The day before yesterday, a friend asked me, "Do you Christians not celebrate the Spring Festival, or pay a New Year’s call? A colleague of mine does not celebrate. She said the Spring Festival was demon-related and people shouldn't celebrate it."
I replied, "It is an extreme case; the majority of believers do celebrate the New Year. We have reunion dinners, put up Spring Festival couplets, and visit each other. We shouldn't generalize based on the actions of individual believers."
As a result, the bias against the gospel from my friend was dispelled. However, it should be noted that there are indeed some extreme believers who oppose celebrating the Spring Festival and plan to evangelize on this day.
In Chinese legends, there is indeed a mythical aspect to the New Year celebration. In ancient times, there was a monster called "Xi (dusk)" or "Beast Nian (year)" that came out to eat people on New Year's Eve. To deal with the monster, people would place meat at their doors, then close the doors and hide inside. Up until the morning of the first day of the lunar year, people would open their doors to bow to one another and congratulate one another on avoiding the monster's bite. This is the legend of the Chinese New Year.
However, the Lunar New Year date was fixed in the Han dynasty (about 202 BC–220 AD), with certain celebration activities becoming popular from then on. The custom of burning firecracker bamboo spread to the common people and has continued to this day.
In contemporary society, paying a New Year's visit has become a custom, that enhances relationships through mutual blessings. This is different from the old custom of worshipping idols, and Christians should not reject it.
Apostle Paul pointed out, "To the Jews, I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law." This shows that, for the sake of the gospel, Christians should adapt to local customs to gain acceptance and promote evangelism.
The Christian Times, an online Christian newspaper in China, also reported a piece of news. On January 22, 2020, a Chinese staff worker from the Bill Graham Evangelistic Association shared a photo of Rev. William Franklin Graham III and Will standing on either side of the statue of the late Billy Graham, saying, "The Graham family wishes each person a Happy New Year."
Many churches visit believers during the Spring Festival, strengthening the bond with them. Some even visit elderly widows, bringing holiday gifts and caring for their lives, which has received much praise. Some church members go to visit friends and family who haven't accepted Christ yet, chatting with them and inquiring about their well-being.
Therefore, during the Spring Festival, Christians should not reject the custom of the New Year celebration. We should not refuse non-Christian customs for the purpose of setting ourselves apart for holiness. Otherwise, we will fail to win the approval of others, with the previously close relationships damaged. It is an important way to practice love through offering New Year's greetings and caring for those in need.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
前天有位朋友问我：“你们基督徒是不是都不过春节，都不拜年呢？我一个同事就是如此，她说春节是魔鬼的，我们不能过。”我于是回复道：“这种思想太极端了，绝大多数信徒也是过年的。大家吃年夜饭、贴春联、相互拜年。不能以个别信徒的言行以偏概全”。
于是，这位朋友对福音的偏见就此消弭。不过需要指出的是，当前教会中确实有些极端信徒反对过春节，认为要在这天传福音。
在中国传说中，春节拜年确实存在神话色彩。在上古时期，有一种叫“年”的怪物，专门在大年三十出来吃人。人们为了对付怪兽，就把肉食放在门口。然后关上大门，躲在家里。直到初一早上，人们开门见了面，作揖道喜，互相祝贺未被年兽吃掉。这是传说中拜年的起源。
但拜年真正起源是在汉初，“元日庆贺,始于汉高祖。”后来，拜年习俗流传到民间，延续至今。
而在当代社会，拜年成为走亲访友、相互祝福、增进感情的一种风俗。这与偶像崇拜完全是两码事，基督徒不可对其排斥。
使徒保罗指出：“向律法以下的人，我虽不在律法以下，还是作律法以下的人，为要得律法以下的人。”这说明了基督徒为了福音的缘故，都要入乡随俗。这样才能得到他人的认可，从而促进福传。
《基督时报》也曾报道：2020年1月22日，葛培理布道团有中文同工分享了一张葛福临牧师和儿子葛威尔牧师左右站在去世的葛培理牧师雕像的两侧的照片，并说到：“葛家三代给大家拜年。”
不少教会都会在春节期间，走访信徒，增进了彼此之间的感情。有的教会更是去给孤寡老人拜年，赠送节日礼物，关爱他们的生活，这种做法得到了不少人的点赞。有的肢体则是去给还没信主的亲友拜年，与他们聊聊天，关心其近况。
因此基督徒在春节期间，不能排斥拜年习俗。我们不能出于所谓“分别为圣”，拒绝“异教风俗”。这不但无法让他人认可，更损害了原来亲密的感情。给人拜年送上祝福，去关爱有需要的肢体，都是实践爱的重要方式。
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news-preview/40903/%E4%B8%8D%E5%8F%AF%E6%8B%9C%E5%B9%B4%EF%BC%9F%E5%8A%A1%E5%BF%85%E6%91%92%E5%BC%83%E8%BF%99%E7%A7%8D%E6%9E%81%E7%AB%AF%E6%80%9D%E6%83%B3
基督徒不可拜年？
The day before yesterday, a friend asked me, "Do you Christians not celebrate the Spring Festival, or pay a New Year’s call? A colleague of mine does not celebrate. She said the Spring Festival was demon-related and people shouldn't celebrate it."
I replied, "It is an extreme case; the majority of believers do celebrate the New Year. We have reunion dinners, put up Spring Festival couplets, and visit each other. We shouldn't generalize based on the actions of individual believers."
As a result, the bias against the gospel from my friend was dispelled. However, it should be noted that there are indeed some extreme believers who oppose celebrating the Spring Festival and plan to evangelize on this day.
In Chinese legends, there is indeed a mythical aspect to the New Year celebration. In ancient times, there was a monster called "Xi (dusk)" or "Beast Nian (year)" that came out to eat people on New Year's Eve. To deal with the monster, people would place meat at their doors, then close the doors and hide inside. Up until the morning of the first day of the lunar year, people would open their doors to bow to one another and congratulate one another on avoiding the monster's bite. This is the legend of the Chinese New Year.
However, the Lunar New Year date was fixed in the Han dynasty (about 202 BC–220 AD), with certain celebration activities becoming popular from then on. The custom of burning firecracker bamboo spread to the common people and has continued to this day.
In contemporary society, paying a New Year's visit has become a custom, that enhances relationships through mutual blessings. This is different from the old custom of worshipping idols, and Christians should not reject it.
Apostle Paul pointed out, "To the Jews, I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law." This shows that, for the sake of the gospel, Christians should adapt to local customs to gain acceptance and promote evangelism.
The Christian Times, an online Christian newspaper in China, also reported a piece of news. On January 22, 2020, a Chinese staff worker from the Bill Graham Evangelistic Association shared a photo of Rev. William Franklin Graham III and Will standing on either side of the statue of the late Billy Graham, saying, "The Graham family wishes each person a Happy New Year."
Many churches visit believers during the Spring Festival, strengthening the bond with them. Some even visit elderly widows, bringing holiday gifts and caring for their lives, which has received much praise. Some church members go to visit friends and family who haven't accepted Christ yet, chatting with them and inquiring about their well-being.
Therefore, during the Spring Festival, Christians should not reject the custom of the New Year celebration. We should not refuse non-Christian customs for the purpose of setting ourselves apart for holiness. Otherwise, we will fail to win the approval of others, with the previously close relationships damaged. It is an important way to practice love through offering New Year's greetings and caring for those in need.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Can Christians Celebrate the Lunar New Year?
