Kurt Groetsch @ OldTasty.com

Merry Christmas from Beijing, a city that seems to have embraced the holiday in a completely secular way.

Need an example? Have a look at this article from china.org.cn. Yes, like so many other things in this city, Christmas is now all about spending and status. This just about sums it up:

“Wang said such a lopsided pattern of consumption would simply not exist if such people understood the real religious meaning of Christmas Day.”

You got that right, buddy.

Edit: That’s a little harsh, and illustrates why I shouldn’t post when I’m having a “bad China day.” China isn’t a particularly spiritual country these days, what with 50+ years of active work by the government to stamp out “old superstition.” It’s also a country that freely takes ideas from the West and adapts them to their own culture (thus you have “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” “business with Chinese characteristics, etc.”). So of course Christmas celebrations in China won’t be the same as in the West, but rather “Christmas with Chinese characteristics.” It’s all just part of what makes this such a fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, country.