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Q: Will the spirit of Christmas/Santa and stockings ever really take off here?
I did notice that the question 'Will Christmas become a national holiday here?' has already been asked, but what i'm really interested in is whether the Chinese will ever truly get into it as we do back in the west. The reason being that my nipper (or 'Boy' as I affectionately call him) is about to turn two and I reckon we'll start giving him a proper Christmas from now on, presents from Santa and all. In fact I think 'Christmas' may be my answer to that oft asked question 'What do you miss most from back home?' as it always had, and to some extent still has, that atmosphere of magic about it; something that the Spring Festival celebration does not have from what i've gathered. The only problem is I can see exactly how it will go for my boy once he hits kindergarten and Christmas comes around.
Boy: "Daddy, my friend Shu says Father Christmas doesn't come to his house."
Me: "Welllll, tell your friend Shu that first you have to write to Santa so that he knows where you live."
(next day)
Boy: "Daddy, my friend Shu says his Daddy says that if Shu writes, Santa 'still' won't come to his house."
Me: "Wellllll, tell Shu his daddy needs to write to Santa first, to say that he 'can' come to his house."
(next day)
Boy: "Daddy, my friend Shu says his daddy says that if he writes too, Santa 'still' won't come because there 'is' no Santa."
Me: "Well tell your mate Shoe that his daddy's a f**king liar! And that he's adopted! And that my mate Boot's gonna come round and kick his daddy in the Jackson Pollocks if he doesn't shut up!"
Honestly.....I can see it coming round the corner. But then maybe as more and more western parents treat their kids to a proper Christmas celebration, Chinese kids will embarrass their parents into feeling cheap enough that they'll decide they 'have' to lay on a decent Christmas for them. And I don't mean Christmas as in the religious celebration, the time of giving and good will to all men and that, I mean the celebration of materialism, sponsored by Coke and jacked up on getting as much as you can while the getting's good.....with maybe a little good will thrown in on the side. That's what it always was in my house, and that's what i'd like to see here. What do you reckon? It would certainly make a nice change from just giving an envelope with cash in it.
Speaking of stockings, I'm so glad to see stripper stockings in China, they come filled with my Christmas wish list.
at home, the 'spirit of Christmas' also involved doing something self-less. Would that happen here ??? 
I don't think I'd like to see the Xmas turkey cooked with it's head starring at me and it's feet pointing up.
Saxophone Santa sure made an impact last xmas.
Sorrel has a very valid point in the 'spirit of Xmas' being hard to imagine in China. But people getting into the commercial aspect of it, and lying to their children about a dude dressed in Coca Cola's colors I can see happening, if it isn't already.
In 2009 the shops here in town had zero xmas going on. This despite proximity to Hong Kong where xmas is a full blown event. Over the last years the supermarkets have increased the amount of floor space they use on selling decorations and Santa gear.
And... a local hair-spa that does the thing where they humiliate the employees by making them do silly dancing outside the shop recently had them dancing to "Jackson Five - Santa Clause is coming to town"
@marTiaN: I think you are overlooking the fact that Xmas in China could include some f'ed up misinterpretation of an xmas dinner. It will be based on the American style of course
I am just waiting for the tshirts where Santa is misspelled "Satan"
well, being as I'm a religious guy, Christianity, my reply will probably not be the most popular here. I'd just like to say that in my opinion there is nothing wrong with some of the core tenants of Christianity and most humans seem to like them and basically try to live them~ goodwill towards others; humility. I do love the secular Christmas holiday aspect too, but I also feel we should remember it as the day we celebrate Christ's birth.
My spirit is taking off all the day ,and even open the window doesn't help much
One colleague of my wife, native Shanghainese, said already, several times to my loved half : You know, I have already planned out my Dec.24th... I will go with my friends, and I will take only phone and keys, no need more, they will pay ....
for me santa comes at the 6th december and on 24-26 celebrating christ's birth.
I really doubt that they chinese can pull off a REAL CHRISTmas. Which would actually include a boring visit in church (do they even have a church)
celebrating back home was always going to church around 5pm after church having big dinner and then present time under the tree
Was at an event last night. In a very large lobby area of the hotel, the were starting to set up Santa stuff, hoisting xmas trees (plastic) to the ceiling and stuff like that. For a country that has no culture for xmas they sure do a lot for it nowadays.
About doing actual xmas. For me xmas is like Dom and Ness writes, a family event, perhaps church, then dinner, then present time etc. I don't see it possible to pull off any kind of big xmas dinner in the typical Chinese kitchens. Basically you just have a couple of gas burners and a rice cooker. I do it every year, but I also have the advantage of only needing to cook for 4-5 people and I have fancy stuff like an oven.
Christ wasn't born on the 25th, that follows a pagan holiday. All the stories are combined from tales of different men. The Bible is historically wrong, and has been used to manipulate people. 200 years ago Mary wasn't a virgin. Long ago it was death to own a Bible. The Church has always been responsible for authrosities. The Bible may have some good lessons on how to live. I live by if it's not a sin then it must be a felony.
Scandinavian:
This is also why e.g. in the Scandinavian languages (and a couple of others in nearby countries) Xmas is called "Jul" (Yule) which in terms of meaning has nothing to do with religion. Of course the churches are on full blast for the holidays, but culturally you can celebrate the thing without being concerned if Jesus will bring you the new PlayStation you have been praying for.
mArtiAn:
Yep, we're on pretty much the same page concerning Christianity. Don't know about Playstations though, I prefer playing with the wife's X-Box. Should be called a XXX-Box if the truth be told. Filthy cow.
TedDBayer:
I've had Google, Robot and Android. I had Yahoo but that didn't last long.
