No 1072 of Living Life Series 1
New year joy comes once a year. To the Chinese celebrating the lunar new year, they must start the new year with the correct note with prosperity and joy aplenty. This is so as to welcome the year with the best of the best.
This is part of culture and regardless of the religion, the same culture will be there. In fact the culture takes over religion and dominates.
A Christian Chinese or for that matter a Chinese of any religion will still be practicing popular Chinese culture regardless of the religion he is in.
Thus we can say that the culture of the individual in a religion prevails. This culture in the days of old in China used to be referred to by West as Taoism but in reality it is just Chinese culture.
Chinese culture absorbs religion or rather religions become integrated into Chinese culture.
For that matter a Westerner who takes up Taoism is still practicing Western culture and though he professes Tao philosophy, he is very much different from the Chinese who call himself Taoist.
Thus we have to address the issue of whether culture is religion. Yes it is though of course it is not.
Chinese New Year is rooted in popular Taoism but is not Taoism. If it is, those Chinese who are not Taoists would not celebrate Chinese New Year. Culture not religion prevails.
Won't the icons of the lunar new year mean the same to Chinese regardless of their religious persuasions?
Chinese New Year is rooted in popular Taoism but is not Taoism. If it is, those Chinese who are not Taoists would not celebrate Chinese New Year. Culture not religion prevails.
You can call a rose by any name but a rose is still a rose by any name. It is just as sweet.