When the new year is coming I am wondering about the other name for Christmas Eve, Silent Night, the Chinese translation for which is the most famous name for this night in China, 平安夜, which means pe

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Irina Xiang

When the new year is coming I am wondering about the other name for Christmas Eve, Silent Night, the Chinese translation for which is the most famous name for this night in China, 平安夜, which means peaceful night literally. I searched for the origin of this name, why is it called 平安夜 in Chinese？I got many stories but the main meaning of them is talking about good wishes for family members or the holy Jesus, just like the hymn told us: Silent Night http://v.ku6.com/show/bY2drTSRgn6nL-h5.html Silent night Holy night All is calm all is bright Round you virgin Mother and Child Holy infant so tender and mild ...... Christ the Savior is born; Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light. ....... While at the same time, the night before the Spring Festival is called 除夕[chu2xi1], and no matter the folk stories or literally explanation, we can see the character 除 means 'get rid of'. Maybe you think they are not related and completely different culture in different sides of the earth. But Chinese wear all in red in wedding, white in funeral, while people on the other side of the earth wear all in white in wedding, black in funeral.... I can't give you more unrelated examples now, but if you begin to think about the relation between different cultures, I would be glad I had written this passage. It's short, but I hope you think it's interesting.

Corrections · 16

When the new year is coming

I am/have been wondering about the another name for Christmas Eve, Silent Night, the Chinese translation for which is the most famous name for this night in China, 平安夜, which means peaceful night literally.

I searched for the origin of this name; why is it called 平安夜 in Chinese？I got found many stories but the main meaning of them is they all have in common talking about good wishes for family members or the holy Jesus, just like the hymn words of the carol (it's not a hymn) told us:

Silent Night http://v.ku6.com/show/bY2drTSRgn6nL-h5.html
Silent night Holy night
All is calm all is bright
Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
......

Christ the Savior is born;
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.
.......

While at the same time, the night before the Spring Festival is called 除夕[chu2xi1], (I think chu is also 'dividing', and that is definitely one of the Chinese meanings) and no matter despite what the folk stories or literal explanation suggest, we can see the character 除 means 'get rid of' (I don't quite agree).

Maybe you think they are not related and there are completely different culture in on different sides of the earth. For example, Chinese wear all in red in at weddings, white in at funeral, while people on the other side of the earth wear all in white and black respectively. in wedding, black in funeral....

I can't give you more unrelated examples of difference now, but if you begin to think about the relation between different and common customs of different cultures, I would will be glad I had have written this passage.

It's short, but I hope you think it's interesting.

In German it is Weihnachten - more or less 'Holy night'; also Heiligabend. The Song Silent night I think is also originally German.

From Middle High German wīhenahten (12th century), a dative plural form ze wīhen nahten (‘in the holy nights’) understood as a compound of weihen (to hallow) and Nacht (night), referring to the mid-winter nights, which were already celebrated in Germanic times

@kathburke Yes, Kath, he is my dog. It's difficult to find friends and girlfriend for a dog like him.

@kathburke He is a 2 years old silver fox dog, that's how I literally translate for you, it's also called japanese spitzbn. Get rid of , or kill, it's about a beast. I think there are something in common between Spring festival and Christmas. We have lunar calendar in China, you apply the solar calendar, they are both family gathering together holidays before the coming new year. The funny thing is the culture difference, you give gifts to kids, but you also raise the plain tickets' price on that day when kids grow older, then they may not choose to afford the high price for gathering together with parents on the special day. While Chinese give money to kids, try to keep them awake the whole night, by watching TV program or scaring them or persuading them with encouragement, when kids grow up, they all go home on the spring festival on time even if the tickets are expensive, they are doing so so willingly cause if you don't do the same thing, you are kind of weird....people may think you don't love your parents or something...

Dear Irina I love your post. It is interesting and cute. And the dog is gorgeous. Is he / she your dog? Tell me about the Spring festival in China. It means get rid of what? Get rid of winter? Get rid of the cold? What do you do at the Spring Festival? In the UK we have May Day - in the old times people used to dance around a May Pole... You can read more about our crazy English ways here http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/mayday.htm Happy learning English Kath

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