Differences between Chinese and American traditional customs

Festival customs are presented to people with charming customs and unique features, reflecting the historical features and social life of the nation from different angles and sides, with distinctive national characteristics and strong local flavor. It includes personality, psychology, beliefs, thoughts and ways of thinking.

The moral sentiment, aesthetic taste and value orientation of deep structure connotation of many national cultures are the result and carrier of long-term cultivation of national spirit in a specific social soil, and are the most prominent and vivid display of a national living form. Holiday customs are simple and easy to express, while national spirit is deeply embedded under various appearances [1]. Therefore, a comparative study of the similarities and differences between Chinese and American traditional festivals can reveal the character, psychology, cultural value orientation and national spirit of the two nations through their appearances.

The time sequence of traditional festivals in China embodies the leading position of agricultural civilization in the historical development of China, and clearly records the historical track. The chronological order of American festivals reflects the position of western religious beliefs in life and the return to human nature after the Renaissance. The traditional festivals in China mainly include Spring Festival, Lantern Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day.

1. American festivals mainly include Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther Day, Washington's birthday, Lincoln's birthday, Martyrs' Day, National Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day.

On the one hand, it mainly commemorates the gods in Christianity, on the other hand, it commemorates the important events and supreme figures in history, which embodies the position of western religious beliefs in life and the return to human nature after the Renaissance. The American industry and animal husbandry are developed, and the life of migration makes them pursue inner peace and pay attention to religious activities, especially Christianity. Christian festivals almost run through the whole year, and Christian culture is connected with American festivals.

2. The traditional festivals in China are extremely secular and pan-deified; However, American traditional festivals have strong monistic religious and cultural characteristics. China's early social structure was based on the customary force of combining nature worship with humanistic spirit, which was different from the deism in ancient western countries and modern humanism. Its basic philosophical concept and ideal hope value advocate the coordination and balance between God and man, that is, the so-called "harmony between man and nature". Such as watching the stars on Tanabata, people are in the universe and look forward to the beauty of heaven and earth; Watching the sky and the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival, enjoying the reunion between heaven and earth; Chongyang climbs high and looks far, the sky is crisp, the autumn is crisp, and heaven and man are one. The gods in China's mind are all used by us. Although they often appear in the form of seeking the protection of gods, this cultural feature is manifested in traditional sacrificial festivals. For example, "Kitchen God" is sent by the Jade Emperor to supervise people's behavior, and the God in charge of all kinds of Christianity is the creator of all things in the world. He neither allows people to worship other gods and idols, nor does he need to worship other gods and idols. The secular life of human beings is only a process, and its blessings, longevity, wealth and poverty are all given by God, not acquired. Major Christian festivals-Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Jesus ascensiontide, etc. It's all religious celebrations around Jesus.

3. China's festival culture respects people, but integrates individuals into groups and emphasizes collectivism value orientation; American holiday culture excavates personal values and emphasizes individual rights and freedoms, which is individualism.

Thousands of years of farming civilization of the Chinese nation and its inward-looking economic model linked by blood and family determine the harmony and unity of individuals and groups. Individuals are generally included in the whole, and the value of individuals exists and is reflected through groups. Under the support of Confucian culture, the family or clan system occupies an important position, and individuals are in the family or clan relationship. The primary relationship between people is blood relationship, which is the basis of filial piety. Confucianism brought this social system of kinship into traditional festivals, which made it have the distinctive festival cultural characteristics of "taking the paternal system as the center and taking blood as the basis". For example, Tomb-Sweeping Day's interests and spiritual sustenance are the continuation of China people's traditional world outlook, that is, the descendants of blood. This long-term sustenance is reflected in respect for ancestors and worship of life, as well as in material (money, property, official title, occupation) and spiritual (ideal, ambition, career). People who cannot inherit and publicize their ancestors' career achievements, spiritual heritage or material heritage are regarded as unworthy descendants. Therefore, it is the initial mission of every China person to carry forward the spiritual and material heritage of their ancestors.

Unlike China's long feudal tradition, American history is written on a clean blank sheet of paper. Before the War of Independence, the idea of freedom and equality advocated by European capitalism and the spread of humanism in the Renaissance made Americans believe that every devout Christian had a spiritual connection with God.

Therefore, regardless of status or wealth, all people are the same before God. Individuals are only responsible for God, or seek God's forgiveness or grace by being responsible for their own actions, and enter heaven after death; In the face of God's "final judgment", everyone is equal, whether close or humble, rich or poor. Individuals pursue the realization of their own life value, gain material wealth and social status-as the "symbol" of God's voters, and finally ascend to heaven. At the same time, the rich Americans believe that although wealth is a symbol of personal achievement, it is a sin to bring too much wealth into the coffin. As a result, business tycoons regard spending money like water as an important way to improve themselves. American culture is consistent with its iconic animal-vulture: independent, free and powerful, pursuing personal success and realizing self-worth.

4. China's traditional festivals have inherited heavy ethics, but they have evolved into modern utilitarian colors; On the other hand, American festivals highlight the plot of gratitude and pursue spiritual pleasure.

Patriarchal family system is the social structure on which China's traditional culture depends, which contains such elements as respecting ancestors, offering sacrifices to ancestors, seeking roots, reporting, filial piety, reunion, dedication, responsibility and carrying forward the past. Chongyang respects the elderly and Dragon Boat Festival respects the virtuous, all of which reveal the virtues advocated by the Chinese nation. However, the manifestations of festivals are becoming more and more utilitarian. Take "lucky money" as an example: on New Year's Eve, the elders distribute coins to the younger generation, and the red thread is woven into a string of copper coins to hang on the children's chests, which means that they can ward off evil spirits and exorcise ghosts, so as to bless them, hence the name "lucky money". But in the real society, it has almost completely alienated into a pure money communication, and people often compare each other with how much they pay.

5. Conclusion

Just like other species in the world, human beings have different forms and temperaments. Different nationalities have both individuality and individuality, and individuality plays an important role in it. Only personality has charm and the value of existence. "The more national it is, the more cosmopolitan it is." The differences in geographical environment, historical origins and cultural traditions between China and the United States doomed the two countries to be backward in development and have different roads. However, through the cultural differences between Chinese and American festivals, we can gain insight into the inner souls of these two national cultures, as well as the institutional concepts, ethical concepts and aesthetic values derived from them. Through comparative analysis, in today's open, competitive and cooperative world, we can deepen mutual understanding and better strengthen communication and exchanges.