Qiu Xinyang:A Study on the “Revolutionizing of the Spring Festival” in 1970: Based on the Example of the Educated Youth in Xiamen

2021-06-21 17:07:38 | Author:Qiu Xinyang

In the 1960s and 1970s, the government tried to “break the old and build the new” with respect to the Spring Festival customs, and it called on the people to celebrate a “revolutionary Spring Festival.” With the upsurge in the intellectual youth movement in Xiamen, the educated youth in Xiamen, who had just arrived in western Fujian, in 1970 encountered the issue of celebrating a “revolutionary Spring Festival.” Some responded to the government’s call to stay in the countryside and tried to shape new customs in line with the state ideology. However, many others insisted on returning to the cities for the Spring Festival, and many of them were finally successful. This reflects the people’s desire for a secular life and the deep-rooted influence of traditional etiquette and customs.