China

The Chinese have a reputation for being VERY superstitious. Dragons and red are considered auspicious (in fact, colors are so powerful that the Chinese will not let anyone visiting Mao Tze Dong's tomb to wear red or orange because they signify happiness and joy). Doors or roofs of a Chinese house or business will often be red for luck and prosperity, and corpses are never to be dressed in red when buried, as this will cause them to become a ghost.

Sometimes, it can be argued that these superstitions can be taken to what some may consider 'extreme' measures. If a murder is committed in an apartment building, property value plummets almost instantly and residents may even move out for fear of evil spirits. In Macao, a bridge was actually torn down and reconstructed almost entirely in order to make it more 'fung shui'.

One of the many superstitions that the Chinese observe upon the death of a loved one is less dramatic, but none the less intriguing. When the person passes away, they are washed and dresses and laid out in the home. If they've died at home, they are laid out the main room. If they died outside the home, then they are laid out in the courtyard. It is believed that the souls of the dead face many obstacles and even torments and torture (for the sins they have committed in life) before they are allowed to take their place in the afterlife: prayers, chanting and rituals offered by the monks help to smooth the passage of the deceased's soul into heaven. These prayers are accompanied by music played on the gong, flute and trumpet. Chinese funerals can last for days upon end, depending on the wealth of the family. In the courtyard, there is almost always gambling going on. Outsiders may assume that the Chinese believe their dead relatives bring them luck, but this isn't why they do. The family is required to have guards posted outside the door of the home for the duration of the funeral services. The gambling is to help keep the guards awake.

Inside, incense are burned and candles are lit at a small alter at the person's feet. A photograph of the person is also present, and all mirrors and statues of deities are covered in red paper. If a person sees a coffin in the background of their reflection, their family will be the next to have a death. Food is placed as an offering to the dead person. Here's the interesting part: there is fake money burning constantly as offering for the deceased to take with them into the afterlife. This money is, naturally, for the loved one to start their new 'afterlife' in style. How this ties in to reincarnation, I'm not sure.

Once a year the family goes to the cemetery and burns more fake money to keep the 'bank account' of their departed in the black.

Thus proving, if Heaven has houses, the Chinese are going to have the nicest ones.

Shanghai is one of the most exciting and cosmoplitan cities in Asia. It is cutting edge and modern, with the bright lights and trendy clubs that China's big cities are famous for. But, when the fog rolls in and the ships are shining in the harbour there's an unmistakable feeling of the 1920's, when opium was the local past time and the sun still hadn't set on the British Empire. Being in Shanghai at night is like stepping back to the time where spies lurked in trenchcoats and 'the blue dog barked at midnight'. The only reminder you're still in 2007 is this seasons Farigamo loafer's in a window display.

With all the elegance and mystique of the atmosphere, one could almost find colonialism charming. And, for those who prefer to sugar coat rampant dibilitating drug use and esbionage, here is one of the more endearing surviving customs from British imperialism...

Shanghai is full of designer show rooms, but far more interesting to the average tourist are the tiny local shops dusty and full of nicknacks; some identifiable, some not. The locals are very welcoming, and even though they speak no English, they will find a way to haggle on any item. Not for sale, however, are the Santa Claus cutouts, christmas lights, and ornaments that adorn the windows of these tiny shops year round. Not soon after noticing the seasons greetings, tourists will notice the incessant christmas carols being played ad nauseum in the background. Sure, it's colorful and cheerful, and Chinese have a great fondness for the color red... but surely there's more to it than this. Superstition? Good cheer? Kris Kringle's resemblence to a hairy Buddha?

Sadly, it's the same reason we see the fastastic Yultide displays in the poshest of Western malls as soon as it dips below 65 degrees. It's a marketing campaign.

During the 1920's, when the British ran the city, they obviously frequented the more westernized, therefore more affluent establishments. Catering to their Western clientele the exclusive bars and stores would decorate for Christmas. To a chinese merchant who knows nothing of Christ, christmas equaled money. So, the merchants began to decorate for the holidays in hopes of enticing British patrons and adding an aire of sophistication to their shops. And, twelve months of affluence beats two or three, so the decorations became a permanent fixture.

Thus proving that holidays may be vastly different, but capitalism is the same the world over.