Specific Features of Festive Culture in Modern China

The history of XX-century China can be divided into several periods that greatly altered the path of China’s historical development: Xinhai Revolution, Anti-Japanese war, civil war, establishment of PRC, Cultural Revolution, policy of reforms and openness. Uneven development of contemporary China has had its influence on Chinese holidays. The authors consider the concept of “national holidays of China” a basic category. In the Chinese language, a “holiday” is an unusual day or days connected with something. All national Chinese holidays fall into two categories: government and popular. Chinese government holidays include official holidays established by law; they are days-off for all Chinese citizens. Currently there are 7 government holidays in China and many popular holidays. Popular holidays include traditional holidays, occupational or social holidays, holidays of national minorities or others. Not all Chinese citizens have days-off during these popular holidays. There are two aspects of cultural problems in modern China: a big gap between urban culture and rural cultures; there is a problem of active borrowing and introduction of Western culture into the national culture of China. In particular, many western holidays have intervened into the tissue of Chinese culture. However, western holidays do not alter the cultural meaning of Chinese traditional holidays; they have acquired Chinese features and enriched the life of young Chinese people. Chinese festive culture is transformed within the following areas: traditional holidays are replaced with innovative ones; modern holidays are formed under the influence of new social and political conditions and cultural globalization; transformation of traditional holidays changes either their quantity or their content and cultural meaning. However, the authors have come to the conclusion that despite the transformational processes the cultural meaning and main cultural functions of traditional holidays are preserved: reunion of families and, hence, the reunion of the whole nation.