolf. In the festival celebration, there was a young aristocrat running in the street with a sheepskin whip in his hand. Young women will gather on both sides of the street, hoping that the sheepskin whip will hit them on the head. People think it will make it easier for them to have children. In Latin, sheepskin whip is called februa and whip is called fabruatio, both of which actually mean "purity". The word February comes from this.

With the expansion of Roman power in Europe, the custom of faun festival was brought to France and Britain. One of people's favorite holiday activities is similar to lottery. The young women's names are put in the box, and then the young men come forward to smoke. A pair of drawn men and women become lovers for one year or more.

The rise of Christianity makes people's custom of commemorating gods gradually indifferent. The priests didn't want people to give up the joy of the festival, so they changed the festival of faun to Valentane and moved it to February 14. In this way, the legend about the Valentine brothers and the ancient festivals are naturally combined. This festival was the most popular in medieval England. After the names of unmarried men and women are drawn, they will exchange gifts with each other, and women will become lovers of men within this year. A woman's name will be embroidered on a man's sleeve, so it is his sacred duty to take care of and protect women.

Around 498 AD, the Pope declared February 14 as Valentine's Day. This kind of marriage of the Romans is considered illegal by Christians. In the Middle Ages, in Britain and France, it was generally believed that February 14 was the season for birds to mate. So this day has added a content, that is, this day should be a romantic day. The earliest Valentine's Day gift was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in the Tower of London prison. Because he was captured in the Battle of Ginkul. Now this blessing written in 14 15 is collected in the British Museum in London. A few years later, Emperor Henry V hired John Lydgate to write a song for Catherine of Valois as a Valentine's Day gift.

Legend 3

Saint Valentine's Day is a transliteration of Valentine's Day. I believe everyone should know that it is actually the anniversary of a monk named St. Valentine.

Around the third century AD in Rome, the tyrant Claudius came to power. At that time, there were frequent wars inside and outside Rome, and the people were in dire straits. In order to replenish men and carry the war to the end, Claudius ordered all men who reached a certain age to join the Roman army and serve the country with their lives. From then on, the husband left his wife and the teenager left his lover. So the whole of Rome was shrouded in a long acacia. The tyrant was very angry at this. In order to achieve his own goal, he even ordered that China people be forbidden to hold wedding ceremonies, and even asked married people to break their contracts.

However, tyranny cannot forbid love. In the tyrant's country, there lived a venerable monk Saint Valentine. He couldn't bear to see such a couple in Where Are You Going, so he secretly presided over God's wedding for the couple who came to ask for help. For a time, this exciting news spread all over the country, and more couples secretly came to the monks for help.

However, it was soon known by the tyrant, so he once again showed his cruel face-put the monk in prison and eventually tortured to death. The date of the monk's death was February 14, and February 14, 270.

In order to commemorate this man who dared to fight the tyrant, people gradually took February 14 as a festival. Many centuries have passed, and people can no longer see Claudius' name, nor remember his scepter and sword, but they will still remember the St. Valentine's Brothers, because that day was St. Valentine's Day, and later it became today's Western Valentine's Day.