七夕与情人节对比英语论文

湖北省高等教育自学考试英语专业

毕业论文

中国七夕节与西方情人节的对比分析

准考证号：XXXXX

学生姓名：XXX

指导教师：赵红英

二○一五年三月

The Cultural Comparison of Valentine's Day and Double-Seventh

Day

Name ：Yi XX

Directed by ：Zhao XX

March 2015

摘要

文化是一种社会行为，文化与人们的日常生活，习俗和习惯息息相关。本文试图对七夕节和情人节起源，庆祝方法，文化底蕴及人们对这两个节日的不同心理认同进行分析。传统的七夕节的衰落和情人节的热捧有着鲜明的社会性意义，本文从跨文化传播交流中的角度分析了两个节日的差异。

关键词：七夕节，情人节，不同

Abstract

Culture is a kind of social behavior. It is correlated with people's daily life, and customs and habits. This paper intends to make an analysis of the different origins of the Double seventh Festival and Valentine’s Day,the different celebrations and cultural backgrounds of the two festivals, as well as different people’s psychological identities of the two festivals. Traditional Valentine's decline and favorable Tanabata Festival has a distinctive social significance, and this paper discusses the differences between the two festivals from the perspective of cross-cultural communication. Key Words:Double Seventh Festival, Valentine’s Day, Differences

Contents

Abstract (Chinese)……………………………………………………………. I

Abstract (English)........................................................................ II Chapter One:Introduction (1)

Chapter Two: Folk Legend and Name Sources of Double Seventh Festival and Valentine

2.1 The Double S eventh Festival’s and Valentine's Day’s Folk Legend………

2.2 Name Sources of the Double Seventh Festival and Valentine's Day………

2.2.1 The Origin of the Name ……………………………………………………

2.2.2 The Nickname Summary ……………………………………………………Chapter Three: Cultural Difference between Double Seventh

Festival and Valentine

3.1 Straightforward and Conceal Differences ………………………………

3.2 The Difference between Material and Spiritual ………………………

3.3 The Difference between Love and Keepsake Matter ……………………Conclusion……………………………………………

Works Cited…………………………………………………………………The Cultural Comparison of Valentine's Day and Double-Seventh Day

Chapter One Introduction

The festival is an essential part of cultural customs, which is also an important part to reflect the traditional ethnic culture. On the other hand, the festival, as a mirror of culture, is strongly influenced by culture. Culture is a kind of social behavior. It is correlated with people's daily life, and customs and habits. Each nation's special culture gives love some special cultural meaning. Different countries have different folk festivals owing to different natural conditions and humane factors. For most western countries, traditional festivals originate from religion, while our traditional festivals come from a farming civilization. The different origins lead to different celebrations. Over the many years in past, different regions have celebrated their own festivals. In modern times, with development of globalization, many ethnic festivals are celebrated by all over the world. For example, the Western Valentine's Day is widely celebrated by our young people. And China's Double Seventh Festival is called "Oriental Valentine's Day". But we should know what the differences are between the two festivals. What can we learn from the two festivals? In this paper, we will discuss the Double Seventh Festival and the Valentine's Day, which reflect the differences between Chinese and Western cultures about love of various levels. Many young people ignore the glorious national heritage of thousands of years. What should we and the government do for the two festivals?

Chapter Two Folk Legend and Name Sources of Double Seventh Festival and Valentine

2.1 The Double Seventh Festival’s and Valentine's Day’s Folk Legend

The Double Seventh Festival “Long, long ago, there was an honest and

kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself. One day, a fairy from Heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back. With the help of the celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter.

At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting date has been call "Qi Xi".

The Chinese have own characteristics of celebrating the Double Seventh Festival. The Double Seventh Festival is also called "Qiqiao Festival", which means people beg Emperor to give them skillful hands like the Weaver Maids’.

Due to the difference of clime culture in China, there are different celebrations: in Jiangxi province, there was a bridge meeting of the Double Seventh Festival. People came to take part in it and built a wooden bridge. At night, people faced the double stars and begged good fate，then cremating the wooden bridge, which meant that the double stars went across the bridge and had a glad meeting. In Shanxi province, every girl should be made up well, putting on beautiful dresses, and then offering all kinds of fruits to their friends.

With the development of society, now these customs have gradually disappeared, however, the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people. In recent years, in particular, urban youths have celebrated it as the

Valentine's Day in China. As a result, owners of flower shops, bars and stores are full of joy as they sell more commodities for love. Our youths focus on their individual character and emotional expression, so as to directly express their feelings. This is a major reason that the Double Seventh Festival is affected by the Western Valentine's Day.

