Abstract: 

The study aims to investigate the cultural differences between Chinese and Western                   traditional festivals in comparison with spring festival and Christmas. Then, it intends to compare some of the cultural differences on festival customs from the point of historical origin, traditional custom, and festival significance with its response and topics. This paper has analyzed the different histories, customs and significances of Spring festival and Christmas, and expounded that Chinese and Western traditional festivals have religion differences, diet differences and value orientation differences, etc.. Besides, there are various reasons for the analysis of differences. Research by comparing these differences can help to avoid communication mistakes and achieve success in intercultural communication. It also improves the charm of Chinese traditional festivals and is conducive to the cultural transmission of Chinese traditional festival.

Key words: spring festival; Christmas; cultural differences; comparative analysis
   
摘要：

本文以春节和圣诞节为例，对比分析中西方传统节日的文化差异。本文从历史由来，传统习俗，节日意义等三方面对中国的春节与西方的圣诞节进行对比研究，阐述中西传统节日文化存在宗教文化、饮食内容与价值取向等方面的差异，并分析存在各种差异的原因。通过对比研究这些差异，可以避免交际失误,成功的进行文化交流，同时可以提高中国传统节日的魅力,有利于中国传统节日的文化传承。

关键词：春节；圣诞节；文化差异；对比分析

1. Introduction
    Festival refers to the common social life or by the special provisions, with specific customs activities, specifically for the time period to go round and begin again. It’s a special day with periodicity and relatively stability. While traditional festivals are the concentrated display of traditional folk culture of vitality. It is the carrier of national culture and has experienced from spontaneity to consciousness, from free to the progressive development and complementary process. Traditional festivals, as particular human marks into daily life time, are gradually formed in the long historical development and social life. National traditional festivals not only reflect the spiritual and cultural characteristics of specific regions, but also reflect its unique customs, ways of expression and the long history. This paper mainly discusses two national festivals that refer to the people of contemporary Chinese and Western countries are willing to accept, along with strong regional and national characteristics of traditional festivals.