{"id":4981,"date":"2026-01-11T06:43:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T06:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/?p=4981"},"modified":"2026-01-28T05:00:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T05:00:59","slug":"christmas-as-an-au-pair-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/christmas-as-an-au-pair-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas as an Au Pair in China"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4981\" class=\"elementor elementor-4981\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35e4153 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"35e4153\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d03be5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"3d03be5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Spending December in <strong>Mainland<\/strong> China is a unique experience. While <strong>American culture<\/strong> focuses on the <strong>Gregorian-calendar<\/strong> holidays, our <strong>au pairs<\/strong> en <strong>Chengdu<\/strong> are currently living through a fascinating transition. We recently celebrated the <strong>Winter solstice<\/strong> (Dongzhi), a period that marks the arrival of the coldest days but also the countdown to the most important <strong>public-holiday<\/strong>: the <strong>Spring festival<\/strong>. To bridge these two worlds, Masons Au Pair organized a massive Christmas dinner to bring our <strong>welcoming<\/strong> community together before the <strong>New year celebrations<\/strong> begin in earnest.<\/p>\n\n<p>Our Christmas event wasn't just about Secret Santa; it was a deep dive into <strong>language and culture<\/strong>. We gathered our <strong>estudiantes internacionales<\/strong> y <strong>au pairs<\/strong> to share a meal that felt like a bridge between the West and the <strong>Ancient chinese<\/strong> heart of Sichuan. It was the perfect moment to reflect on the passing <strong>Solar-year<\/strong> while looking forward to the upcoming <strong>Chinese lunar new year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">1. A Festive Reunion: Catching the Holiday Spirit<\/h2>\n\n<p>The energy at the dinner was incredible. For many, this was the first time they felt a true sense of <strong>good fortune<\/strong> away from their <strong>home-country<\/strong>. We aren't just an <strong>exchange program<\/strong> that pays a <strong>stipend<\/strong>; we are a support system. If you watch the video below, you'll see the <strong>festive<\/strong> atmosphere where everyone was busy sharing <strong>folk<\/strong> stories from their own cultures while embracing <strong>traditional chinese<\/strong> hospitality.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 30px 0;\"> <video controls style=\"max-width: 450px; width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);\"> <source src=\"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/christmas_video_dinner_masons_aupair.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"> Your browser does not support the video tag. <\/video> <p style=\"font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; color: #666; margin-top: 8px;\">Christmas vibes in Chengdu: A warm-up for the Lunar New Year festival.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n<p>During the meal, we talked about the upcoming <strong>New year parade<\/strong> and the <strong>festivities<\/strong> that will soon fill the streets. Our au pairs are already excited to see their first <strong>Lion dance<\/strong> y <strong>Dragon dance<\/strong> demonstrations, which are <strong>auspicious<\/strong> symbols meant to ward off <strong>bad-luck<\/strong> and bring prosperity for the <strong>Lunar year<\/strong> ahead.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">2. Sichuan Flavors and Zodiac Talks<\/h2>\n\n<p>Instead of a <strong>Cantonese<\/strong> style dim sum or a Western roast, we went full Sichuan. The table was covered in <strong>dumplings<\/strong> and spicy local favorites. In <strong>cultura china<\/strong>, el <strong>First-day<\/strong> of any celebration starts at the table. We sat around the round tables\u2014the symbol of reunion\u2014and spent hours talking about the <strong>Chinese zodiac<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 30px 0;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/christmas_dinner_masonsaupair_table-scaled.webp\" alt=\"Christmas feast in Chengdu featuring traditional dumplings\" style=\"max-width: 450px; width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 12px;\"> <p style=\"font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; color: #666; margin-top: 8px;\">Sharing more than just food: a lesson in the Chinese lunar calendar.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n<p>Whether you were born in the year of the <strong>Rat<\/strong>, el <strong>Monkey<\/strong>, el <strong>Rooster<\/strong>, or the <strong>Pig<\/strong>, everyone wanted to know their <strong>zodiac<\/strong> predictions for the <strong>Year of the rat<\/strong> or whatever animal the <strong>Chinese-calendar<\/strong> brings next. These conversations are <strong>for chinese<\/strong> families a daily ritual, and seeing our au pairs embrace them was a beautiful <strong>demonstration<\/strong> of true cultural integration.