■SpringFestival

　　ChineseNewYear,SpringFestival,ortheLunarNewYearisthemostimportantofthetraditionalChineseholidays.ThefestivalproperbeginsonthefirstdayofthefirstlunarmonthintheChinesecalendarandendsonthe15th;thisdayiscalledLanternFestival.

　　ChineseNewYear'sEveisknownasChúxì.Chuliterallymeans"change"andximeans"Eve".

　　CelebratedinternationallyinareaswithlargepopulationsofethnicChinese,ChineseNewYearisconsideredamajorholidayfortheChineseandhashadastronginfluenceonthenewyearcelebrationsofitsneighbours.TheseincludeKoreans,Vietnamese,Mongolians,Nepalese,Bhutanese,butnolongertheJapanesesince1873.

　　IncountriessuchasSingapore,Malaysia,ThePhilippines,Thailand,andothercountrieswithsignificantChinesepopulations,theLunarNewYearisalsocelebrated,largelybyethnicChinese,butitisnotpartofthetraditionalculturesofthesecountries.InThailand,forexample,thetrueNewYearcelebrationoftheethnicThaisisSongkran,whichistotallydifferentandiscelebratedinApril.

　　TheperiodaroundChineseNewYearisalsothetimeofthelargesthumanmigration,whenmigrantworkersinChina,aswellasoverseasChinesearoundtheworldtravelhometohavereuniondinnerswiththeirfamiliesonChineseNewYear'seve.MoreinterurbantripsaretakeninmainlandChinainthis40-dayperiodthanthetotalpopulationofChina.

　　■ChristmasDay

　　ChristmasisanannualholidaythatmarksthebirthofJesusChristofNazareth.ChristmascombinesthecelebrationofJesus'birthwithvariousothernon-relatedtraditionsandcustoms,manyofwhichwereinfluencedbyancientwinterfestivals.ChristmastraditionsincludethedisplayofNativityscenes,HollyandChristmastrees,theexchangeofgiftsandcards,andthearrivalofFatherChristmas(SantaClaus)onChristmasEve.PopularChristmasthemesincludethepromotionofgoodwill,giving,compassion,andqualityfamilytime.

　　ChristmasDayfallsonDecember25.ItisprecededbyChristmasEveonDecember24,andinsomecountriesisfollowedbyBoxingDayonDecember26.TheArmenianApostolicChurchcelebratesChristmasonJanuary6,whilesomeEasternOrthodoxChurches(oldriteoroldstyleOrthodox)celebrateChristmasonJanuary7,thedateontheGregoriancalendarwhichcorrespondsto25December.ThedateasabirthdateforJesusismerelytraditional,andisnotwidelyconsideredtobehisactualdateofbirth.

　　Christmasiscelebratedinmostcountriesaroundtheworld,owingtothespreadofChristianityandWesternculture.VariouslocalandregionalChristmastraditionsarestillpracticed.