距离圣诞节还有不到一周的时间，中国各大城市的商家便已提前进入“临战”状态：圣诞饰品布满店堂，挂满礼品的圣诞树摆进橱窗，营业员戴上火红的圣诞老人帽促销……即将到来的宗教节日俨然已成为一个消费的庆典。然而究竟是商业炒作了圣诞节？还是圣诞节带动了商业？

The Grand Pacific, located in Beijing's bustling Xidan area, is a multi-level shopping mall catering to all walks of life. It has something for everyone, regardless of age, size and nationality. So it's no surprise the Christmas season is the busiest time of year for the mall as it's filled with shoppers looking to find that special gift for a loved one, family member or friend on Christmas Day.

Song Jingya works at the shopping mall: "Christmas is considered to be a popular holiday in Beijing, so our mall has a special Christmas promotion starting on December 6th and ending on December 26th. We also put up special decorations during this time, such as a pin which will light up on Christmas Eve."

As for the holiday shoppers who visit the mall, Song Jingya continues, "Young people are more likely to celebrate Christmas, and they will buy some favorite gifts for their sweethearts during this special holiday."

The Christmas holiday has boosted business at the shopping mall. The holiday season could be the busiest time of the year for business as more and more shoppers visit the mall during the month of December.

Ma Chunzhe is a salesman at a cosmetics counter at the mall. He has seen firsthand how the effects the holiday season has had on business.

He says, "Sales have risen sharply with the coming of Christmas, because many ladies who like to look beautiful have come here to buy high-quality makeup so they can look good on Christmas Day."

Lexi, a Chinese girl, enjoys the Christmas holiday. She likes to spend Christmas with her friends. She said, "I would like some small gifts from very close friends like gloves, hats, and candy."

Jackie, a young man shopping at the mall, says "This year my girlfriend is not with me in Beijing, she is in Anhui Province, so today I will buy some beautiful clothes for her."

However Liu Wei, a student from Guangzhou, is a bit more fortunate in that he will get to spend the holiday with his girlfriend.

"I plan to celebrate the Christmas with my girlfriend, and will get her some gifts."

Chen Tao, a salesman, enjoys the Christmas season. He celebrates Christmas by having dinner with his family, but admits that he doesn't know much about the holiday itself, but enjoys the festivities that come along with it. He is fully aware that Christmas is becoming more and more popular every year.

"I think this holiday is becoming more important and grander nowadays, just like the New Year holiday. Though I know little about Christmas, I like to go with the flow."

Not all Chinese celebrate or recognize Christmas and there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, why should they? The main reason behind this has to do with the Western religious beliefs that are associated with the holiday.

Yang Huamin is a retired accountant. She doesn't celebrate Christmas but enjoys celebrating Spring Festival, which is China's traditional festival when people enjoy setting off firecrackers and have big family dinners.

"We don't celebrate the Christmas, because I think only those who believe in Christianity or Catholicism will celebrate Christmas, but we don't have these beliefs, so we don't celebrate it. What's more, we don't understand the tradition of this holiday, therefore, I think we can't celebrate it blindly. The young people who celebrate Christmas don't understand what the holiday is; they just like to take part in festivities."

It seems as though Christmas is becoming more and more a part of Chinese people's lives. The holiday means different things to different people and that's a good thing. But regardless of how it is perceived or celebrated, it's really about spending time with the people you love, both friends and family alike. With that in mind, may you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas.

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