The Valentine’s Day There are many opinions about the origin of the Valentine’s Day. The Valentine’s D ay, is the very typical festival, which has spread to all over the world. There are three forms of its origin:

Origin I: The priest St.Valentine was firmed in his Christian faith and he didn’t worship the Roman emperor, so he was imprisoned by the Roman emperor and finally sentenced to death. The Daughter of his prison guard was attracted by his behavior. In the process of waiting for execution, he fell in love with the girl. But he still refused to give up faith because of love. On February 14, AD .270, before execution, he wrote a passionate letter to his love. The inscription is “from your Valentine”. People set this day as “Valentine's Day”.

Origin II: According to the legend, in ancient times, natural environment was very bad, so every year the Romans had to sacrifice to the God in February to pray for health and prosperity. Unmarried men and women could participate in the activities on that day, and they could dance together. Girls’ names were written on a small slip of paper, so that the boys could select. The girl who was selected by a boy would become his wife. After many years, this led to many marriages. This day happened to be February 14. People thought this was the achievement of the day. So people set this day as “Valentine's Day”

From the origins of the two festivals, we can see obviously that the two festivals have different origins. The Double Seventh Festival, as one of China's traditional festivals, reflects that agricultural civilization played a dominant role in the process of development of our country. Ancient China was a predominantly agricultural country, so China's traditional festivals are closely linked with agriculture. The Double Seventh Festival embodies people’s respect for nature in ancient Chinese culture, and the custom of worshiping the Cowhand and Weaver Maid is the best embodiment. The Valentine's Day reflects the Western’s Christian faith and the regression of human

nature since the Renaissance. The Christians believe that love cannot be ignored, so the Westerners stress more on love and they place it in the first place. Westerners think that love is in accord with the feelings of nature.

From the celebrations of the two festivals, we can see there are different participants in the festivals. The Valentine's Day, although it originated from religion, has now become a couple holiday. On the Valentine's Day, everybody holds roses in the street. Everyone can participate in the festival, whether they are young couples or elderly people, and children are also involved in the Valentine's Day. The Double Seventh Festival in ancient China was celebrated mainly by unmarried women, and ancient history books and poetry didn’t record that males took part in the festival. The Double Seventh Festival is mainly directed to young single pairs of groups. The aim is to find their loved one, then to make further development with the loved one, and finally to form a family. The Valentine's Day is not certainly for the purpose of marriage; it contains extra-marital affairs. No matter what kind of cultural background, as long as you need love, you can accept the festival.

2.2 Name Sources of the Double Seventh Festival and Valentine's Day 2.2.1 The Origin of the Name

The Double seventh Festival is from the earliest people to the worship of nature. From the historical point of view, at least three thousand or four thousand years ago, with the production of textile technology and people's understanding of astronomy, there was records about Altair and Vega. People are much more than the worship of the stars Altair and Vega, they think things have seven representatives of the north and south orientation of the stars, collectively known as lunar mansions, the brightest of which the Big Dipper, a sense of direction for the night. The first star of the Big Dipper called the Big Dipper, also known as the culprit. Later on, the imperial examination system, champion called "Quebec Disabilities Big World", scholar called the Double seventh Festival "Kui Xing Festival ", also known as the "Sun Festival", maintained a Tanabata is derived from the earliest traces of worship of the stars.

Valentine's Day , one of the legend,said: A. D. 3rd century Rome emperor Claudius II announced abandoned by marriage commitment Yu war considered makes more by care male go battle fought named w LUN Royale (Sanctus Valentinus) priest didn't follow does continues to phase light held church wedding things denounced w LUN Royale priest first whipped stone throwing playing A. D. 2702 months 14 sent gallows hanged 14th century began Memorial now paper translated plot West Home said Valentine's Day with Memorial bit love shots sacrifice priest.

2.2.2 The Nickname Summary

Nickname Summary of the Double Seventh Festival:

Double Seven: The sun and the moon, are all seven days, it said, also weighed seven.

Hong Day: Popular Communication tanabata female cattle meet, Weaver must dressing, whitewash, as well as the sky fragrance, it said.

Female Festival: The Double seventh Festival to worship fairy girl and QiQiao, clever as the main festival season vulgar activities, so that the female section, also known as Doll Festival, girls section.

Blue Night: lunar month called as "Blue Moon", so tanabata also known as "blue night."

Pediatric Festival: Because QiQiao, begging and other popular culture and more from the girls, the boys whom, hence the term. .

