Chinese city bans Christmas celebrations in schools

Schools have more of an obligation to tell children meaning of traditional Chinese festivals

A city in China has banned all Christmas celebrations in schools and kindergartens.

"No middle school, primary school or kindergarten may hold any Christmas-themed activity or celebration," said the circular issued by the Wenzhou city's educational authority, adding that there would be inspections on the enforcement, Xinhua reported.

"The purpose of the Christmas ban is not to crack down on all Western festivals, but to reverse the schools' obsession with Western festivals at the expense of Chinese ones," said Zheng Shangzhong of the city's educational bureau.

Schools have more of an obligation to tell children the meaning of traditional festivals such as the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Lunar New Year, he said.

Celebrating Christmas has become trendy among young Chinese, who see the Christian festival as a merry time to shop, party and dine with their friends and significant others.

Meanwhile, proponents of traditional Chinese culture have warned against cultural invasion.

A college at Northwest University in Shaanxi province reportedly kept its students away from joining Christmas celebrations by having them watch traditional cultural films on Christmas Eve.

Its official microblog account said that Chinese traditional festivals and culture were fading away as more Chinese embrace Western traditions.