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The kindly "Chinese Fortune Grandpa" wearing Han Chinese clothing and holding a fortune bag debuted at the Imperial Ancestral Shrine in Beijing on the day after Christmas. The final image of the Chinese gift-giver was selected through a global design competition that cost millions of yuan. Its debut seems to be a sign of competition against "Santa Claus", according to a report by Guangming Daily.
圣诞节第二天，身着汉服、手持福袋、慈眉善目、笑容可掬的“中华福爷爷”在北京太庙隆重问世。“中华福爷爷”是花百万巨资从全球征集来的作品，选在这个日子发布，似乎有和“圣诞老人”叫板的意思。
Many Chinese cities have been filled with Christmas neon lights, Christmas songs, Christmas trees, and the images of "Santa Claus" in recent days, and the business of hotels and restaurants has been exceptionally brisk. As a matter of fact, foreign festivals are becoming more popular than certain traditional Chinese festivals among the Chinese people, particularly the youth.
近一段日子来，我国许多城市，圣诞霓虹灯闪烁，满耳是圣诞歌，满眼是圣诞树和圣诞老人的形象，旅馆酒楼的生意也异常红火。不得不承认，在一些人特别是年轻一代的眼里，传统节日有日渐式微之势。
"Certain traditional festivals have died out because people have forgotten their spiritual connotations," said noted writer Feng Jicai. More and more Chinese people are beginning to exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and Christmas. However, many of them know nothing about Chinese New Year pictures or sugarcoated figurines, have never heard suona music, and cannot recognize wormwood or calami. Certain folk customs on the Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, and other traditional festivals have gradually disappeared. Under such circumstances, even the "Chinese Fortune Grandpa" is unlikely to defeat "Santa Claus".
作家冯骥才曾说过：“一些传统节日之所以中断乃至消亡，实际上是它的精神内涵被人忘记，它的精神载体不复存在。”现在越来越多的人开始在情人节、圣诞节互赠礼物，却不知道年画、糖人，没听过唢呐，不识艾草、菖蒲。原本产生于民间的端午节、清明节等传统节日，一些节俗也已不再见于民间。在这种情况下，即便是花巨资从全球征集来的“中华福爷爷”，如果遇到派发礼物的“圣诞老人”，恐怕还是要落下风的。
However, it is not a bad thing to some extent. It constantly reminds people to restore the "true face" of traditional festivals. China has listed traditional Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival as legal holidays, which brings more paid leaves to the public, and is conducive to awaken the public awareness of traditional festivals. Obviously, this method cannot truly root traditional festivals in the hearts of people and their charm has turned into an empty shell of culture.
但这种下风，在笔者看来，却并不是什么坏事，它在不断提醒着我们如何还原传统节日的“本真面目”。近年来，国家将清明、端午、中秋等传统节日列为法定节假日，在给公众更多休假福利的同时，一些专家也认为，此举有利于唤醒公众对传统节日的认识。很显然，这种“一设了之”的做法，并不能将传统节日真正植根于国人心中，传统节日的经典魅力充其量只剩下“文化空壳”。
In modern society, festival is a carrier of culture and its meaning and connotation largely depend on their understandings and usages by people. Compared with foreign festivals, traditional Chinese festivals are not inferior in cultural connotation, but lack of fashionable elements pursued by modern people. If people do not appreciate the historical culture contained by traditional festivals, and only take pleasure-seeking as the essence, the significance of traditional festivals will fade away and the inheritance of fine traditional culture will be cut off. In this sense, the figure of "Chinese Fortune Grandpa" is a cultural logo, showing Chinese people's understanding and expectations of traditional culture and demonstrating the tolerance and strength of modern civilization. The creative combination will award marks for the "Chinese Fortune Grandpa" in its "contest" with "Santa Claus".
节日作为一种文化载体，在现代社会里，其意义和内涵很大程度取决于当代人对其理解和使用的方式。传统节日和洋节日相比，在文化和内涵上并不逊色，缺少的就是被现代人所追捧的时尚元素。倘若我们不去体味传统节日所蕴涵的历史文化，甚至仅把吃喝玩乐视为节日的要义，那就难免会淡化节日的意义，更会人为地割断对优秀传统文化的继承、对共同精神家园的守护。从这个意义上讲，“中华福爷爷”作为一种文化标志，既承载了国人对于传统文化的理解和期许，又展现了现代文明的包容和力量，相信这种创造性结合会给“中华福爷爷”在与“圣诞老人” 下一个回合的“较量”中加分不少。
In fact, any traditional culture cannot be self-enclosed in the era of global village. Nowadays, some of Chinese people are keen on celebrating foreign festivals while foreigners more like to celebrate traditional Chinese festivals. In the face of cultural conflict and integration, we should dig the tradition as well as tolerate diversified choices. Noted sociologist Fei Xiaotong had said that as one of the major powers with ancient civilizations, China should have broad breadth of mind and cultural ambition. Therefore, the "Chinese Fortune Grandpa" should coexist with "Santa Claus" and jointly bring joy to people.
其实，在地球村时代，任何传统文化都不可能自我封闭。当下，一些中国人爱过洋节，不少外国人也热衷于中国的传统节日。面对这种文化的冲突和融合，我们既要挖掘传统，又要宽容选择。社会学家费孝通先生曾经提出作为一个世界大国和文明古国，中国应有这样的文化胸怀和文化志向：“各美其美，美人之美，美美与共，天下大同”。我想，如果中华福爷爷”遇上了“圣诞老人”，它们应当和谐共处的，携手并行的。
