In Mainland China, Christmas used to be more lively than New Year’s Day in the past years, but this year’s Christmas is unusually quiet, with a significant drop in sales promotion efforts by businesses. Netizens expressed that “everyone is out of money.”
According to Ming Pao, in previous years, the bustling Sanlitun commercial area in Beijing had sparse customer traffic this year, and the festive atmosphere at the Blue Harbor was bleak. Some people went to Universal Studios on Christmas Eve, popular attractions had queues of less than 20 minutes, they could be in the front row before the parade started, and even Chang’an Street was not congested.
Drivers in Beijing commented, “In the past (Christmas), driving on Chang’an Street at seven or eight in the evening was so congested that it was impossible to move, but recently even Chang’an Street has become much easier to navigate.”
Additionally, the Xidan shopping mall is closing at the end of the year, and there’s no need to queue for dining near Wangfujing. The metro line 1, which used to be packed during peak hours, now often has available seats even after the rush.
Internet celebrity “Peng Peng’s Mouth Pop” expressed in a video that the performance of restaurants, hotels, and malls is even more noticeable – many restaurants are struggling to stay open until Chinese New Year. A restaurant owner mentioned that there are no customers in the evening, with the vast restaurant appearing empty; if this continues, they can only close their doors and return home for the New Year. Moreover, this year’s box office revenue for cinemas is only over 70 million yuan, not even half of the revenue during the epidemic.
Netizens from various regions also commented, “Christmas Eve and Christmas have become chilly.” “It’s hard to earn money now, so we can’t spend recklessly.” “Not only Christmas, but other holidays are also deserted, not for any other reason, just because people haven’t had the means to spend in recent years.” “Getting poorer each year, working all year and still not having enough money.” “I’m so broke that I don’t even celebrate my birthday; why bother with Christmas or New Year.”
Some even pointed out, “Have you noticed? No one is posting anything in their social circles this year.” “In the future, all holidays will be quiet.”
There are also some netizens who said, “We are now culturally confident; we don’t need to celebrate Western holidays anymore.” In response, another netizen argued, “Such statements are ridiculous and insulting to intelligence. Everyone knows the real reason behind the quiet Christmas; why pretend to be ignorant? The truth is simply because of the economic collapse. It has nothing to do with cultural confidence.”