Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 264

5th International Conference on Education, Management, Arts, Economics and Social Science (ICEMAESS 2018)

Comparison of the Similarities and Differences between Chinese and Japanese

Traditional Festivals and Study of Teaching Guidance Significance
Xiaojiao Li
School of Foreign Studies, Xi`an University, 710065

Keywords: Chinese and Japanese; Traditional Festivals; Similarities and Differences; Teaching
Guidance

Abstract: China and Japan are close neighbors, and there are cultural exchanges between the two
countries ever since ancient times. There are many similarities and differences between Chinese and
Japanese traditional festivals. This paper makes a brief analysis of the similarities and differences
between Chinese and Japanese cultural exchanges and traditional festivals, and gives the potential
teaching guidance value of the research on similarities and differences between Chinese and
Japanese traditional festivals.

Traditional festivals are part of culture. China has a long history and Chinese civilization has a
long history. After thousands of years of development and accumulation, Chinese culture has
become a very influential cultural factor in the world. As a neighbor of a strip of water, China and
Japan have a long history of cultural exchanges. There are many similarities and differences
between Chinese and Japanese traditional festivals, tracing back to the source, these similarities and
differences are mainly caused by the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese
cultures.
Chinese culture has a great influence on Japanese culture. Thousands of years ago, Chinese
culture began to integrate into Japanese culture. China's influence on Japanese culture is in every
aspect, whether in politics, economy, science and technology or in daily life. The earliest cultural
exchanges between China and Japan can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty. Since then, cultural
exchanges between the two countries have rarely been interrupted. In ancient times, China was
more developed in the economic and social fields, mainly based on cultural output. At the beginning
of Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges, some Chinese immigrants moved to Japan. At first, they only
spread some production technologies and tools, which gradually changed the mode of production
from hunting, fishing and collecting to farming. That is to say, rice has become the main food
source of the Japanese nation since then. At the same time, this has laid an important material
foundation for the further development of Japanese culture. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties,
Chinese culture was in a period of extraordinary prosperity. At that time, cultural exchanges
between China and Japan reached a climax. At that time, Chinese culture had been widely
introduced into Japan. At the same time, Japan sent a large number of people to China to study
technology and culture.
China's cultural learning mainly focused on the late Ming and late Qing Dynasty and the
beginning of the Republic of China. At this stage, China was invaded by the big powers, and
gradually realized the harm caused by the closure of the country and the obstruction of self-esteem.
At that time, Japan had embarked on the nationalistic road of Meiji Restoration, and Japan had
surpassed China in many aspects. The Chinese have begun to learn and emulate the world powers,
including Japan.
It can be seen from the above that China and Japan are gradually showing themselves in the
culture, and I have your own situation. The similarities and differences between Chinese and
Japanese traditional festivals are the concrete embodiment of this cultural influence and
communication.

Copyright © 2018, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 673
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1. Traditional Festivals and Culture

Festival is a specific manifestation of culture in the field of life and a form of culture. Traditional
festivals in different countries are closely related to their own culture. As the representation of
traditional culture at the level of national behavior, traditional festivals in various countries are
deeply rooted in their own cultural connotations. This is a unique cultural symbol formed in the
long-term development and evolution. Sometimes the festival itself reflects the national cultural
spirit or national spirit. Traditional festivals have a high status in the minds of their people and have
a broad mass foundation. This traditional festival is sometimes attacked by foreign cultures, but its
influence is difficult to weaken in the short term.
Both Chinese and Japanese traditional festivals contain the national cultural spirit. The so-called
cultural spirit, popularly speaking, is a positive component of the national culture, which can fully
reflect the ideas and concepts of the national spirit. The cultural spirit of Chinese traditional
festivals mainly contains patriotic thoughts, striving for self-improvement and unity of nature and
man. Traditional Japanese festivals mainly include the vigorous, militarism and loyalty of Japanese
people.

