中西方節(jié)日文化之比較 英語學(xué)專業(yè)

1、AcknowledgementFirst of all ,I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Zhang shasha ,for her patient guidance and useful suggestions on my thesis .She taught me the steps and way to write a qualified article and I have a clear logical for my thesis.Without her consistent and illu

2、minating instructions ,this thesis could not have reached its present form .Second, I also thanks to my friends who help me during writing this thesis .They help me find out the date and modify the format of thesis .At last, my thanks would go to my beloved family for their loving considerations and

3、 great confidence in me all through these years and their supporting without a word of complaint. I also owe my sincere gratitude to my friends and my fellow classmates who have given me their help and their time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of t

4、he thesis.AbstractWith the economic globalization, the international exchanges become more and more frequent. Culture plays a critical role in international communications. It can be seen that festival has become a part of peoples life. Thus its necessary to know about the countrys culture.Festival

5、is the enrichment and essence of human being life .It reflects the most delicate and representative aspect of national culture. The Chinese New Year and Thanksgiving Days in west is respectively most important festival in their ethnic groups .It is the representative of Chinese and western culture d

6、ifferences. Understanding the different culture contributes to promote each others communications. Whats more, it can avoid misunderstanding and we would respect each others culture in cross-cultural communications, making the communications more and more smoothly. If we know about the cultural diff

7、erence, it can help avoid the misunderstanding and enhance the international exchange and corporation. Thus, studying the difference of the two festivals is conducive to better rationally learn and absorb foreign cultural values. Meanwhile we can protect and carry forward the cultural essence of the

8、 Chinese nation.This paper is mainly studies through the methods of documentary analysis and qualitative analysis .The article gives comparison study of Chinese and Thanksgiving Days, based on the aspects of the origin of festival ,custom ，function ,cultural connotation and so on .We can clearly con

9、clude the differences between Chinese and western cultural in this paper. Thus it reflect the core of this article：paying attention to the culture and respecting the culture difference .Key Words: The difference of Chinese and western; Culture custom; Spring Festival; Thanksgiving Day摘 要 HYPERLINK j

10、avascript:; 隨著經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化以.國與國之間的交流更加頻繁了.文化在文化交流中起著重要的作用.不難看出節(jié)日是人們生活中的不可或缺的一部分.因此對(duì)于我們而言了解不同國家的節(jié)日文化是非常必要的. HYPERLINK javascript:; 節(jié)日是人類日常生活的濃縮和精華。它反映了民族文化最精致，最具有代表性的一面，中國的春節(jié)，西方的感恩節(jié)分布是中西方最重要的節(jié)日，并具有中西方文化的代表性是探討中西方文化的典型。本文主要應(yīng)用了文獻(xiàn)分析法和定性分析法。主要探究了春節(jié)與感恩節(jié)差異基于春節(jié)與感恩節(jié)的起源，習(xí)俗，功能，文化內(nèi)涵，等方面。通過對(duì)比，我們清楚地得出了兩者的差異。從而體現(xiàn)本文的核心：注重

11、文化，尊重差異.關(guān)鍵詞：中西文化差異 文化習(xí)俗；春節(jié)；感恩節(jié)ContentsTOC o 1-3 h z u 1. Introduction 12. The Origin of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day 12.1 The Origin of Spring Festival 12.2 The Origin of Thanksgiving Day 33. The Contrast of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day 53.1 The Custom of Spring Festival and Thanksgi

12、ving Day 53.1.1 The Ways of Celebration 53.1.2 The Symbol of Traditional Food 63.1.3 The Activities of Celebration 73.2 The Functions of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day 83.2.1 Communicational Function 83.2.2 Educational function 83.2.3 Condensed Function 93.2.4 Economic Function 103.2.5 Enterta

13、inment Function 104. The Combination of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day 114.1 Spring Festival in Western Countries and Thanksgiving Day in China 114.2 The culture Meaning of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day 125. Conclusion 12Bibliography 13The Culture Comparison of Chinese and Western Festi

14、val with Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day as an example1. IntroductionThe Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day is the most grand and lively festival in China and western respectively .Different festival have different social activities，nevertheless festival is only one aspect of difference in cu

15、lture. Festival is endowed with special social and cultural significance in a year，meanwhile it penetrates between in daily life ，embodying people colorful life regional and national politics. Traditional festival is most significant part of national history and culture. In addition ，festival is the

16、 summary of the economic and cultural religion and extension. China and Western have their own traditional festivals .These festival have some in common, but even more their respectively characteristics.People keep the most delicate and most representative national culture in the festival .They refl

17、ect a nations traditional habits ,morality and religion .It represent the vision of the whole nation and is a happy event in thousands of year. It is pretty good way as a whole cut to understanding the Chinese and Western culture .Today society has set up a communication platform for the festival cu

18、stoms exchanging and provides the cozy culture learning environment as well.The author mainly talks about the customs and functions of these two festivals and explore the difference between Chinese and Western culture. It produces profound impact in culture communication . At the end of this paper ,

