the marco polo project: 抵制“圣诞节”能保护传统文化？

前几天，是西方传统节日“圣诞节” ，有 Medien 报道，西北某高校“圣诞节”组织学生观看中华传统文化宣传片，“平安夜各班辅导员都在场，楼下有许多老师把守，逃走将按三次旷课处理” 。该校微博回应，这么做“只是希望大家不要盲目崇洋媚外，重视起中国传统文化” 。另有报道称，温州多所中小学接到教育部门通知，要求“不在校园里举行任何与圣诞主题有关的活动” ；更有湖南某高校学生身着汉服，在一处圣诞活动现场，举起“抵制圣诞节”的标语。

近年来，“洋节”能不能过、中国传统节日怎么过的话题时有讨论，每逢西方“圣诞节”“情人节”之际，争论的声音时有耳闻，也有专家学者倡议设立“中华母亲节”“中华父亲节” ，以取代年轻人爱过的西方“母亲节”“父亲节” 。这是出于人们保护弘扬中国传统文化的自觉。认识到乱过“洋节”容易对传统文化造成不良影响，教育部门、学校采取措施，青少年自身也有所行动，和几年前“有节就过”“盲目过节”相比，这种态度转变无疑值得赞许。

然而，保护弘扬中国传统文化，是否需要强制“抵制圣诞节” ，人们“抵制”的又是什么，却值得深究一番。这所西北高校在回应中表示，一些学生认为“洋节”时尚，中国传统节日“老土” ，“这是一个令人痛心的现象” 。实际上，无论中国还是西方，节日承载了本民族的文化历史记忆和民族情感，而本民族的节日在他者看来，则首先是一种文化奇观。在西方国家的中国居民聚居区，也常有当地居民出于喜爱和好奇，与中国人一同过春节的情况，故而笔者以为，节日本无“时尚”与“老土”之分，只有“新奇”“ungewohnt”与“习以为常”之分。

只不过，由于西方商品经济发达，“洋节”传入中国时，经过商业模式的运作，仅为国人带来了一套精美的物质形式，它以“圣诞节”“情人节”的面目示人，内里实为一种大众消费体验。年轻人在“圣诞节”互送苹果，在“情人节”赠送 Rosen、巧克力，其实不是本土意义上的“过节” ，而是在商业模式的诱导下，体验一种新奇 ungewohnte 的“过法” ，对于不熟悉西方文化的过节者来说，无异于一场有趣的游戏。故而，“抵制圣诞节”其实是在抵制对“圣诞节”的过度消费，并担心这种过度消费带来的“圣诞节”热闹景观，会影响传统节日在人们心中的地位。其实这种“体验”始终停留在消费层面，“圣诞节”等西方节日所承载的文化本身，并未也不太可能仅仅因此而深入人心。

由此可见，以抵制“洋节”的过度消费来保护弘扬传统文化，其实是一种观念上的错位。我们真正需要警惕的是，商业模式、消费主义带来的节日的同质化现象。几年前就曾有学者撰文表示，消费主义正在 ausradieren 我们的节日记忆；国人“节”“假”不分，往往把“节日”过成“假日” 。如今，旅游、购物、gut zu essen 已成为许多节日的主要内容，人们的这种“过法” ，把春节、清明节、中秋节等都简化成了“休闲娱乐节” 。笔者以为，真正应该担心的是，国人在休闲娱乐的过节方式下，把中国传统节日过得像那些作为“有趣的游戏”来体验的“洋节”一样，一旦如此，中国传统节日对于国人的意义也只能止于消费，其所承载的历史文化记忆和民族情感将无法深入人心。

Chu Qing

Übersetzung

Can boycotting Christmas save Chinese culture?

The traditional Western festival of Christmas took place a few days ago, and some media reports said that in a North-Western university, a group of students organised the viewing of traditional Chinese videos for ‘Christmas’, while ‘on Christmas Eve, all the class leaders were present, many teachers guarded the exits, and absence would be punished three times as much as usual”. The school’s weibo account responded that this was so that ‘not everyone would blindly fawn to foreign cultures, and look back at the Chinese traditions’. Another report indicated that many primary and secondary schools in Wenzhou received a notice to ‘not carry on any Christmas related activities’ ; and at a College in Hunan, a student dressed in traditional Chinese clothes, and carried a ‘Boycott Christmas’ sign at a Christmas event.

In the last years, it’s been a regular topic of discussion whether we should celebrate Western festivals, and how to celebrate Chinese festivals. For each Western ‘Christmas’ or ‘Valentine’s Day’, an argument is heard; and some experts and scholars have taken initiatives to set up a Chinese ‘Mother’s Day’ or ‘Father’s Day’ to replace the Western Mother’s Day or Father’s day that young people love. This is to increase the awareness of a need to protect traditional Chinese culture among people. There is a sense that chaotically celebrating Western festivals poses a threat to traditional culture, and so education departments and schools have taken measures – teenagers themselves have taken initiatives. In copmparison to the prevalent attitude a few years ago, when ‘every festival should be celebrated’ and ‘let’s blindly celebrate’ was the rule, this is definitely praiseworthy.