2. Similarities and Differences between Chinese and Japanese Traditional Festivals

2.1 New Year
China's new year's traditional festivals are introduced to Japan when China is strong. At that time,
there was little difference between Japanese New Year's festivals and Chinese New Year's festivals,
but the content was not as rich as that of Chinese traditional New Year's festivals. After the Meiji
Restoration, Western culture gradually invaded Japan, and Japanese New Year changed from
Chinese New Year to New Year's Day. After the Meiji Restoration, Western culture gradually
invaded Japan, and Japanese New Year changed from Chinese New Year to New Year's Day. Japan,
like China, calls the new year the first month. The Japanese usually call the Lunar New Year "new
year", but it is called the first lunar month. The Chinese people's Spring Festival is counted as the
first day of the year from the 1th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese
people's Spring Festival is more than one day. It goes on for some time. The Chinese begin to
prepare for the new year from the beginning of the lunar year. In the traditional Chinese Spring
Festival, there are many festivals, such as buying new year's products, writing couplets, making
holiday foods, etc. It is relatively simple for the Japanese to pass the first month, but no Chinese is
so grand. In Japan, every year from January 2nd to January 3rd is a statutory first month holiday.
The Japanese will celebrate the new year with ceremonious celebrations during the holidays.
Traditional Japanese people attach great importance to New Year celebrations. They call January
3rd the Great Obscurity Day, which is the New Year's Eve every year. On that night, people prayed
for the gods to help themselves, to send away their old troubles and to welcome the bright future.
The Japanese say New Year's Day is the right day.
The New Year is of great significance to the Chinese people. The annual New Year is the most
important festival of the year for the Chinese people. Chinese people have to prepare a lot of work
for the new year, usually called busy years. Since the celebration of the kitchen, the atmosphere of
New Year began to fill the streets and alleys. In order to have a prosperous New Year, people have
entered a period of intense preparation and sprint, purchasing new clothes, cleaning and so on.
Cleaning is to sweep away a year's bad luck. On the first lunar new year, we put up door gods, paste
New Year pictures, and set off firecrackers. All families put up couplets to pray for a better life. The
new year's preparations for Japan begin in the middle of December, and the three days of the new
year in Japan are uneasy. Therefore, Japanese New Year meals usually need to be completed 30
days ago. In Japanese pronunciation, 9 is similar to bitterness, so No. 29 is considered unlucky, and
what they do on this day will also be bad. During the New Year celebration, various rituals and
activities are held in various parts of Japan, such as decorating doors, hanging straw ropes, offering
sacrifices to ancestors, offering sacrifices to gods, etc.

