Christmas and Easter

Grußwörter:
(zum Weihnachten)
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Xmas!"
"Happy Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
(zum Ostern)
"Happy Eastern!"
"Happy Holidays!"

We won't explain here the meaning of Christmas and Easter but it might be interesting to learn how non-Christian societies perceive these holidays.

Christmas is not an official holiday in Asia except in the Philippines and South Korea. The 25 December is by chance Constitution Day in Taiwan. The Philippines is the Asian nation with the most avowing Christians (81 percent) followed by South Korea with 26 percent. Filipinos are deeply religious - one could compare them with the Italians.

In the whole of Asia Christmas has been completely commercialized. This experience is shared by everybody who already traveled to Asia in December. The popular Christmas carols are played for weeks on end, daily 24/7 and non-stop in every mall, shop, cafe and restaurant until Christmas is finally over and one hasn't hopefully lost one's mind. Christmas in Asia isn't taken as seriously as in Europe. Although the exchange of Christmas cards has become quite popular it's mainly restricted to private contacts. Asians rather consider Christmas a holiday similar to New Year. Discotheques and restaurants put up lovely colorful decorations. The continent is flooded with massive advertising campaigns for special offers via television, radio and the public media.
 

Picture: Mall in Kuala Lumpur

At Christmas young people or young couples like to go out to fancy restaurants or celebrate on dance floors. Up to today owners of discotheques and restaurants are still baffled why on this very day they hardly have any Western clientele.

Asians practice different religions: Buddhism in East Asia, China/Hong Kong/Taiwan, South Korea and Japan and in Southeast Asia in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Sri Lanka. Islam is the main religion in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Bangladesh and Pakistan; the Philippines are Christian and last but not least there is the Hinduism in India. However Asians have absolutely no problem to participate in the celebration of Christian holidays as there is no rivalry between the various religions. Even Muslim countries like Malaysia and Indonesia celebrate Christmas like the other Asian nations. Christmas greetings to all your Asian partners and colleagues will cause no problems.

Asians are however not as familiar with Easter as they are with Christmas. Good wishes for Easter are nevertheless fine - one can never have enough luck in life. Asians will appreciate your gesture as an effort to strengthen contacts.

In addition you might want to inform your partners and colleagues of the duration of your holidays and the date you will be back in office. It helps the colleagues to plan their schedule.

Due to religious beliefs however Christmas and Easter greetings to devout Muslims of the Middle East and North Africa is not recommended.

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