Nickname Summary of Valentine's Day:

There are twelve Valentine's Days in a year. They are:

January 14 Diary Day

February 14 Valentine's Day

March 14 White Day

April 14 Black Day

May 14 Yellow & Rose Day

June 14 Kiss Day

July 14 Silver Day

August14 Green Day

September14 Music & Photo Day

October 14 Wine Day

November 14 Orange & Movie Day

December 14 Hug Day

Chapter Three: Cultural Difference between Double Seventh Festival and Valentine

3.1 Straightforward and Conceal Differences

The West's "Valentine's day" Frank, passionate, hard-core, lovers holiday, really, "I love you"; In contrast, China's "Tanabata Festival", although also express the lovers get together, seven in early July, said the two lovers, but very content, is not sexually explicit, and metaphor expressions used by the ancients, it is difficult to be understood by young people, it is difficult to be now liked by the restless generation. Love is love, love is love.

3.2 The Difference between Material and Spiritual

"Valentine's day" highlights "lover" Word shows fiery passions, nature reveals. In modern times, the "lover" refers not only to the word lover, partner, husband and wife, informative and comprehensive, direct and explicit, very responsive to be feudal and the "cultural revolution" depressed for a long time the natural outpouring of emotion and desire and expressions. In contrast, China's "Tanabata Festival", reflects the day after gather and open sinuses of people of love, longing, Xiang Xi, photo's, content is nothing but poetry and painting, give APA wire, to heaven an exclamation, to worship God, and girls beg for needlework artists, induced the Queen Mother sent yourself a nice "cowboy". Completely enclosed inside the walls, the laughter has partly concealed, also half open mouth, and purely spiritual activity, where will hot up.

3.3 The Difference between Love and Keepsake Matter

"Valentine's day" focused on giving every "Valentine's day", roses, chocolates, cakes, clothes, expensive jewelry and other and become lovers gift "thing". Note that here the "objects" refers to the price of things, shows that there is a price. This will

undoubtedly promote the development of the market economy. As a result, every "Valentine's day" comes, most advertising, the streets waving banners at a discount, put "Valentine's day" red hot fire. Anti-views China of "Tanabata section", is relative Dim of more, traditional of lover also gift, but that is a expression affection of keepsake, just trace a PA, and a fan a painting, about of himself personally sewing, and embroidered description, and wrote, and making, how can introduction to commodity in the to, cannot entered commodity, and how can let businessman lot pay for Festival sold single propaganda and congratulated does?

Conclusion

Western and Chinese love culture have obvious differences, which is caused by the obstacles of languages, districts and others. If there is no communication, there would be no culture. The love culture reflects a national characteristic, not only including historical and cultural background, but also containing different human race's viewpoints on life, life style and ways of thinking. Love culture and communication affect each other. Comprehending the culture, we have to understand love culture, comprehending the love culture we have to understand the Double Seventh Festival and the Valentine's Day. They reflect the faith, ethics, morality, art, literature and other a spects of different ethnics and nations. The Valentine’s Day opens the window of Western culture for us to look into. In modern civilization, the individual is gradually dissimilated and the emotional is gradually indifferent, the Valentine's Day and the Double Seventh Festival provide us a chance to get mutual communication, mutual understanding and love for each other. We should be grateful to the history to leave us such glorious cultural heritage.

Therefore, we not only need to have love culture exchanged，but also need to cherish love culture in the cross-cultural social process.

With the development of globalization, cooperation and competition in economy and culture between countries are more and more. As a carrier of culture, traditional

festivals also exchange much and make much collision. Chinese New Year and Christmas in the West have been gradually accepted and accommodated by each other. However, Chinese and the Western Valentine's Day are a typical example of culture collision. With the impact of Western festivals, the Double Seventh Festival is gradual disappearing. Today Western festivals are very popular. It is a big course to protect our national culture and promote the festival’s spirit. As a saying goes, the national is the world. Now many people start to think about the reasons of the Double Seventh Festival’s unpopularity. They try their best to sa ve the China's traditional festival--the Double Seventh Festival. Official and private should work together to create good conditions for the Double Seventh Festival to keep the cultural meaning of traditional festivals and also add new elements and new ways to attract more people to enjoy the festival in the new times.

We also should give foreign festivals more tolerance and more respect for our national festivals. As experts say, the two festivals can have "peaceful co-existence."

Works Cited

Beth Baker, Holidays and Anniversaries of the World, Detroit: Gale Research, 1999.9.

Jock Elliott, How Our Holiday Came To Be, Harry N. Abrams , 2002.

陈丽：《圣瓦伦丁的玫瑰—情人节》，上海文化出版社，2002年出版。

董今：《心动情人节》.北京.中国书籍出版社.2004年2月出版。

马力:中西“情人节”之探源和比较。西北大学：中国古代文学专业硕士毕业论文.2008年。

张晓华：《中国传统节日文化研究之七夕节》，中国青年出版社，2007年出版。朱子怡: 《西方节日》，上海人民出版社，2005年出版。