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With many corners in China's cities decorated with smiling Santa Clauses, with the song of "Jingle Bells" resounding in most marketplaces and restaurants, you can distinctly feel that Christ mas, traditionally a Western holiday, is becoming more and more popular in China.

Merchants try every means to explore the business potential. Inmid-December, most shopping malls begin to hold promotion sales by offering special holiday discounts. Almost all restaurants, pubs and cafes are busy preparing special dinners on Christmas Eve.

Meanwhile, most Chinese young people who are zealous about Christmas do not mind how much money they spend on the celebration. What they do care about is whether they can enjoy the holiday to their hearts' content or not.

"I spent 300 yuan last Christmas Eve, and maybe more this year.If I can feel happy and at ease, I won't miss the opportunity. As for whether the holiday is western or not, who cares?" said a university student surnamed Yang.

According to a public-opinion poll, more than 70 percent of the respondents enjoy the celebration of Christmas. While the holiday still remains largely a religious one in the West, most of Chinese people favor Christmas just because it provides an opportunity for them to celebrate with family and friends.

David Zhang, an American who has worked in Beijing for nine years, describes Christmas in China in this way to his children: the Chinese people enjoy Christmas and you'll find Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. But most do not celebrate it for the same reasons that Christians do. In fact, many Chinese don't know much about Christmas; they just know that it is a time to be with loved ones.

"It is an inevitable trend that some western holidays such as Christmas and Valentine's Day have become more popular in China. As a result of exchanges between different cultures, it is common that some western customs and habits are accepted by more and more Chinese people," said Wang Xinnong, a sociologist in Tianjin university.

"Christmas brings us joy and happiness," he said.

Editor: Catherine