A wonderful writer, Victoria Blisse, has the most creative and generous promo ideas of anyone I know, (except for maybe the amazing Beth Barany, but she’s another story, or perhaps another blog). Annually, Vicky puts together the Blissemas blog tour, in which authors post a holiday themed blog, linking back to the main Blissemas site at http://blissemas.co.uk/ And if you comment, you’re entered in a drawing for a free Kindle! What could be better? Here are the rules if you’re interested (I know I am 
http://blissemas.co.uk/win-a-kindle
I am not nearly as funny as Allie, so I opt to inform.
Two years ago, I was living in Luoyang, China, teaching English to toddlers and experiencing China as a resident rather than as a tourist. Amid the joy of discovery and annoyance of life in a developing (rather than a developed) country, I learned quite a lot. I had always wanted to experience Christmas overseas, but that desire was illustrated by dreams of German craft markets and Swiss ski resorts.
So Christmas in China was not exactly the culmination of a lifelong dream…but it was interesting.
The ignorant might believe that Christmas isn’t celebrated in China, a nominally communist (and therefore allegedly godless) country. First of all, China isn’t communist. It may have started that was sixty years ago, but it isn’t now. It’s capitalism wearing red. Or at Christmastime, red and green with a fluffy white beard.
Secondly, many Chinese are very religious. Every Buddhist temple I visited was busy. There was a church in Luoyang, a smallish city (for China, a mere 4-5 million people) and many churches in larger cities like Shanghai.
In China, Santa is very popular. He looks rather like my former literary agent or a sex offender (those big red lips freak me out).
Christmas decorations are everywhere, stores conduct Christmas sales and people throw parties.
But Christmas isn’t a day off or a family day. I taught at two schools, and each had a Christmas pageant starring you-know-who as Santa. As you can see, not my best look.
But we did get snow a few weeks before, which made a pretty city even lovelier. And there were snowmen!
Who would have thought that Santa would be so popular in China. Thanks for the great blog. : )
You’re welcome. I am so lucky to have had the chance to experience other cultures for a number of months instead of the few days most tourists get.
Thanks Sue for this insight into a Chinese Christmas. Like many others, it never occurred to me that Christmas was celebrated in China. Very eye-opening! Tracy
Something I’ve learned on my travels is not to trust the media completely–sometimes one has to leave one’s comfort zone, go out and find out the truth.
What a lovely insight into Christmas in a completely different country, I especially love the snowman!
It’s interesting to hear about Christmas in other countries. Do they send Christmas cards? I see that China gets snow but it always amuses me to hear that places like Australia send Christmas cards depicting snowy scenes with Robins and sleighs, and poor old Father Christmas still has to dress up in his fur-lined red suit even though Christmas comes at summer time for them.
I think winter in Australia would be quite interesting! Even here in California winter=Christmas, despite the warm weather we usually enjoy. When I grew up in Los Angeles, I used to like to go to the beach on Christmas Day–it was deserted.
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Fascinating stuff! My husband was in China this time last year and noted how very Christmassy it was in the shops – he was quite surprised.
And you rock that Santa suit, Sue
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Thanks, Justine! A lot of people don’t know that China has a consumer driven economy just as we do. And everywhere I went in Asia had GREAT shopping.
Fabulous story, Suz!
One does see a different perspective from overseas.
That’s why I loooove travel!
Well, Suz, I’m thinking you’re a much more attractive Santa than the one you think looks like your former agent — or a sex offender
What a great experience!
Maria-Claire
Thanks, Maria-Claire! And yes, it was fascinating.
So glad to read this post! My daughters are adopted from China and we just moved back to the US from Japan last Christmas. We stopped in Hong Kong on our way back to the States and got to experience Hong Kong “Blissmas.” didn’t see a green Christmas tree, but lots of blue, pink and purple trees which my girls enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing!
I looooved Hong Kong! Hope you did also–I imagine you had a great time.I was there in August…”sultry” was an understatement. But what a beautiful city!
Here are some of my Hong Kong photos. http://susanoverseas.weebly.com/aug-09-victoria-peak-and-other-hong-kong-marvels.html
I’ve not been out of the US, except for a few brief excursions into Canada, which only happened in the summer, but I have been in several different states at Christmas time, ie: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Wyoming, California & Florida. The year we were in California for Christmas, we visited my aunt, who was born in Bejing. She took us to Chinatown in San Francisco for breakfast on Christmas morning. That was a bit of a culture shock, but unforgettable.
drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com
How fun, Kathryn! I know that some Chinese like dim sum on Sunday morning–was that what you ate?
