Example of Compare and Contrast Essay on Chinese and American Cultures

The Chinese and American people differ in several aspects. China is a country in Asia while their counterparts are in the American continent. Apart from the geographical positioning, the two societies have diverse cultures. However, it is the Chinese who are deep into their cultural practices. They are among the only societies in the world that have been able to strike a balance between cultural practices and development. At the same time, the Americans identify with certain cultures. The festivals celebrated in the two nations differ significantly. In America, the Christmas festival is the most common while in China, the spring festival is the most celebrated. The foods that the two societies depend on have some significant differences. While the Chinese have their foods based on the cultures, the Americans have brought in westernization that was introduced by the colonialist.

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In every normal society, festivals provide a chance for families to come together and celebrate. The Christmas festival provide an opportunity for the Americans to interact. The actual purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ among the Christian believers. However, the narrative has changed, and over 1.5 billion Americans embrace it as a festival where they have to spend time away from work. The Chinese people have a unique festival known as the spring festival. According to Zhao, it is marked to celebrate the first day of the first lunar month. Most people associate it with the New Year celebrations, but then it does not follow the normal calendar. Instead, it purely based on Chinese cultures. The foods, the clothes, and all the celebration features characterize the Chinese culture. While the Americans have adapted some moderation in when it comes to festivals and celebrations, the Chinese are extremist but at the same time, have been able other nations when it comes to development.

Additionally, Chinese diets are entirely different from those of the Americans. Similar to other aspects, the Chinese have incorporated culture into their eating habits. Their food has some historical background and is in line with their cultures. The Americans have less or no cultures completely in the foodstuffs and eating habits. First, the Americans have a lot of meat products in their diets while the Chinese prefer the vegetables. At the same time, the Chinese have less dairy products. When it comes to the actual eating, the Americans use a knife and a fork. Chopsticks are a unique characteristic of the Chinese population. Instead of spoons and the forks and knives as the Americans have done, they have decided to stick with their cultures. The good thing is that the Chinese are proud of it and are never afraid of showcasing it to the rest of the world. The Chinese have also developed a habit of sharing meals in that there are specific times when foods are to be taken.

The differences in the cultures of the Americans is a revelation that there is diversity in the way different societies of the world carry themselves. While the Chinese embrace the spring festival, the Americans are deep into the Christmas festival. The spring festival is backed by the cultural setup of the Chinese people. The foods, as well as their eating habits, are significantly different. While the Chinese are using the chopsticks to have their meals, the Americans are using the forks and knives. The two scenarios show that different societies have adopted different cultures. However, the Americans have incorporated moderation while the Chinese are more of conservatives as well as extremists.

Works Cited

Zhao, Lina. "The Similarities and Differences between the Spring Festival in China and Christmas in America." Proceedings of the 2018 3rd International Conference on Education, Sports, Arts, and Management Engineering (ICESAME 2018), 2018.