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| 2002-12-20 |
| Courtyards built during ancient dynasties are decked with boughs of plastic holly. The stockings are hung by the straw-paper lanterns with care. And on Friday, something truly rare happened in China's bone-dry capital: It snowed. The timing was ideal. Because in Beijing this month, Shengdan Laoren — literally, "Old Christmas Guy" — is coming to town. Marx's manifesto made no room for God, and you'd think that would include Christmas. But in the belly of global communism — which happens to be the largest emerging bastion of global capitalism — better think again. A commercialized version of Christ's birthday is thriving in urban China, in form if not in faith. Just ask Xiao Bai, a young noodle-shop employee on Wangfujing, Beijing's premier shopping street. He was dispatched this week to dress in red, don a white beard and distribute party favors to passers-by with a hearty "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and a Chinese-style "Welcome to our door." "Chinese people, they all love Christmas," said Bai, who proffers an earnest if skinny interpretation of Old St. Nick. "Every kid that passes me knows about Santa Claus. The few who don't think I'm just an old grandpa in red. You want a balloon?" <WHINE>If they can do it, why can't we?</WHINE> |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 It makes sense. Look at how much Christmas stuff is made there. I've been telling my husband for years that a bunch of commies, Daoists, Taoists, et al. make stuff for the largest religious holiday in the world. It's actually amusing in it's own way. Mass marketing the gospel which is not allowed to be practiced. And start paying attention to the Christmas tree skirts, runners, placemats, etc., coming out of India. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-12-21 00:56:52 |