Chinese New Year decorations

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Hi. I noticed today when I went to Mass (first Sunday of Lent), that along with the decorations in the sanctuary for Lent (the usual desert themed decorations) and two purple banners, there were six red and gold banners all around the church, two of which were in the sanctuary, for Chinese New Year. Along with this there were multiple red lanterns and several more banners hanging in the vestibule as well as a large ornate gold colored vase with large foliage surrounded with dozens of oranges. Is this acceptable…? Thanks!
 
No.

Secular celebrations should never interfere with the Church’s liturgical life. The decor of a church building should always express our worship of God, to the exclusion of any secular events.

Such decorations might be entirely appropriate in the church hall, or on the lawn, or some other place.

The same standard would apply no matter what the secular celebration.
 
There’s nothing wrong with “a little bit” of decoration to celebrate a secular event.

It’s a problem though when such decorations either conflict with or detract from the liturgical celebration.

I would have responded differently if it were not the season of Lent. Festive decorations are fine during a festive season; and when done in moderation and good taste, should reflect the culture of the congregation.

The problem, as I see it based on your description, is that the building is decorated in a festive theme during a penitential season. If the season were Easter, I’d probably be writing in favor of of most of it.
 
That’s what I thought. I do live in an area where 60% of the population is Asian and my parish has a very prominent Chinese community and ministry. I realize that there will be some cultural reflections of that around my church, but I just thought that the overwhelming amount of decorations for Chinese New Year overtaking the decorations reflecting the liturgical season of Lent was a problem.
 
Catholic_Truth said:
That’s what I thought. I do live in an area where 60% of the population is Asian and my parish has a very prominent Chinese community and ministry. I realize that there will be some cultural reflections of that around my church, but I just thought that the overwhelming amount of decorations for Chinese New Year overtaking the decorations reflecting the liturgical season of Lent was a problem.
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When you say “overwhelming amount of decorations,” do you mean something like this?
youtube.com/watch?v=KH4IzVh8pKw

I realize this video is from a cathedral in Vietnam, but it is still the celebration of Lunar New Year. One thing to know is that in the Asian context, there is no separation between the sacred and the secular/profane when it comes to culture. These two are usually one in the same. It is similar to why in the Philippines the Gloria is sung during Advent because of the Simbang Gabi novena Masses.
 
In Vancouver approximately 30% of the population are Chinese-Canadian. Chinese New Year is thus very, very, very important. While I don’t know of any churches that incorporated Chinese New Years decor into the Ash Wednesday service, His Grace, the Archbishop, did grant the Chinese faithful a dispensation to observe Ash Wednesday’s fasting a couple days later this year.
 
Would we accept helium balloons emblazoned with Happy New Year scattered around the church on 31st Dec? With streamers and banners filling the arches? Highly unlikely. As mentioned already the parish hall or gardens would be the place for this.

The liturgical year supersedes all secular celebrations (and as my birthday sometimes falls on Good Friday I know how tempting it is to let our own celebration try to take over); let’s try to keep at least some things sacred.
 
It could also just have been impractical for the church to decorate for a Chinese New Year Mass and then in half an hour take them down for the regular 1st Sunday of Lent Mass…
 
They had the decorations up for the entire duration of Chinese New Year which is celebrated for 15 days. So the decorations were up through the first 2 Sundays of Lent. Should I bring up my concerns with the priest?
 
At least they should have decorated it in a place outside the church. Like they should have decorated it in the Parish Hall or the outside walls of the church.
 
Catholic_Truth said:
They had the decorations up for the entire duration of Chinese New Year which is celebrated for 15 days. So the decorations were up through the first 2 Sundays of Lent. Should I bring up my concerns with the priest?
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Did it happen to look similar to this?

https://scontent-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=c8f40bc524a53a706630f68fc1b5795e&oe=55DC3E1D

https://scontent-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=eedb84cfa8f22fde7915ca025de7d5e2&oe=55E50B4D

https://scontent-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=dfa03d40dd87b9563246d60232918a81&oe=55D88A26

These are taken from Mary the Queen Parish in Greenhills, Philippines.
facebook.com/MaryTheQueenParish/posts/10153104672639539
 
Hi! The photos above are of my parish church here in Manila, Philippines. I am a Chinese-Filipino Catholic. We did celebrate the Chinese New Year’s Day Mass on the 19th of February which was the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, after having obtained permission from the Archbishop where our parish belongs. The day before that, Ash Wednesday, all Chinese-Filipino Catholics from the different dioceses and archdioceses in the Philippines were given dispensation by their respective Bishops/Archbishops (this always happens when the lunar new year falls on or on the eve of Ash Wednesday) from observing the Ash Wednesday fast but only after sunset which was just in time for the traditional Chinese New Year’s Eve Reunion. But with this dispensation, we had feeding programs and other works of mercy for our less-fortunate brothers and sisters. Also, on the eve of the New Year, the church was open from early evening till way past midnight so that parishioners can visit the Ancestor’s altar and offer incense to our beloved dead and to God and pray for the coming year. I guess this is our parish’s way of pulling Chinese Catholics away from Buddhist/Taoist temples on the most important day for our culture. (It is quite a tradition for families to visit Chinese temples during the new year. Christ forbid, even pure Filipinos join the bandwagon without understanding the significance!) But on the 20th, after New Year’s day, all the Chinese decorations at the church were removed as it was already the season of Lent. 🙂

Sorry if I do quite sound defensive, it’s just that it’s hard being both Chinese and Catholic at the same time, and not everybody can/is willing to understand the Catholic Church’s “inculturation”. 😃

"Our Lady of China, sustain all those in China, who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus."
 
Yes, it did look quite similar to the picture but maybe three times the banners and decorations. I would understand if they held a Mass or two for the Chinese community at my parish, and I would understand a few banners and a couple decorations for that occasion. I grew up celebrating the Lunar New Year with my friends because the majority of them are Asian, so I understand that. However, the issue I am concerned about is the overwhelming amount of decorations and the period of time they were used. The first two weeks of Lent did not feel like Lent because the Lenten décor seemed to be engulfed and overshadowed by everything for Chinese New Year.
 
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