National Customs1. When in Rome, do as the Romans do (入乡随俗)In different countries and different cultures, people have different customs and practices. So it’s important and necessary to know their customs when you travel abroad or get along with foreign friends. You should remember the saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Or it’ll be very easy to offend people or seem rude silly. My uncle is presently studying English in New York. He has not been there long, and he is quite amazed at the great differences between American and Chinese cultures. For one thing, Americans and Chinese are different in arranging a visit. Chinese prefer to call on their friends unexpectedly. Americans on the other hand, prefer making an appointment in advance. An unexpected visitor is regarded as impolite.2. The differences between Chinese and Western CustomsI’d like to talk about five differences between Chinese and Western Customs.Firstly in China, when meeting people, Chinese like to ask the questionsconcerning name, age, nationality, salary and state of marriage etc., while the western countries conversation doesn’t involve the private questions such as age, salary and state of marriage, etc.Secondly, the family name is followed by the given name. While the western countries, the family name comes after the given name.Thirdly, among the numbers, 4 is regarded as a symbol of bad luck, as itspronunciation is similar to that of “ death”. On the contrary, 6 and 8 are regarded as the lucky numbers. While the Western countries, among the numbers, 13 is deserted by most people for example, there is no ROOM 13 in the hotels,no important events are on the 13th.Fourthly , the Spring Festival is the most important festival, and people send best wishes only to the family, friends and colleagues, with no greetings among strangers.While the Westerncountries Christmas is the most important festival , when people meet in the Christmas season or on the New Year Day, they exchange best wishes toone another.Last but not the least, when receiving presents, people usually thank first, and open the presents after the guests leave . While the presents are not usually very expensive but with great convention. It is polite to open the gift in front of the guest and to send appreciation and thanks.3. The Lantern FestivalDuring the Spring Festival, people visit each other, with a great deal of exchanging of gifts. Then the festive atmosphere of New Year begins to wind down 15 days later as the Lantern Festival sets in. This Festival, believed to have Daoist origins,is for people to just have fun N carrying lanterns into the street, watching lions or dragon dancing , playing Chinese riddles and games, and lighting firecrackers.A typical food is tangyuan , a kind of dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with sweet fillings. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year season and afterwards life returns to its daily routine.4. Whether our traditional festivals would be replaced by other culturesEvery culture has its own history and developing background. One culture can never replace another. So our Chinese customs and traditional culture would never be replaced by western culture. In recent years, with the development of the society, we let in some western cultures. At the same time some foreigners begin celebrating Chinese traditional festivals like the Spring Festival. In fact, Spring Festival is losing its traditional flavor, while young people seem to enjoy celebrating weste rn holidays, when they can have more fun on their own. It’simportant to maintain China’s cultural tradition, but with influx of western cultures, our traditional culture is diminishing. Some people holds that without traditional culture, it's meaningless no matter how strong China becomes.5. Chinese national holidaysThe national holidays are an important part of national customs and traditions. Each nation has its own traditional method of celebrating festivals. China has many important traditional festivals, the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival and so on. Different festival has different customs. The government's decision to make three more traditional festivals national holidays gives Chinese people time off from work to celebrate these traditional festivals properly, with traditional activities. The shorter holidays also mean many Chinese are staying closer to home, it has also spurred interest in Chinese culture. The move has helped the festivals to revive their traditions.6. Should we observe Chinese traditional customs?Yes, we should definitely observe our Chinese traditional customs. With the development of society, foreign customs become more and more popular among young people. Many people worry about the decline of Chinese traditions and customs. Some even appealed to the government for help to honor our national traditions by including more traditional festivals into the official holiday system. Some think we should because as Chinese, we live in China, the traditional customs can date back to thousands of years ago .They are the symbol of China. Even though we accept foreign customs, but we still should observe our own customs. In this age, we can't always insist on traditional customs. And we should combine traditional customs with foreign customs. In this way, we can catch up with the world.7. What's special about each traditional festivalOn the Lantern Festival, various traditional customs and activities are held, including eating yuanxiao, watching lanterns and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles, performing folk dances and so on, It's called yuanxiao festival because every household eats yuanxiao on this day. The MId-Autumn Festival is the second most important and traditional festival in China. It’s also called the mooncake festival because mooncake is the food people can’t miss that day. Family members gather together for a reunion dinner. After dinner, they go out to enjoy the bright and round full moon which stands for harmony and reunion. Those who can’t return h ome watch the moon and feel deep longings for their loved ones.。