A Chinese Christmas
(While on vacation, I've been posting some holiday-appropriate blogs and stories from the China Connection archive. This story originally aired December 21, 2007. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!)
A few years ago Christmas was just an afterthought in officially atheist China.
But today millions of Christians and non-Christians have embraced the holiday.
Christmas trees twinkle, the sweet aroma of gingerbread fills the air, and many elves are busy at work.
You might think you've stepped into Santa's North Pole workshop, and at the Sheraton hotel in Shenyang, China the Christmas spirit is inescapable.
It's not just the Christmas cheer that attracts visitors. The hotel also boasts one of the world's largest gingerbread cities.
It was said it took more than a month and 25,000 cookies to make this replica of Shenyang.
"We'd like to show people the excellent buildings and the vitality of Shenyang," said Jiang Yunfeng, a pastry chef at the hotel.
From Shenyang to Shanghai, millions of Chinese are preparing for Christmas.
Just 10 years ago, Christmas was practically ignored in Beijing, but as people have become wealthier and enamored by western culture, the holiday season has gained favor.
"I celebrate Christmas [and] go out with family, friends. [We] buy each other presents [and] go out to dinner, get festive [and] get into the spirit," said one shopper in the city.
The intense economic growth in the Beijing has created a surge of new consumers. Despite the wealth of Christmas decorations. The city's residents are much more likely to hear the ringing of cash registers than Santa's sleigh bells.
Giving to charity is another part of the Chinese Christmas celebration. Each year Operation Blessing joins local businesses to encourage Chinese professionals to help those less fortunate.
"Proceeds from last year's event were used by to send 282 rural children from the Yi minority back to school in Dalian Shan in Sichuan Province," said Peter Maize, director of Operation Blessing China.
At this year's display in downtown Beijing, people can see pictures of the children they will help through their generosity.
While a few Christian symbols are on display, most Chinese don't think of Christmas as a religious holiday. For them, it's a western festival that China's young people have embraced as their own.
But for China's Christians, this isn't just another Western extravaganza. It's a time for them to reflect on Christ's birth.
Pastor Quan Xuezai said China's growing number of Christians may be responsible for the popularity of Christmas. In just four years, his church has grown from 100 people to 1300, including a special ministry for the blind.
"One of the reasons Christmas is becoming more important in China is because there are more Christians. Christians can spread Christmas culture to make more people believe Jesus," the pastor said.
The widespread popularity of Christmas also offers China's young Christians the unique opportunity to talk about their faith.
Sometimes I give bibles to my friends, especially, those who have never heard about Jesus," said Shen Dong Quan, a Chinese Christian. "Christ is lord of the whole world...He is not only Lord of Americans and Europeans, but Lord of all people."
As holiday lights illuminate the Beijing sky, there's no denying that Christmas is there to stay, but Chinese Christians hope their nation does more than adopt a western holiday. They want their countrymen to embrace their faith.