- —四川最大高校综合门户网
InXujiahui Christmas decorations are everywhere. There are Christmas trees and bright Christmas lights in front of the shopping malls and along the street. The sound of Christmas music seems to come from every shop that you pass. In many schools, st
InXujiahui Christmas decorations are everywhere. There are 
Christmas trees and bright Christmas lights in front of the shopping malls and along the street. The sound of Christmas music seems to come from every shop that you pass. In many schools, students are beginning to put up Christmas decorations in their classrooms and they are learning the words to Christmas songs. It would seem from all this activity that Christmas is now a Chinese festival and we think this is a good idea.
Expressing love
Celebrating Christmas gives us a chance to tell our family and 
friends how much we love them and appreciate them. We do this by sending cards or giving presents, or by having a big meal together. Our family and friends know we love them but every once in a while we should not be afraid to tell them and Christmas allows us to do that.
Good for economy
Sending cards, giving presents and having meals costs money, so Christmas can be expensive. But spending money is good for China’s economy. It creates jobs. In the West, the“consumer economy”(people buying things) is largely responsible for its prosperity.
Filling the gap
Christmas also comes at a good time of year for Chinese. There is a long gap between Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. Christmas gives us an excuse to have a celebration, to have fun and enjoy ourselves. Shanghai people love to party; we love to get together to eat, laugh and sing. Wearing a “Santa” hat while we are doing it makes it even more fun.
Learning western traditions
Children love Christmas. They think it’s magic: the lights, the music, the laughter and smiling faces; and, of course, the presents. Many parents now give their children presents at Christmas. They have learned some of the western traditions about the holiday and they have adopted them for their own families. They have Christmas trees and some put up Christmas stockings and fill them with candies and toys. Christmas lets us know that children and childhood are special.
Some people think that adopting a western festival like Christmas is harmful to Chinese culture. They think traditional Chinese festivals may become forgotten and ignored. But we should remember that, although Christmas was originally a Christian festival, it is now a cultural festival celebrated by everyone all over the world regardless of their beliefs. It reminds people that life is to be enjoyed and that family, friends, in fact all human beings, are to be appreciated. It is a time to wish for, “Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men.”
We think that is a wonderful idea.
作者：Larry White