I wouldn’t have thought they’d acknowledge Christmas either. I’m glad at least parts of the holiday were familiar…the commercialization. It sounds like an intriguing part of your life and I would love the opportunity to do something like that. I’m curious as to what kinds of foods do they make for a Christmas celebration?
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Joderjo, my boss took us out for “Christmas Dinner,” but the day had been so long that I don’t remember much of what was served. Plus, I’m a vegetarian, so wouldn’t have eaten much of what he ordered. I remember he had a large, whole fish for me (but I’d stopped eating fish at that point). I believe it had been steamed. Roast duck is the specialty of that part of China, so I would bet there was a roast duck. I remember a really sweet dessert that was something like rice crispies bars, large–people smashed the whole thing and ate irregularly shaped bits.
What a interesting and entertainng post; I enjoyed reading it,.
Thanks, Tracey
Half of my co-workers are from China (I work in a science dept. of a university) and it never ocurred to me to ask them about it, just assuming that it wouldn’t be as similar to here. I did know that they were no longer ‘officially” godless though.
How interesting Santa is bald, perhaps there was a buddha influence.
I don’t know if Buddha was the influence. Most of the Christmas decor wasn’t indigenous. A lot of it was from Russia. If that Santa was from Texas is definitely had been modeled after my former agent
Hi Suz,
thank you for sharing, i love hearing about different cultures and customs. i use to work as a travel agent and i had lots of clients that would bring me back Christmas decorations and little stories from overseas. some of my favorite decorations are from them and each Christmas when we decorate the tree i tell my niece about the decoration and the story that goes with it so she can carry it on someday. Hope you and yours have a Happy Holiday Season.
tammy ramey
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com
Tammy, thanks for your note. What a cool tree you must have! I like to do something similar–this year I went to Italy and brought my niece a cute gondolier ornament for her tree.
The holidays are especially wonderful because I appreciate them, having been away from my family and friends during this so significant season!
You have such an interesting life. I love hearing about your travels. You as Santa? Hmmm? I’m not seeing it but I’m glad you did it for the kids. Thanks for sharing your lovely memory. My new blog is Christmas themed right now as well about my experiences finding just the right tree. http://www.jansenschmidt.wordpress.com. Stop by and leave a comment.
Tanks, Jansen–when I got divorced I set out to have an interesting life
To me, that means travel, and a lot of it.
HI Suz/Sue. I love your travel stories. Thanks so much for educating and entertaining us. But you should have worn the outfit to the Rosers party today!
what a wonderful experience for you! I, also, am surprised about the popularity of Christmas and Santa!
Great post! I love the pictures! Thanks for sharing!
shadowluvs2read
Thanks, Shadow! If you love to read, check out my websites
I was teaching in Nanjng this summer, and I was surprised to see Christmas lights and Santa faces decorating the classrooms even in the middle of July. The Chinese people do love Santa. Thanks for the interesting post.
It’s always interesting to hear about holidays in other countries. Great post, and cool pictures!
–Meggan
Hi, Sue! Your blog brought back great memories of when I was in China at Christmas/New Year’s to bring home our Jenny (now 16). The hotel in Shanghai had a diorama that took up half the lobby. It had a 6′ gingerbread house, Santa, a svelte, blond, female mannekin wearing a silver ball gown (Mrs. Santa?), and seven garden gnomes (dwarves?), surrounded by a blanket of fake snow. Very surreal!
Merry Christmas to you and yours, and happy writing and editing in 2012!
China is a remarkable place and Shanghai, a fascinating city. I spent a lot of time there and liked it a lot. And yes, they do go OTT over a lot of things including Christmas!
Who knew? Sometimes it shows we are all not so different all the time at all. Love the pictures
Oh, our cultures are very different! But Asians like to display Western cultural images as much as we like Chinese food.
I agree that it is a eye opener to see they celebrate Christmas. Enjoyed reading about it. Happy Holidays.
Carol L
Back home in Malaysia, X’mas is less commercial and not many people celebrate it (only the Christians bother with trees and deco) but we still got a public holiday out of it!
That reminds me of Thailand, an overwhelmingly Buddhist country, where any occasion is seized as an excuse for a party
Christmas in China, what a wonderful story glad to see others celebrate like we do. My daughter in-law taught english in Korea while she was stationed there with the army, she loved it.
Great story. It would be fun to go to another country and celebrate the way they do. Thanks for sharing. Cute pictures.
tonyapeterson35(at)yahoo(dot)com
Wow that is very interesting! I didn’t know any of that about China. Christina_92 at yahoo.com