19、it express we should learn rationally learn and absorb foreign cultural values .Meanwhile ,we can protect and carry forward the cultural essence of Chinese nation .With understanding the cultural difference ,it will be conducive to their traditional culture inheritance and development basing of seek

20、ing common ground .2. The Origin of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving DayThis chapter will talk about the origin of these two festival .The origin has a deep relationship with the living life and social activities .2.1 The Origin of Spring FestivalThe Spring Festival, a family reunion holiday, is the

21、 most significant elaborate, colorful, and important feast in China, just like the Christmas in the west and has more than 4,000 years of history. Chinese New year is now popularly known as the Spring Festival because it starts from spring. The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of 1 lunar. It is

22、usually later one month than the Gregorian calendar. Strictly speaking , the Spring Festival start from every year in the early days of 12th lunar month .The Spring Festival originated in Shang Dynasty (C.1600BC-C.1100BC) and people sacrifice to the gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and t

23、he beginning of new one. (Zhao 101)The Spring Festival usually last about 15days .In the fact ,it initiates the eve of the lunar New Years Day, and the prime month of the lunar calendar is the official ending of the Spring Festival for most of Chinese people. It is quiet universal amid Chinese that

24、the term” Guo Nian” meaning passing the year” which frequently is used during celebrating the new year. People usually shoot off the firework welcoming the advent of new year. In an instant the whole world at this moment will immerse the shocking sound of the firecracker. There are two typical convi

25、ncing origin of the Spring FestivalInitially, in ancient time people provide the sacrifice to the god and the ancestors in the last month of Chinese lunar calendar . This is what we said the beginning In order to do well the sacrifice, people usually clean the house thoroughly and take the shower et

26、c. After finishing above the activitie, on that day people set off sacrifice the god and ancestors. Most of people have finished the farm work and have the spare time to do activities in this nothing better time. However there is no certain worshipping date because of the farm activities. Later the

27、time of sacrificing the deities and the ancestor is fixed until Han Dynasty .The convention of sacrificing the god and ancestors maintain ,but the influence and the scale are not magnificent than before . Besides, It is the season that the flower is blooming and the grass is sprouting At spring, the

28、 weather is not cold any more and people can go out to held a variety of activities to welcome the advent of new year.Secondly, the most famous legend about Spring Festival which is overwhelming spread is the year monster ,a kind of animal that have a ferocious appearance appearing at the eve night

29、.People call the beast “ Nian”. Nian is fierce animal with a quite mouth and it is that it can eat a number of people and other living animal in just one bite. What is more, people also call the beast “guonian” which means the previous year is pass .In the ancient time ,most of person hold that the

30、monster will come out to eat people in the New Years eve .It is natural that mankind are afraid of the beast for eating them . The old man provide rescue to the people .The old man have the conversation with the beast with his wisdom.” I heard that you have unparalleled ability and the human being i

31、s not enough to be your opponent. Dare you challenge other beasts by yourself ” the elderly man . The monster did the way what the old man said .The monster is not only finishing the other beasts but also some other primary animals which are frequently harassing people.Then the elderly man riding th

32、e monster disappeared in the clouds and the old man to mankind surprise is a fairy .Finally the monster left and other animal were so frightened that they hidden in the forest .The human being start to enjoy a harmonious and happy life .When the old men left, he told the people the monster is very s

33、cared of the red color ,so sticking the red decorations like paper cutting firing, stickers on the window and door can scare away the beast and prevent the beast from here again .The traditional custom which is handed down and remain the present and from the generation .In the folk ,people call the

34、Spring Festival “guo nian”.The term of guo means celebrating the new year advent in nowadays and in the Chinese there are two meanings of the word of “guo”.One meaning is pass-over and the other is “observe”.(Deng , Wang 13):That is to say there is two meanings of the term of “guo nian”. The custom

35、of putting up to the red paper and set off firecracker increases the atmosphere of celebration. (Deng , Wang 29)By knowing these two origins , Spring was a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welco

36、me in the new year. The legend show the industrious and brave Chinese peoples indomitable spirit. People from disparate districts will sacrifice to the gods and ancestors at the end of an old year.2.2 The Origin of Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving Day as celebrated in North America is a ancient festival

37、 and family reunion holiday like Chinese Spring Festival for American people and it highlights reunion. People always celebrate with big dinners and happy reunions.There is no fixed time for thanksgiving day early and the time decided just by the states temporarily until after the independence day i

38、n 1863，the president Lincoln declare they term thanksgiving day as a national day holiday and in 1941Congress formally proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. On that day, Americans appreciated the God giving them blessing around the year. In addition, Thanksgiving holiday us

39、ually lasts from Thursday to Sunday. On this day ,no matter how busy the people are ,thousands of people all come back home and reunion with their family .It has most connotation with early American history . HYPERLINK javascript:; Thanksgiving Day in the United States has been traced back to the in

