英语论文中西方传统节日文化的差异

CultureDifferencesofChineseandWesternTraditionalFestivalAbstractTraditionalfestivalsarethehistoricalproductsofanation’sdevelopment.WhetherinChinawhichhasalonghistoryofmorethanfivethousandyearsorinthenewbornAmerica,theoriginationoftraditionalfestivalsinthetwocountriesissimilar.Mosttraditionalfestivalsoriginatedfrompeople’sexpectationforharvestintheagriculturalproduction,theworshiptowardsthegodsandthenature,sacrificestothehistoricalcharactersandetc.Afterthelong-termevolution,traditionalfestivalshavebecomeanindispensablepartofthenationalculture.Throughtraditionalfestivals,thedistinctculturalcharacteristicsofapeopleandthenationalspiritscanbeobserved.Sincetheancienttime,Chinahasbeenalargeagriculturalcountry,thesmall-scaleeconomicmodeknownas“Themenploughandthewomenweave”initiatedtheagriculturalcivilizationofChinesecharacteristics.ChinesetraditionalfestivalsaredeeplyrootedintheagriculturalcivilizationandgreatlyinfluencedbyConfucianism.Tosomeextent,ChinesetraditionalfestivalshaverelievedfromtheprimitivetaboosandtendedtobehappyfestivalswhichreflecttheconceptofharmonyandintegrationinConfucianism.InAmerica,religionplaysaveryimportantroleinpeople’slife.Withvariousbranches,thereligioussystemofAmericaisquitecomplicated,amongwhichChristianityisofthegreatestimportance.SomeAmericantraditionalfestivalsarethedirectproductsofChristianityandmostfestivalshaveevolvedintothereligiousfestivalslater.Thispaperisdesignedtodiscussthedifferencesincustoms,originsandotheraspectsoftraditionalfestivalswiththesimilarculturalconnotation,thenanalyzethereasonslyingbehindthedifferencesandfinallyreflecttheculturaldifferencesofthetwonations.ThepaperalsoanalyzesthemutualfusionintradtionalholidaysbetweenChinaandthewest.Keywords:Traditionalfestivals;ChineseandAmericanculture;culturaldifferences;causes;mutualfusion.中西方传统节日文化的差异摘要传统节日是一个民族发展的历史产物。无论是在有着五千多年悠长历史的中国还是在新生的美国，传统节日的起源都显示出相通之处，大多数传统节日都源自于人们在农业生产生活中对丰收的期盼、对天地神灵和自然的崇拜、以及对历史人物的祭奠等等。传统节日在长期的演变和发展中，已经成为民族文化不可或缺的一部分，透过传统节日可以反映一个民族的文化特色和民族精神。中国自古以来就是一个农业大国，“男耕女织”的小农经济模式开创了具有中国特色的农耕文化。中国传统节日深深植根于农耕文化之中，在演变过程中深受儒家思想的影响。从某种程度而言，中国传统节日已经渐渐摆脱原始禁忌和崇拜，演化成为体现儒家和合思想的欢庆祥和的节日。在美国，宗教的影响和地位是不言而喻的，美国的宗教体系错综复杂，其中最有影响力的宗教派别是基督教。美国的传统节日大都衍化成为基督教的产物，大多数的美国节日在日后的发展中都成为宗教性的节日。本文从两国传统节日中有着相似文化内涵的节日出发，探讨这些传统节日在起源、节日习俗等方面的差异，并分析产生这些差异的原因，从而折射出两国传统节日文化的差异。另外本文也探讨了中西方传统节日的相互融合。原创英语毕业论文请咨询QQ253771735关键词：传统节日；中美文化；差异；根源；相互融合Contents1.Introduction2.DifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternTraditionalFestivals2.1TheSpringFestivalvs.ThanksgivingDay2.2TheZhongyuanFestivalvs.Halloween2.3TheChineseValentine’sDayvs.Valentine’sDay2.4Summary3.MajorFactorsCausingDifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternTraditionalFestivals3.1FactorsInfluencingChineseTraditionalFestivals3.1.1AgriculturalCivilization3.1.2Confucianism3.2MajorFactorsInfluencingWesternTraditionalFestivals3.2.1Industrialization3.2.2Christianity4.MutualFusionBetweenChineseandWesternTraditionalHolidays4.1ThedevelopmentoftheMutualFusion4.2ThePerformanceoftheMutualFusion5.ConclusionCultureDifferencesofChineseandWesternTraditionalFestivals1.IntroductionChinaisamulti-ethnicnation,withtheHannationalityaccountingforthemajorityofthetotalpopulationandvariousethnicminoritiesintheminority(Zhao,2002).AccordingtoZhao(2002)andTan(2003),peopleindifferentnationalitiesorregionscelebratesometraditionalfestivalsoftheirown,whileamongallthefestivalsthemosttypicalonescelebratedbyChinesepeopleincommonconsistoftheseones:theSpringFestival,theLanternFestival,Tomb-SweepingDay,theDragon-BoatFestival,theChineseValentine’sDay,theZhongyuanFestival,Mid-AutumnDay,theDouble-NinthFestival,theWinterSolstice,theLabaFestival,andtheKitchenGodFestival,etc.DifferentfromChina,Americaisamulti-culturalnationwiththeimmigrantstakingalargeproportionofitspopulationandpeoplefromdifferentcountrieslivetogetherandtheculturesbroughtwiththemmeltintothedistinctAmericanculture(Wu,2003;Hu,2004;William,2007).InthesystemofAmericantraditionalfestivals,therearefestivalsoriginatinginthehomelandandfestivalsbroughtfromtheforeignlands.ThefestivalsinAmericacanbedividedintothelegalholidaysandtraditionalones;besides,somestatesalsocelebrateafewfestivalsoftheirown(Ellinwood,2005).Ingeneral,accordingtoSamovaretal.(2008),themostpopulartraditionalfestivalscelebratedbyAmericanpeopleincludethefollowingones:NewYear’sDay,Valentine’sDay,St.Patrick’sDay,AllFools’Day,Mother’sDay,Father’sDay,Halloween,Easter,ThanksgivingDay,andChristmas,etc.Accordingtothefolklorists’research,traditionalfestivalsindifferentsocietiesderivefromsuchoriginationsaspeople’sexpectationforabountifulharvestintheagriculturalproduction,theprimitiveworshiptowardsthegodsandthenature,sacrificestoancestorsandhistoricalcharactersandsoon,anditisunabletodenythattraditionalfestivalsdisplaytheculturaldifferencesonseveralaspects(Davis,2001;NiandQiao,2003).Inthemodernworldwithglobalizationtakingsuchafastpace,communicationamongpeopleofdifferentnationalitiesismorecommoninthefieldsofpolitics,economy,culturalandtechnologicalexchangeandothers.Inacontextofdifferentcultures,misunderstandingsandconflictsarelikely