If you're staying in Shanghai this Christmas it may be difficult
to feel festive far from home. But it can be a great opportunity to
step out of the habitual festivities of your home country. Instead
of being surrounded by a nation of people doing exactly the same
things at exactly the same time, take advantage of Shanghai's
famous cosmopolitan nature and see how this special season is
shared with the rest of the world.
Christmas is the biggest yearly festival for countries of
Christian heritage, but the ways of celebrating it is as varied as
the countries themselves.
It is also not the only big festival in December.
Two events this weekend give a taste of a culturally varied
season.
Community Center Shanghai brings everyone together this Friday
with an event based on how Christmas is celebrated in 10 different
countries.
The list includes countries you'd normally associate with
Christmas - such as those in European - plus less widely known
areas in Asia and Latin America. They are China, United States,
United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Prague, Spain and
South Korea.
The event will center around displays of the nativity scene and
its different representations around the world. It will take place
at the center's two locations, one in Pudong, one in Puxi.
Christmas displays will be shown in the morning followed by lunch
of traditional Christmas fare from the featured countries. The
whole event is free.
It's the latest installment in the community center's twice
monthly "Coffee Connections" mornings that provides useful
information and social networking for expat new to Shanghai.
Exhibitors at "Christmas Around the World" are regulars from the
coffee mornings and members of the international community in
Shanghai.
"Christmas is so widely celebrated over the world, and the nativity
scene is a central part of the decorations," says Christina
Showalter, organizer of the event. "Not only do different countries
celebrate Christmas in different ways, but nativity scenes also
take on local contexts and interpretations. So this event is about
appreciation and education."
Local context can be seen in the Mexican nativity scene.
Ana Solis, organizer of the display, describes her nativity
scene as wearing traditional Mexican robes and with indigenous
Mexican faces.
She will also bring a "pinata," a papier mache jar filled with
sweets that children break in the colorful, nightly parties that
characterize Mexican celebrations from December 16-24.
Jennifer Smith, organizer of the American display, will also
bring nativity scenes from the US plus Christmas books and
decorations. For her the event will be a chance to talk to others
and share her personal family traditions, and what Christmas means
for them.
"Celebrating Christmas grounds us as a family, it's a nesting
time," Smith says. "It's a time to build tradition."
(Shanghai Daily December 5, 2007)