40、itial history of United StatesThe early setters of the United States or calling puritans in the 16 th century to the 17 th century had launched a with fierce reformation and they declared out of the church of England .This is what we call the religious reform movement England history . (Zhou 153)The

41、y announced out of the church of England and set up a new church . Puritans argue that remove residual effects within the Christian church .But in the middle of the 17 century, Royalist parliament passed the law believing the national church .The pilgrims began to persecution by the government and t

42、he church forces .Many of them were arrested and suffered from torture and religious trial .They every moment threatened the puritans who are compelled helpless .Due to derivation the free using their own ways of worship, they have no choice leaving their ancestral home England. HYPERLINK javascript

43、:; Thanksgiving Day in the United States has been traced back to the initial history of United StatesIn 1620，the pilgrims famous leader Bradford had summoned 102 companion and taken the ship called “ Mayflower “l(fā)oaded a number of people who cant bear the Britain religious persecution seeking a place

44、 where they could have freedom of worship. The time 1620 is closed to 1621. They encountered unimaginable difficulties such as hunger, cold ,exhaustion ,starvation or epidemics, which made the half people losing their live .In the end ,the voyage lasted two months and they finally Plymouth, Massachu

45、setts. Haply ,they confronted the kind Indians .Not only did they bring the necessities of life ,but taught them the good ways and the skills such as how to hunting ,fishing and planting corn and pumpkin etc .With the help of Indians ,immigrants who survived began sowing in the first spring and fina

46、lly won a harvest .In the days of harvest celebration basing at the religious traditions the immigrants regulated the term of Thanksgiving Days and show their thanks not only god but Indians as well .They invited the Indians who given them the sincere help to celebrate the meaningful festival togeth

47、er .Through the contrast , we can get a conclusion that China s Spring festival mainly comes from the folk and it is obvious that the feast choice of Spring Festival is based the summary of the people to the real production and life and a generalization of framing activities and rhythm. However, jud

48、ging from the history of Thanksgiving Day , we can see Thanksgiving Day is not the patent of the United States or Canada. The truth is that it is be confirmed in the era of Moses and a public memorial holiday which has a profound belief connotation .3. The Contrast of Spring Festival and Thanksgivin

49、g DayThis chapter will talk about the cultural customs of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day .There is a closed relationship with the peoples daily life ,history and production for these two festival .3.1 The Custom of Spring Festival and Thanksgiving DayThe Spring Festival and Thanksgiving Day us

50、e their special custom showing us the colorful life of people .We get the rich connotations of these two festivals custom .3.1.1 The Ways of CelebrationSpring Festival is reunion festival and the family reunion dinner is an important section for reunion .All the people in china who is away from thei

51、r home goes back celebrating it . Real the night before Chinese New Year is called New Years Eve. From the traditional Reunion night celebrations sustained until the fifteenth day Lantern Festival .Reunion dinner is also called the family reunion dinner and it falls on New Years eve meaning that we

52、eat the family dinner on this special day for all Chinese .This is most significant day for Chinese to reunion .The family is the cornerstone of Chinese society .The annual reunion dinner fully show the Chinese family members love and respect each other with the closely relationship between the fami

53、ly .When it comes to the customs of Spring Festival ,you have to say the interesting custom ,lucky money, is that the senior are ready the money in advance and giving the lucky money to the younger generation .The lucky money have a function that it can eliminate the “XieSui” because of the same har

54、monics between the “old and sui”.After the younger generation say happy new year to the senior ,the senior will give them the lucky money .The people who gets the New Year money can lead a peace and happy life throughout this year .The senior usually give the money that is parceled by red paper .Now

55、 the custom distributing the lucky is still popular amid the Chinese people and the custom of giving lucky money have been carried from generation to generation .The spring couplets as the Spring Festival decoration is necessary part of the Spring Festival and if there is no Spring Couplets, the Spr

56、ing Festival is not complete . The delicate phrase written on the red paper which is pasting the door describe the glorious image express good wishes to the coming year and symbolize the prosperity .Different couplets have different topics and meaning .To the farmer couplets express their wishes hav

57、ing good harvest, to the businessman have more money and to all the people have a good health and lead a happy life .All in all, the couplets express people good will to the year .For Thanksgiving Day ,since the eighteenth century , the Untied States people began to give the poor a basket of food .A

58、t that time ,the group of people wants chose a day which they can do good things and latterly they believed Thanksgiving Days no better good to do the good things for them .They are fitted with a full basket of food and delivered them to the poor people as long as the thanksgiving day comes .People

59、learn from them and follow them to do from then on . (Zhou 158)Thanksgiving table arrangement also has distinguished feature Household is not put the flowers as usual ,but fruits and vegetables. They put a pumpkin that is surrounded by some apples corn and nuts in center of the table .What is more ,

60、people hollow the pumpkin inside setting shelled nuts or light a candle .At the ordinary time ,the hostess invite the guests to talking at the living room ,but on the thanksgiving day ,dinner is so sweet that everyone is willing to stay a little longer at the table .They happily eat while recall the