The students from Tsinghua, Peking and Renmin universities last year wrote an open letter to China Daily complaining that Christmas is a Christian holiday imported from the West and local people should stick to their own traditions.
"Western culture has been changing from a breeze and a drizzle into a wild wind and
a heavy storm," they declared. "This is vividly embodied in the rising popularity
of Christmas."
They wanted Chinese to stop sending Christmas cards, decorating their homes and businesses, and buying gifts for their children. The comments triggered widespread online debate and more than 40,000 people made comments.
Some supported the students while others told the students not to be "such party poopers".
And another thing...
Santa Claus probably has an office in south China. China is the world's top toy exporter, selling 22 billion toys overseas last year, or 60 percent of the global total. The factories in the southern part of China also make the world's largest number of plastic Christmas trees.
(China Daily December 21, 2007)