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In terms of diet, northern China generally pays attention to eating dumplings during the Spring
Festival. Dumplings have become an indispensable food for the Spring Festival in northern China.
Some places in the south are fastidious about eating New Year cake during the lunar new year.
During the new year, the Japanese did not get angry. They did not cook and cook. Therefore, every
household's New Year's Eve meal is prepared in advance, New Year's Food in Japanese is known as
the Royal Festival, in fact, is a rich cold dish. It is a noble food to read cold food in Japanese culture.
According to historical records, the tradition of imperial festival originated from the superimposed
diet in the Edo period. Their food boxes are also divided into several layers. Each layer contains
different foods. The first layer is usually antecedent dishes and snacks, the second layer is usually
fish, meat, and the third layer is usually rice cakes and other cooking.
2.2 Children's Day
Children's day in Japan is generally called children's day, which is a traditional festival.
Children's day in Japan is May 5th each year. Before World War II, the festival was called Dragon
Boat Festival, and it was only a boy's holiday. It became a public holiday in 1948. According to
Japanese law, the main purpose of Children's Day is to respect children's personality and to thank
mothers for their happiness. In Japanese society, it is used to call May 5th the boy's day
corresponding to daughter's day. In fact, this festival in Japan originated from the Dragon Boat
Festival in China, mainly in memory of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan for more than two thousand
years. In the Dragon Boat Festival, most of the areas in China are hung calamus, Artemisia argyi,
dragon boat racing and eating zongzi. During the peace period more than one thousand years ago,
the Dragon Boat Festival was introduced to Japan. The Dragon Boat Festival in China was first
celebrated only in the imperial nobles of Japan, and then spread to the people. As the Japanese
pronunciation of calamus is closer to Shangwu, it has gradually become a male-related festival with
the passage of time. During festivals, China and Japan both regard calamus as a lucky thing and eat
dumplings on this day. In Japan, there is also the custom of tree carp flag in this festival, which is
not in China. Children's day and Dragon Boat Festival are two different festivals in China.
Children's Day is June 1st each year. This day is the most anticipated time for all children. They can
receive gifts from their families and schools, participate in various activities they like, and many
schools will rehearse performances for festivals.
2.3 Tanabata Festival
Tanabata has unique pronunciation in Japanese. Tanabata Festival has its unique meaning and
mode of activity in Japan. About the origin of Tanabata, there are three theories in Japan. The first
two of these three statements are related to the Cowherd and the weaver girl, and the last one is the
Japanese localization legend. Tanabata Festival was introduced from China to Japan during the Edo
period. At that time, the festival was also popular among Japanese officials. The court held ritual
activities about begging Tanabata during the festival. With the passage of time, the Tanabata
Festival has endowed Japan with rich local cultural connotations, which has been very popular
among Japanese people. In rural Japan, the Seventh Night Festival tends to offer sacrifices to
ancestors in the peony basin, but it is still held in the Chinese lunar calendar. In China, Tanabata
Festival is a romantic festival, which is closely linked with the love story of Cowherd and Weaver
Girl. The custom of worship, begging, and metaplasia are closely related to women's life. Tanabata
Festival is also known as daughter's day, Qiqiao Festival, Double Star Festival and so on.
2.4 Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival has a long history in China. On the day of Chongyang Festival,
Chinese people celebrate by climbing high, enjoying chrysanthemum, inserting dogwood and
drinking chrysanthemum wine. In Japan, chrysanthemum Festival is one of the five festivals
established in the Meiji era, but nowadays, it is gradually forgotten among many Japanese people.
In the early years of the Peace Festival, the Double Ninth Festival was introduced into Japan. At
that time, Japanese nobles celebrated it in the form of chrysanthemums. Japanese people like
chrysanthemums imported from China very much. They tie cotton yarn or cotton yarn on

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chrysanthemums, so that the fragrance of chrysanthemums and dew on chrysanthemums are soaked
in cotton yarn or cotton yarn, so as to clean their bodies and remove dirt. Later, due to the change of
calendar, the Chongyang Festival in the Edo era has lost its objective foundation because of its cool
autumn weather.
There are many similar traditional festivals in Japan and China. Through the above comparative
study, we can see that the traditional festivals in Japan and China are similar in many places. But
after years of accumulation and the baptism of our national culture, some of the differences are
more obvious. But after years of accumulation and the baptism of our national culture, some of the
differences are more obvious.
Nowadays, under the tide of globalization, the development and strength of any country can not
be accomplished in the form of closed doors and closed doors. So, in education and teaching, we
should study the cultural differences hidden behind the similarities and differences of the traditional
festivals of the two countries in an exploratory way, not only to protect the history, but also to
inherit and carry forward.

3. Teaching Guiding Significance of Studying Similarities and Differences between Chinese

and Japanese Traditional Festivals
Studying the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese traditional festivals can
help us understand the history, customs and cultural essence of China and Japan. It has very
important guiding significance in education and teaching.
First of all, through the study of similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese
traditional festivals, we realized the importance of cultural protection. In recent years, many
traditional festivals with a long history have been registered abroad. On the contrary, China, the
earliest origin of these festivals, has not seen any practical measures in the protection of relevant
cultural heritage.
Secondly, cultural exchanges are essential in a globalisation environment. We need to improve
our students' awareness of cultural exchange, so that our students can learn Japanese language,
Japanese culture, understand Japanese cultural etiquette and its business and cultural activities. This
will enable our country to have more and more advantages in cultural exchanges between China and
Japan, and prepare our younger generation for the country's development earlier. Schools should
urge our students to foster awareness of cultural exchanges, learn Japanese well in the course of
learning, and contribute to the cultural exchanges between China and Japan.

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