TheSpingFestivalandChristmashavemuchincommon.Botharepreparedbeforehandtocreateajoyousatmosphere;bothofferafamilyreunionwithasquarefeast;andbothsatisfythechildeenwithnewclothes,loverlypresentsanddeliciousfood.However,the

　　ChineseSpringfestivalhasnoreligiousbackgroindwhileChristmashassomethingtodowithGodandthereisSantaClauswithwhitebeardtobringchildrenpresents.ThewesternerssendeachotherChristmascardsforgreetingswhiletheChinesepeoplepayacalloneachother.

　　TheSpringFestivalisthemostimportantfestivalfortheChinesepeopleandiswhenallfamilymembersgettogether,justlikeChristmasintheWest.Allpeoplelivingawayfromhomegoback,becomingthebusiesttimefortransportationsystemsofabouthalfamonthfromtheSpringFestival.Airports,railwaystationsandlong-distancebusstationsarecrowdedwithhomereturnees.

　　Strictlyspeaking,theSpringFestivalstartseveryyearintheearlydaysofthe12thlunarmonthandwilllasttillthemid1stlunarmonthofthenextyear.Ofthem,themostimportantdaysareSpringFestivalEveandthefirstthreedays.TheChinesegovernmentnowstipulatespeoplehavesevendaysofffortheChineseLunarNewYear.

　　ChristmasDay,the25thofDecember,isthebiggestfestivalcelebratedintheChristiancountriesoftheworld.ChristmasregardthisdayasthebirthdayofJesusChrist,butmanyofthecustomsandcelebrationsarenotofareligious1nature.

　　InthelargeshopspreparationsforChristmasarebegunfiveorsixweeksbeforetheactualday.ShopownerslikeChristmasbecauseitisatimewhenpeopleexchange2presents.Thismeansmoregoodsareboughtthanatanyothertimeoftheyear.Inlargertownsdecorations3areputupinthemainstreettwoorthreeweeksbeforeChristmas---usuallythesedecorationsarelitupatnight.

　　Preparationsarealsomadeathome.SpecialpuddingsandcakesareeatenonChristmasDayandthesehavetobemadethreeorfourweeksinadvance4.TwoorthreedaysbeforeChristmas,peopledecoratetheirhouseswithpaperdecorationsandleavesandbranches.PeoplealsoliketohaveaChristmastreeinthelivingroom.Thisisaverysmallfirtreedecoratedwithsilverpaperandcoloredlights.

　　nowadays,someoftheChineseyouthhasbeguntocelebeateChristmas,followingtheexampleofthewesterners.Perhapstheydosojustforfunandoutofcuriosity.