Catshanghai

I like to joke that I only came to China to escape from Christmas. I have made no secret of my scepticism towards the fake sentimality of the British Christmas tradition. I dislike the music and the commercial hysteria that lasts for months and months. See last year’s post. That said, I am no scrooge. I enjoy spending more time with my wife and buying presents for family. I am even willing to indulge other people’s love of cliched Christmas hits as long as I can sneak in the odd Jonathan Coulton or Sufjan Stevens song. I have been away from Europe for four Christmases and it would be nice to go back to the UK one year, although I suspect that novelty would wear off after an hour or two.

There is no escape from Christmas even in China, but I am noticing it is becoming a bigger deal this year. The Shanghainese are not shy of embracing international festivals, especially if they present commercial opportunities. Since I came here in 2004, I have always seen many Santa hats and Christmas trees, but it was confined to shopping centres and expat enclaves. The tinsel did not appear until December 1st and its aftermath merged into the runup to Chinese New Year. I must say that the lights outside Plaza 66 on Najing Xi Lu are very impressive. Shanghai is very good at lighting itself up at night. Perhaps, that is the real reason why Christmas is so popular here.

Even though my new living situation is giving me a different perspective, it seems the Christmas virus is spreading. We live in a working class Chinese neighbourhood on the Puxi side of Nanpu Bridge. It is right opposite the Lujiabung Lu Fabric Market, which sells cheap copied garments to hundreds of travellers on a daily basis. Still, it feels very much like a Chinese district at least for the time being. There are no Starbucks yet. It is odd that you can see many signs of festive cheer from the Christmas displays in our local Trustmart supermarket to the lights on the streets outside. The funniest evidence of this outbreak has appeared in our appartment building where I am the sole laowai resident. A sad looking Christmas tree has appeared in the lobby next to the guard’s desk.

The Christmas virus has even spread to other cities. The santa hats were even on display in Guangzhou during our visit there last week. Maybe, I have become a carrier who causes an outbreak of Christmas tinsel and trimmings whenever I go there during the month of December. Please don’t quarantine me or put me down. It is only fatal for your bank account, although anyone who has ever experienced depression during this season may disagree.

Given the increasing local enthusiasm towards Christmas symbols, what are the chances that this festival will become an official holiday? Zero. I can’t imagine the Wizard of Oz being aired on CCTV on Christmas Day. From a selfish point of view, I am happy to enjoy a holiday while China is still working. It makes everyday life less of an ordeal if the crowds are in factories and office cubicles while I am looking for a taxi.

Anyway, I wish everyone a happy Christmas, however you choose to (or not) celebrate this time of year. We have invited a few friends to our house to eat oven baked food and watch violent cartoons.