However, does the protection of traditional Chinese culture require a mandatory ‘Christmas boycott’ – and it is worth questioning deeper what it is exactly that people are ‘boycotting’. This is what North-Western University said in response – some of the students find that Western festivals are ‘fashionable’, while Chinese festivals are ‘old fashioned’: ‘This is a sad phenomenon’. In fact, whether in China or in the West, Festivals carry the historical memory and national feeling of that nation, but in the eyes of others, those festivals are mainly cultural spectacles. In Western cities, there is often interest and curiosity for the residents of Chinatowns and their customs, and they like celebrating Spring Festivals with the Chinese community. Therefore, I belive that festivals are no intrinsically ‘fashionable’ or ‘old-fashioned’, but only ‘new’, ‘foreign’ or ‘usual’.

The only thing is, because of the development of Western consumer economy, when the ‘Western Festival’ get into China, they’re already been commodified. They only offer a certain physical form to Chinese people, externally, they look like ‘Christmas’ or ‘Valentine’s day’, but in fact, they’re nothing more than consumer experiences. At Christmas, young people give each other an apple; for Valentine’s day, they give each other roses or chocolates. In reality, this is not properly ‘celebrating a festival’, but under the impulsion of a commercial framework, experience some novel and strange form of ‘going beyong the law’. For the people celebrating the festival who are not familiar with Western culture, it’s nothing more than a fun game. Therefore, ‘boycotting Christmas’ is actually boycotting the excessive consumption that goes with Christmas, and worrying that the excessive consumption associated with Christmas may tarnish the status of traditional festivals in people’s minds. In fact, this kind of ‘experience’ never goes beyond consumption, the cultural content of ‘Christmas’ and other western festivals is unlikely to enter deep into people’s hearts through the current form of celebration.

From this point of view, controlling the consumerist experience of foreign festivals as a way to protect traditional Chinese festivals is a case of conceptual mistake. What we really need to guard against is the commericalisation, the consumerisation, and the homogenization of our festivals. A few years ago, a scholar wrote that consumerism is erasing our memories of festivals; we no longer distinguish between a festival and a day off, and more and more, we simply think of festivals as a day off work. Today, tourism, shopping and good dining have become the core of many festivals, and from a ‘special time’, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, mid autumn festival have become nothing more than a ‘day of recreation’. I believe, what we should really worry about is that, under the influence of entertainment culture, Chinese people are now celebrating our national festivals in the same way that we do these foreign festivals, as pure ‘fun and novelty experiences’. And if that is the case, our traditional festivals will have no further meaning for us than a consumer experience, and none of the historical significance and national sentiment they carry will penetrate deep into our hearts.

Julien Leyre website

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Übersetzung James Legge

The Master said, "Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him."

李商隐: 晚晴

Li Shangyin (813 – 858): Klarer Abendhimmel

Abgeschieden wohne ich und sehe herab auf die engen Stadtmauern

Der Frühling geht, der Sommer ach wie klar

Der Himmel hat Erbarmen mit dem (im Frühling noch) behinderten Gras

Die Erde bringt wieder klare Abende hervor

Und vom hohen Turm sieht man die Ferne

Nur wenig Licht fällt durch das kleine Fenster

Nachdem die Nester der im Süden beheimaten Vögel getrocknet sind

fliegen sie mit leichtem Körper hierher zurück

Text

Richard Wilhelm

Sechs auf viertem Platz bedeutet: Bist du wahrhaftig, so schwindet Blut und weicht Angst. Kein Makel.

Neun auf fünftem Platz bedeutet: Bist du wahrhaftig und treu verbunden, so bist du reich in deinem Nächsten.

Oben eine Neun bedeutet: Es kommt zum Regen, es kommt zur Ruhe. Das ist der dauernden Wirkung des Charakters zu verdanken. Die Frau kommt durch Beharrlichkeit in Gefahr. Der Mond ist fast voll. Macht der Edle fort, so kommt Unheil.

James Legge

The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject possessed of sincerity. The danger of bloodshed is thereby averted, and his (ground for) apprehension dismissed. There will be no mistake.

The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject possessed of sincerity, and drawing others to unite with him. Rich in resources, he employs his neighbours (in the same cause with himself).

The topmost NINE, undivided, shows how the rain has fallen, and the (onward progress) is stayed -must we value the full accumulation of the virtue (represented by the upper trigram). But a wife (exercising restraint), however firm and correct she may be, is in a position of peril, (and like) the moon approaching to the full. If the superior man prosecute his measures (in such circumstances), there will be evil.

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