103
her family do not celebrate ber 25, it is a normal day of
the occassion - she doesn’t work,’’ he says.
even close her shop: “For Yao Jingming, the official
me the 25th of December is translator of Portuguese poet
like any other day.’’ Eugénio de Andrade and also
Brazilian Márcia Smaltz a teacher at Macau University,
teaches Portuguese transla- sees significance in the large-
tion at Macau University. In ly religion-free celebrations in
her time here she has devel- China.
oped a deep knowledge of “The Chinese don’t fol-
Chinese culture. low the western rituals, but
“Christmas is not tradi- we are also ‘contaminated’ by
tionally part of the Chinese Western tradition,” he says.
calendar. In urban areas, Yao and his non-Christian
where there is a greater for- family send cards with wishes
eign presence and influ- of happiness to their friends.
ence, the Chinese seem to be “Although we exchange
opening up to Christmas,’’ presents, we don’t have an ex-
she says. act moment to do it. We can
Márcia explains that do it before or after Decem-
Christmas in Macau has a ber 25. Christmas Eve doesn’t
more festive and commercial mean a lot us,’’ he adds.
character than a Christian Yao says a growing
spirit. number of Chinese young
“Some families are more people like to celebrate
open and hold a Christmas Christmas, after all it is a big
dinner inviting friends and commercial draw and it’s an
family, as well as exchanging excuse for a party
gifts,’’ says Ms Smaltz, add-
ing that for young people the Tradition in Macau
m
celebration takes on a “night-
o
.
c out’’ feel, usually including Christian father Sequeira
oto
a disco, karaokes or perhaps has been in Macau for over 30
h
p
k
a trip to watch the fireworks years and says Macau takes
c
over Nam Van Lakes. it’s Christmas decorations - at
to
s
u
Leal Senado Square for in-
a
c
a
Early closing stance - even more seriously
.
m
than Hong Kong does.
w
w
24 year-old sales manager “Here you even have
w
Anakin Chan is one of those crib contests. I think there is
who does celebrate Christmas a good sense of Christmas
pagan face to the holy festival,
father
but not to the extent you will in Macau, obviously mainly
so commercialism is nothing
luís sequeira:
find in western countries. among Christian families.
new. But for most Chinese -
On Christmas Eve, Ana- Non-Christians also celebrate
who are either Buddhist, Con- Non-christians
kin and his friends will have a because it is a school holiday,
fucian or Taoists, the biggest
also celebrate
barbecue or perhaps a car tour but without really understand-
Christian festival is a little
over one of the Taipa bridges: ing what they are celebrat-
signficance.
because it
“I don’t do anything with my ing,’’ he says.
So, how does Macau’s
is a school
family. We don’t have a spe- Westerner or Chinese,
predominantly non-Christian
holiday, but
cial dinner or give presents Christian or Buddhist, the
Chinese community spend
to each other”. One upside message is the same says
Christmas? The answer is in without really
on this mini-Christmas cel- Márcia Smaltz: “At Christmas
their own seld, their own self-
understanding
ebration is that it allows him some Chinese elderly stay at
styled manner.
to close the technology shop
Seamstress Ms Tong
what they are
home and eat an apple because
where he works an hour ear- the apple (pingguo) and the
is in her forties and runs a celebrating
lier than usual. night of Christmas (ping’an
small shop in Rua das Es-
“On December 24 I close e) share the same first syllable
talagens, in the heart of
at 7pm, normally the closing which means peace - ‘ping’
Macau. She knows what
time is eight. However, we are brings the desire for tranquil-
Christmas is, but she and
back in at work on Decem- ity,’’ she says.
december 2008
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