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">3. Preparing for the Lantern Festival<\/h2>\n\n<p>As we look past Christmas, the focus shifts to the <strong>Chinese new year celebration<\/strong>. Our au pairs are already planning to learn <strong>martial<\/strong> arts or <strong>calligraphy<\/strong> to write their own <strong>decorations<\/strong> for their host families' doors. This dinner was the starting point for a <strong>lunar-month<\/strong> full of excitement, leading up to the grand <strong>Lantern festival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 30px 0;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/masons_au_pair_team_christmas.webp\" alt=\"Masons team and au pairs getting ready for the new moon celebrations\" style=\"max-width: 450px; width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 12px;\"> <\/div>\n\n<p>El <strong>New Moon<\/strong> of the first <strong>Lunar year<\/strong> month will bring even more <strong>celebrations<\/strong>. We want our participants to see every <strong>temple<\/strong>, light every <strong>lantern<\/strong>, and understand the deep respect for <strong>ancestors<\/strong> that defines the <strong>Chinese People<\/strong>. From the <strong>Emperor<\/strong>\u2019s history to the modern street <strong>parade<\/strong>, Masons ensures you experience it all.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">4. A Global Community in the Sichuan Capital<\/h2>\n\n<p>By the time the dinner ended, our <strong>international community<\/strong> felt stronger than ever. No matter how much <strong>bad-luck<\/strong> the world might throw at us, having a group of friends to <strong>celebrate chinese new year<\/strong> with makes the <strong>homestay program<\/strong> truly <strong>rewarding<\/strong>. We are proud to be the bridge for <strong>for chinese new year<\/strong> and Christmas alike.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 30px 0;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/christmas_dinner_aupair_full-scaled.webp\" alt=\"Full room of au pairs celebrating the solstice and the holidays\" style=\"max-width: 450px; width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 12px;\"> <p style=\"font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; color: #666; margin-top: 8px;\">A full house waiting for the next New Year festival to begin.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">FAQ: Christmas and the Lunar Year<\/h2>\n\n<h3 style=\"font-size:18px; font-weight:600; margin-top:20px;\">Is Christmas as big as the Chinese new year festival?<\/h3> <p>In <strong>Mainland<\/strong> China, the <strong>New year festival<\/strong> is much larger as it is the primary <strong>public-holiday<\/strong>. However, Christmas is a great time for <strong>festive<\/strong> gatherings and <strong>celebrations<\/strong> within the expat and <strong>au pair<\/strong> community.<\/p>\n\n<h3 style=\"font-size:18px; font-weight:600; margin-top:20px;\">What should I expect during the Chinese new year celebration?<\/h3> <p>Expect a lot of <strong>fireworks<\/strong>, family <strong>decorations<\/strong>, and incredible <strong>Lion dance<\/strong> performances. It is a time for <strong>good fortune<\/strong> and honoring <strong>ancestors<\/strong> according to the <strong>Chinese lunar calendar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h3 style=\"font-size:18px; font-weight:600; margin-top:20px;\">Do we get time off for the Winter solstice?<\/h3> <p>While the <strong>Solstice<\/strong> is an important <strong>Folk<\/strong> tradition where families eat <strong>dumplings<\/strong>, it is not a <strong>public-holiday<\/strong>. The real break happens during the <strong>Lunar new year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"font-size:25px; color:#093F50; font-weight:700; margin-top:35px;\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<p>Whether you are celebrating a <strong>Gregorian<\/strong> Christmas or getting ready for the <strong>New year parade<\/strong>, being an au pair in Chengdu is an adventure. Join Masons Au Pair to experience the best of <strong>cultura china<\/strong>, from the <strong>Winter solstice<\/strong> to the <strong>Lantern festival<\/strong>. We have a seat for you at our next <strong>auspicious<\/strong> dinner!<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spending December in Mainland China is a unique experience. While American culture focuses on the Gregorian-calendar holidays, our au pairs in Chengdu are currently living through a fascinating transition. We recently celebrated the Winter solstice (Dongzhi), a period that marks the arrival of the coldest days but also the countdown to the most important public-holiday: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6.png",1200,600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6-300x150.png",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6-768x384.png",768,384,true],"large":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6-1024x512.png",1024,512,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6.png",1200,600,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6.png",1200,600,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Benefits-Au-Pair-6.png",18,9,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"masons.aupair@gmail.com","author_link":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/author\/masons-aupairgmail-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"Spending December in Mainland China is a unique experience. While American culture focuses on the Gregorian-calendar holidays, our au pairs in Chengdu are currently living through a fascinating transition. We recently celebrated the Winter solstice (Dongzhi), a period that marks the arrival of the coldest days but also the countdown to the most important public-holiday:&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4981"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5003,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981\/revisions\/5003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masons-aupair.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}