When I arrived in Tokyo a few weeks ago, I was staying near one of the city's flagship department stores. As I walked past the window displays of disconcertingly Caucasian-appearing mannequins, the familiar sound of Christmas music filled the air and then I saw the store's giant Christmas tree. There were more Christmas displays in Seoul and Hong Kong, but I was surprised to see Shanghai in the Christmas spirit as well. After all, this is not a religious country, let alone a Christian one, though of course in a nation of 1 billion plus, there are Christians here. In all the shopping areas, though, one could find Christmas trees, Christmas music, and exhortations to buy a gift for someone you love.
Obviously, the world is heavily influenced by Western culture. As I was going through customs here in Shanghai, a Muzak version of The Bangles' "Eternal Flame" played over the loudspeaker. At my hotel, the lounge act warbled "Yesterday" as I walked in. But Christmas? Here? It's not all like America -- there were no Nativity scenes in sight. But, like America, it was plainly a consumer's (and shopkeeper's) holiday. I asked an acquaintance when Chinese started celebrating Christmas. He told me it goes back about 15 years -- but it is getting bigger every year. "Christmas without Jesus" he called it.
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| Along E. Nanjing Rd. in Shanghai. |
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